It’s tryout season and lots of players (and parents) are going around various clubs and teams to try and find the right fit for next season (or immediately in some cases).

Everyone understands that this process is part of club soccer and with new players coming in, this means that some existing players are going to either choose to leave or be told they have to leave after not being offered a spot on the roster for the new season. It’s tough for any kid (and parent, because parents do often take it personally) to be told they won’t be offered a roster spot and so they have to leave the team but in many cases, it can often be for the best, if parents/players are willing to look at it objectively.

Let’s take a look at a couple of the reasons why.

*More touches and time on the ball equals more improvement*

If your kid is on the lower end of their team, very often this means they might not get enough playing time in games. Even if they do get playing time, because the level of play is often too fast or technical for them, they don’t get many touches of the ball (and this is absolutely necessary for development). The same goes for practice; if most of the kids on the team are playing at a speed that your kid finds it difficult to keep up with, they simply won’t get the necessary touches or time on the ball in practice either. Young players are unforgiving; if someone loses the ball often or makes regular mistakes, kids will stop passing to them and this compounds the problem as the ones who need the touches the most, actually then get even less. This often dents their confidence further and makes them nervous (which certainly doesn’t help them to play any better). It’s not that anyone is saying your kid isn’t trying hard or putting in the effort (often the players on the lower end of teams work very hard to try and make up ground); it can be many things, including a lack of technical skill or decision making (understanding of the game and when/where to pass) which are two of the most common issues.

*Players will be better in the long run*

If your kid stays on a team where they are not getting enough touches and don’t feel comfortable and confident, their long-term improvement is severely hampered. Even if your kid doesn’t want to leave his/her ‘winning’ flight 1/gold team because they see it as ‘failure’, if you can explain and convince them that they will actually become a better player for leaving, it makes the pill easier to swallow. If your kid moves to a team where they get more touches, more time on the ball and feel more confident about their game (yes, this might mean ‘dropping’ to what you see as a lower level team), over time they are going to be a much better player. This will give them a better opportunity to make their High School team for example and might even end up giving them an opportunity to play on a better or higher team than the one they originally left. Your kid might decide the team or level of play that they move to is somewhere they feel comfortable and stay there; that’s ok, it’s not about having to play at the highest flight or level, it’s ultimately about finding their level as an individual and enjoying the game as much as possible while learning and improving.

Leaving a team isn’t the end of the world. If you are objective and explain the situation honestly to your kid, it will turn out to be a positive learning experience.