Hudson Middle School Soccer

Pre-season Informational Meeting

Welcome to the pre-season informational meeting for boys fall soccer in the 2015season. This document is designed to give you an overview of the expectations and requirements of a Hudson Middle School soccer player that plays on one of my teams. I am glad you are in attendance today and look forward to seeing you at tryouts this summer.

Summer Tryouts – These will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, August 10th, 11th, and 12th. The tryouts will begin at 9:00 AM each morning and will run until 11:00 AM. You need to attend all three days of tryouts. We will be located on the grass field behind Malson Field at the middle school. It’s the field behind the old high school stadium.

What to bring –

  • A soccer ball with your name or initials clearly printed on it.
  • Your own well-marked water source (bottle, thermos, etc.) – bring plenty…August tryout days tend to be really hot and we don’t want you dehydrated. Do not share a drink with someone else (for obvious health reasons).
  • Molded cleats or indoor flats if the ground is dry and hard.
  • Shin guards. If you don’t bring shin guards, you won’t be allowed to tryout.
  • A completed and current emergency medical form – you will not be allowed to tryout without it.
  • You must have had a current physical exam as well – you will not be allowed to try out without it.

What I look for during tryouts: The reason I coach soccer is because I love the game. I am still an active goalkeeper on several teams. I watch professional soccer games on the weekends (English Premiere League). I also love sharing my knowledge of techniques and strategies with young players like you. With that in mind, I am looking for skillful soccer players, athletes that are in shape, and people with very strong character. The last attribute is the most important of the three I listed. I will be evaluating your personality over the 3-day tryout as well as your soccer skills. Unselfishness, maturity, and a strong ability to get along with others are among the main traits that I look for in my players. If you can score 30 goals during the season but have an awful, arrogant personality, you will not be a part of my team. I want to have fun next fall and I will do my best to put together a team that wants to play attractive soccer and have a great time doing it.

What can you do over the summer to be ready for tryouts?

  • Get in shape – Soccer is a physically demanding sport, obviously. Running and stretching are vital preparation for an upcoming season. How much you can and are willing to prepare before tryouts is up to you, but you only have three days to make a good impression. Players that come to tryouts in playing condition will have a leg up on those who don’t.
  • Keep your touch sound – Even if you are not in an organized league over the summer, you should spend a significant amount of time with a ball at your feet. You don’t need to go to an actual soccer field to pass with a friend or work on your dribbling. Take the ball in your backyard and dribble around. We’ll be working foot skills quite a bit during the season so players that show up at tryouts with a sound touch will catch my attention right away.
  • Watch any soccer you can! Younger players often don’t see the value in watching how the professional game develops. You can learn a ton from simply observing how accomplished players and coaches approach the game. While the English Premiere League is done for the 2014-15 season, Major League Soccer (MLS) in the U.S. is in full swing and it will be all summer. Take a trip to Columbus if you can and watch the Columbus Crew. Pay attention to the decisions the players make. Notice how the game unfolds. Watch how the attack builds from the back. I want all of the players on my team to understand “the beautiful game” as best they can.

Club Teams – There is one more issue to discuss. It is an OHSAA rule that players at the middle school level cannot play for their club team and their school team during the same season. If you currently play for a club team, you have a difficult choice to make. Some club coaches will let you take a session off so that you can play for your school team, but the vast majority will not. They make their living coaching their club teams and players that leave do not pay dues. If you show up at tryouts, you are indicating to me that, should you get chosen to play on the HMS team, you will do just that. Do not try out for the middle school team if there is even the outside chance that you will play for your club team instead. It causes massive problems when players are chosen for the school team and then back out.

And that is about it. There will be lots more specific detail about the season after the roster is finalized. One more thing to tell you – there will be cuts. Unfortunately our HMS soccer program does not draw enough players to field two full teams so I am placed in the unfortunate situation of having to turn away interested players. There is simply no way around the cuts. Players that prepare well in the pre-season will give themselves a definite advantage come August.

Thank you very much for attending this meeting. If you have any questions about tryouts or the program during the summer, don’t hesitate to contact me through my school email address: . I will be checking that address all summer.

Take care and I will see you all in August!

Sincerely,

Mr. Fejes