Soccer tryouts are a part of joining a soccer team and the whole waiting part can be frustrating. You can be held up waiting for a few days, a couple of weeks or even longer before rosters finally get announced by a team. This time in soccer-limbo can feel endless for both parents and prospective athletes. 

Your child might be rethinking every moment from tryouts, hoping they did enough, or feeling anxious about the outcome. But on the bright side, this waiting period doesn't have to be completely wasted. There are many different ways to keep your child engaged and motivated as both a player person overall while you wait for that email or call.

Continue to Build Soccer Skills

Tryouts are over but that doesn't mean you should have your child stop all of their training they have been doing. Actually, this might be a perfect time to continue developing all of their skills. Make sure your athlete goes to work on fundamentals during their free time. Every minute spent training can make a difference. Help your child get into the habit.

If your child feels like they have areas during tryouts where they were less confident. Now can be the time to address them. Maybe their off foot needs a little bit of work, or they need to be more comfortable with headers. You don't even need to hire a public coach during this time. YouTube has hundreds of free tutorials. Local parks offer space to practice.

Stay Focused on All of Their Goals

Make sure that your child remembers that they remember why they love soccer to begin with. Talk with them about their personal goals for the season. Whatever those goals are, they still exist regardless of whether your child made the team or not. 

It is always a good idea to reflect on and build non-soccer goals. How are they doing in school? Maybe there’s a hobby they want to explore. Remind them that being a well-rounded person makes a better athlete. Coaches notice players who manage their time well. Even more so players that have discipline from other areas of their life that they can bring onto the field.

Keep Them Moving and Staying Active

The waiting period is not the time to take a break from training and other physical activities. Maintaining fitness level now means once the season actually starts they'll hit the ground running.

Try to consider this as a chance to cross-train. Since there’s a break from most soccer training, it’s time to explore some other sports. Some physical activities such as yoga can improve flexibility or balance. Some other games like basketball or tennis can help enhance footwork and agility. Staying active also helps manage the stress and anxiety that your child could be feeling about post-tryouts.

Manage the Expectations and Emotions

Let's be honest… This waiting period will be tough on your athlete. They might go back and forth between feeling confident about how they did during tryouts. In the next moment they could feel worried. Be a space for your child to talk about how they're feeling. Make sure to be a helpful resource for them. They need to understand that whatever happens, it will not be the end of their soccer journey. They might make the top team or maybe they'll be placed somewhere else in the club. No matter where they are put,they are being placed somewhere that will get them more playing time and overall development.

Some of the best players face early setbacks. But, they let those experiences teach them resilience. Remind your child that value as a person isn't at all determined by a roster decision for a soccer club.

Moving Forward with Confidence

The waiting period after tryouts is temporary. The habits your child builds can last. Have them stay active and work on their soccer skills. Focus on goals and making sure they’re feeling well emotionally. Set your children up for success no matter what the tryout outcome is. 

When that roster decision finally becomes public and teams start to be finalized, your child will be ready to take the next step with the most confidence possible.