Every time you step onto the pitch is a tryout.

This is a point I drive home to our young athletes every opportunity I have.  You never know who is watching you. It might be a future employer.  It might be your future spouse. It might be a rival coach seeking a guest player.  Such has been the case this spring. Being undefeated in our league makes our roster a prime target for league coaches seeking guest players.

The simple truth is when a coach seeks a guest player they almost always ask for a specific player either by name or number. Such has been the case this spring.  Each coach who has contacted me did so with a "list" of specific players he was intersted in having join his team as a league or tournament guest player.  Sometimes the request is based on need and other times it is based on the coaches perception of "best player available."  Perception is the key word here - the impression the athlete made on the coach.  The athlete might have had a career day on the pitch the one day the coach observed him play, but that is the lasting impression of the athlete the coach has.

When a need arises for me to go outside of our club for a guest player I do the very same thing.  I maintain a list of players we have played against in league, at college showcases, at ODP that I would ask to guest play if a need arose. Within the league I know the goalkeeper, defender, wing mid, center mid and forward I would ask to play for us if the need arises. I also have contacts for a couple of ODP individuals we might ask.  These players are the ones that made favorable impressions on me with their play and their deportment in limited exposure.

By extension, every waking moment of every day of your life is a tryout.  You just never know who is watching you.  Opportunities are gained... and lost... based on your deportment and demonstrated abilities.