After hearing from players and parents, an amazing panel of Rush Coaches and Directors discussed concepts and ways to improve how players, parents, and coaches go through one of the most stressful periods of the season.
July 26, 2021
Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts
When Chris P. , Rush Soccer’s Developmental Director, suggested that we should dedicate the whole month to analyze Tryouts, we decided to give the same priority to every party involved: Players, Parents, and Coaches.
That’s why Chris hosted two wonderful webinars, first with players and later with parents, and received some key suggestions and concerns for this stressful part of the season. Let’s now hear from the coaches.
- Daouda Kante – Kansas Rush.
- Randall Porter – Kansas Rush.
- Paul Furlong – Lobos TN Rush.
The goal of the discussion was to check if clubs grew during the process and how the experience could be refined for all involved. The process is stressful for all, that we all know.
Is it a regional, National or a state to state problem? How can we conduct the process more efficiently and effectively? And what methods do you feel that would provide coaches an easier way to measure performances that they can later share with players who didn’t make the top team, or didn’t make the team at all? Those are some of the questions posted during the meeting.
Both parents and players suggested that communication must be clear and face to face , whether the player made the team or not. Paul Furlong highlighted that aspect as well, stating that communication, even if it’s already adequate, should always be a priority to improve.
Another point that was remarked by Paul and Randall related to the individual experience that each child has with their coach. They both emphasized that putting better coaches with the younger age groups helps to develop them , not only from a technical standpoint but also to ensure these are coaches committed to the group and willing to go above and beyond expectations and minimum standards. Moreover, their objective is to provide a consistent experience regardless of league or level.
On a different note, Randall pointed out the incidence of state rules. In their case, tryouts must be run on the same day as the other clubs. That affects the dynamic of the process, as from a business standpoint, they are in need of making offers on day one or get ready to lose players from the club.
Complementary to this concept, Paul made a comment on how success tends to breed success . For example, if one branch had a strong 2010 group, players from other branches would migrate there. At Lobos, the pathway is defined early and the Developmental and Recreational branches do lots of work to help these players develop into the travel program, Some of the initiatives taken are weekly training sessions with competitive coaches and holding consistent meetings. Kansas Rush, with the same objective, holds a couple clinics in the fall and spring with the travel coaches.
Thanks to Paul, Randall and Daouda for their contributions, Kristian Bates PA Rush TD shared via email some of their secrets and couldn’t join us as he was in Greece with Rush Select. And congratulations to TN Lobos Rush for having 4 teams at USYS National Championships in Florida this summer!
Now it’s time to hear from you, coach. Did we miss any key point? How would you improve the Tryouts period?
The post Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts appeared first on Rush Soccer.
Club Announcements Opportunity for Credit or Refund to your Player’s Account - We are in need of volunteers for the Girl's Soccer Shootout this weekend. We will credit or refund $40 per shift to your player's SportsEngine account after completion of the event. If you have already completed your volunteer hours for spring, this would be an additional credit or refund to your account. This is a great opportunity for students to receive volunteer hours as well, so siblings may participate and we will sign off any hours needed. Click here to sign up ! Kickin’ it Together! - We are excited to announce the Kickin’ It Together fundraiser on March 22, 2025 at Laguna’s on Pensacola Beach! In partnership with Coastal Rush, each Home Club has the opportunity to win team prizes, individual cash prizes, and fundraise for their own Home Club. PBFC’s goal is to sell a minimum of 115 tickets! Please visit the fundraising page for all of the details and how to begin selling tickets HERE ! RSVPs for Tournaments - Ensure your players have RSVPs in Heja for spring tournaments. RSVPS help your coach plan rosters in advance so that the team may secure guest players if necessary. If you’re unsure if you can attend an event, please communicate your concerns to your team manager or coach. Academy Homework Scorecards - Just a friendly reminder that PBFC Rush Homework Scorecards are due on March 3rd! Make sure your player turns in their scorecard, even if they didn’t complete all the exercises—we want to celebrate their effort and progress! If their scorecard was lost, you can download a new one HERE . Let’s keep putting in the work and getting better every day! Player & Coaching Highlights Player of the Month - Michael G., Jaxon H., Jacob J., Ariela Z., Lucia P., Everly T., Jacob J. Pensacola Sports All Stars - Hayden Olsen, Exavier Ali, Jackson Perkins, Deny Argueta Player of the Year 3A District 1 - Lily Rodriguez Player of the Year 4A District 1 - Hayden Olsen Coach of the Year 3A District 1 - John Guidroz Upcoming Events - Good luck to our teams as they compete in these March events! March 1-2 Perdido Soccer Shootout Girls Weekend - All Girls Teams March 8-9 Perdido Soccer Shootout Boys Weekend - All Boys Teams March 15-16 Big Easy Invitational - 2013 Boys March 17-21 Escambia County School District Spring Break March 29-30 Fairhope Spring Blast - 2013 Girls, 2014 Girls, 2015 Girls, 2016/17 Girls, 2013 Boys, 2014 Boys, 2015 Boys, 2016/17 Boys Events in Review February 1 & 8 - Snap Soccer Spring Playdates - Our U8-12 teams kicked off their spring season with friendlies on our home turf. They enjoyed a beautiful Saturday putting their skills to work in low-pressure games against teams they will see later this season in tournaments. February 22 - Coastal Rush Jamboree - The Coastal Rush Jamboree was a successful day of 2013-2015 teams playing in a new format to help prepare them for 9v9 and 11v11 games. Coaches refereed and provided teaching moments in real-time throughout the 60 minute games so that players could understand and improve their skills within the new format. Coastal Rush uses the Jamboree as a tool to prepare our home club players as they progress into 9v9 and 11v11 games.
A Note from Jessy Reboucas - Club Manager As teams gear up for the last half of the 2024-2025 season, I want to encourage everyone to embrace the changes that the spring brings. Over the fall and winter season, we welcomed new players, coaches, team managers, directors, and even newly-formed teams. The directors and I are continually impressed by this year’s PBFC Rush families who have taken many of these changes in stride and with a positive outlook. Because of this, we see the growth of not only the players, but in our club community, and expect this to continue in the springtime. On a personal note, I want to thank our team managers for all that they do behind the scenes for their teams. Not only are they vital to myself as Club Manager, but also to PBFC Rush as a whole. Please take a moment to recognize and thank them this season! Club Announcement Parent-Funded Tournament Deadlines - Tournament payment deadlines are here! If you have not submitted parent-funded fees for spring events yet, please refer to your Heja team chats for those fees which have been posted by your team manager. Due to sold out events and long waitlists, we ask that all parents take care of these payments so that teams do not miss out on early bird registration prices. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding! Kickin’ it with Coastal! - We are excited to announce the Kickin’ It Together fundraiser on March 22, 2025 at Laguna’s on Pensacola Beach! In partnership with Coastal Rush, each Home Club has the opportunity to win team prizes, individual cash prizes, and fundraise for their own Home Club. PBFC’s goal is to sell a minimum of 115 tickets! Please visit the fundraising page for all of the details and how to begin selling tickets HERE! RSVPs for Tournaments - Ensure your players have RSVPs in Heja for spring tournaments. RSVPS help your coach plan rosters in advance so that the team may secure guest players if necessary. If you’re unsure if you can attend an event, please communicate your concerns to your team manager or coach. Academy Homework Scorecards - Our Academy Director Lucas is introducing Homework Scorecards to our U8-12 teams. This is a fun and easy way for your player to get more touches on the ball outside of training! Scorecards and instructions will be released in team chats this month. Player & Coaching Highlights Snow Week in Florida! - Last week the Gulf Coast experienced an unprecedented day of snow, with some areas seeing up to 10 inches! Our players and coaches took to the snow day challenge of building the best snowmen, but with a PBFC Rush twist! Jan 25th Interclub - The Coastal Rush Interclub in Niceville was a great opportunity for our young players to scrimmage on teams with other home club players in a low-pressure environment. Thank you to everyone who participated! Academy Parent Webinar - On January 28, Coach Lucas hosted an Academy Parent webinar to discuss Academy player development, curriculum, and club structure. If you missed it, you can access the full meeting HERE. (Code 7n#9t8bY) New Director Roles As of the new year, Coach Lucas Sampaio is our new Academy Director and will work closely with all boys and girls teams from U8-U12. Coach Kenny Skinner will be PBFC’s full time Technical Director to oversee the entire boys and girls programs. Kenny will also be the new contact for U13-19 boys and girls teams at PBFC. We wish our own Coach Kyle Sealy the best as he has been promoted to the Director of Coastal Rush Girls and Boys Programs. Congratulations to all of our directors! Upcoming Events February 1 & 8 - Snap Soccer Spring Playdates (U8-12 Teams only) NEW February 17 - Makeup Training for January 21-23 February 22 - Coastal Rush Jamboree Follow @Perdidobayfc
A Note from Coach Lucas - New Academy Director Dear PBFC Rush Families, As our season comes to a close, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I’m thrilled to step into the role of Academy Director and to continue building on the incredible foundation laid by Coach Kyle and Coach Kenny over the years. I look forward to collaborating with our talented coaches, players, managers, and parents this spring, and I’m confident we’ll have another fantastic season at PBFC Rush. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at lucas@coastalrush.com . Wishing you a joyful holiday season filled with family and happiness. I look forward to seeing everyone back in January! Club Announcements PBFC Rush Staff - Out of Office - All PBFC Rush Staff (coaches, admin, directors) will be out of office and celebrating the holidays December 24-26 and December 30-January 1. We will respond to any messages when we return. Winter Break - PBFC Rush teams will be on Christmas break with no training or events from December 20 - January 12. In our previous newsletter, there was an error that said boys will return on January 15, but boys teams will return to training on Monday, January 13. We look forward to seeing the girls teams back on Tuesday, January 14. Directors and admin will be available via email during the break on non-holiday weekdays, or as otherwise noted by their out of office responder. Parent-Funded Tournament Deadlines - In order to secure our teams’ spots for lower prices in increasingly sold-out tournaments, we are implementing a club-wide deadline to pay for parent-funded spring tournament fees by January 31, 2025. These fees will be located in your Heja chats and are based upon team budgets each season. Please refer to your Heja team chats for those fees which should be posted by your manager. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding! PBFC Rush Golf Scramble Postponed - We have decided to postpone the Golf Scramble until next year, but are excited to be a part of the Coastal Rush Fundraiser at Laguna’s on Pensacola Beach that will take place during Spring Break. We will release more information about this event soon! Player & Coaching Highlights Juggling Club - Congratulations to our top jugglers for 2024! 7v7: Martin L. 30 9v9: Jax H. 104 11v11: Lilly Grace L. 734 New Director Roles We have some structural changes that will be taking effect as of the new year. Coach Lucas Sampaio has been promoted to the Academy Director and will work with all Boys and Girls Teams from U8-U12. Coach Kyle Sealy will be taking over the Coastal Rush Girls Program in addition to the Boys Program. He will be focusing on the Coastal Rush Program primarily going forward. Coach Kenny Skinner will be PBFC’s full time Technical Director to oversee the boys and girls programs. Kenny will be the new contact for U13-19 boys and girls at PBFC. Congratulations to our directors! Upcoming Events December 31 - PBFC Rush Alumni Game - Join PBFC Alumni at Southwest Sports Complex on New Years Eve at 10:30AM for a friendly game with former players and coaches. Sign up HERE. January 13 - First Day of Boys Spring Training - Southwest Complex January 14 - First Day of Girls Spring Training - Southwest Complex January 21 - No training in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Follow @Perdidobayfc
