Livonia Soccer Club and Meteors

[Sue]

I had the unpleasant experience of watching my child try out for a select or premier team on Sunday and Monday evening. What a joke it was, I figured out almost immediately that the teams were already selected and this was a waste of time and energy. What kind of try out can you have when all the kids did for 2 evenings was scrimmage, there were no individual skills (drills) sessions. It was just a pick up soccer game. Then watching the coaches not even watch the scrimmages was even more agrivating. I'm not saying that my child was the best out on the field because she wasn't but all I'm asking for are for all the kids to get a fair shot. Politics are obvious when it comes to the newly formed club merger.Those that are in charge should be ashamed of themselves. I thought there would be not who you know but how you played would determine whether you're good enough to make it. As sad as it may be but how many parents observed the same things that I saw and what it our recourse? I'm currently looking at other neighboring cities and their soccer programs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Rick]

I was there and you are correct it was a done deal. There was no try out Sunday and Monday. I heard one of the coaches listening to his daughter on who she wanted on the team. The coaches that I saw were not watching the try out or scrimmages. The city of Livonia Parks and Rec should have there own league. After that fiasco on Sunday and Monday I signed my daughter up with WASA so you might try there. What I've seen with the Livonia City Soccer Club it is all POLITICS and the only ones that get hurt are the kids.
Good Luck but I would recommed another Club and also check Canton if you don't mind leaving the city.

[Jim]

Add a third disgruntled parent to the mix. I actually watched the U10 Girls manager go around to the Meteors parents and ask which coach they would prefer. Than they came back and try to sell you on the C team to collect 800 bucks from you. I too am headed to WAZA.

[Jeff]

I have to disagree. Although I was at the boys tryouts, of which I have two, it was very fair and impartial. There was individual drills, coaches were very attentive as to what was going on, and the teams were not decided until the second day of tryouts. We are Canton residents who are very pleased with the Livonia Meteors/Wings merger and think that it's a great step forward to bettering the kid's soccer skills.
We did go to Canton's tryouts last year and were sadly disapointed at how their tryouts were held. If you were on the team last year, then you automatically made the team this year. We did get called, but not until late Sunday night, after which most kids have already signed. Not a good way to build confidence in new Canton soccer parents. That's why we went to the Meteors.:)

[Dave]

I had my daughter try out for the U14 level and there were no individual skill sessions. It was just what was stated earlier by a parent all they did was srimmage. What I observed was that these teams were already decided and that is why I thought the coaches just decided to have a pick up game. Jeff, I wish the coaches that ran your son's tryout would have been involved in my daughters. I would not have had a beef if all the kids came in at a level playing field but unfortunately if you were on the team last season you were secured a spot therefore under those terms my daughter will never have a chance to move up and play at the select or premier level if all the girls stay. It really was a scam as far as I could see.

Jeff wrote:

I have to disagree. Although I was at the boys tryouts, of which I have two, it was very fair and impartial. There was individual drills, coaches were very attentive as to what was going on, and the teams were not decided until the second day of tryouts. We are Canton residents who are very pleased with the Livonia Meteors/Wings merger and think that it's a great step forward to bettering the kid's soccer skills.
We did go to Canton's tryouts last year and were sadly disapointed at how their tryouts were held. If you were on the team last year, then you automatically made the team this year. We did get called, but not until late Sunday night, after which most kids have already signed. Not a good way to build confidence in new Canton soccer parents. That's why we went to the Meteors.:)

[Matt]

I also have to disagree with the first 3 comments.From what I observed the coaches did a good job of evaluating the players that came to tryouts. Drills can be an important part of tryouts but players need to be evaluated on how they play on the field, a player must have field vision, good decision making, stamina as well as foot skills. I understand why the majority of tryouts are scrimmages. It's my feeling that the merger is a good idea, trying to united the clubs to better serve the community.

[Dave]

I do not have a problem with a scrimmage but when I see 11/2 hours of it and some of the girls that made the team touched the ball 3 to 4 times it showed me that it was a done deal. I for one agree you do want to see what takes place on the field in a game situation but individual drills would help you assess the talent level. But like I said earlier it was already decided which girls were going to make the team. I believe there were and are alot of politics involved and that is sad. How many of our kids going to be turned off to soccer?
Those coaches and the newly formed league administrators should look at conducting try outs in a uniformed fashion across the board.
Matt,
I wish you could have watched the Girls U14 tryouts because I think you would have agreed with me if you did. I did contact a league administrator and he did verify what I assessed.

Matt wrote:

I also have to disagree with the first 3 comments.From what I observed the coaches did a good job of evaluating the players that came to tryouts. Drills can be an important part of tryouts but players need to be evaluated on how they play on the field, a player must have field vision, good decision making, stamina as well as foot skills. I understand why the majority of tryouts are scrimmages. It's my feeling that the merger is a good idea, trying to united the clubs to better serve the community.

[Diane]

I think many of you dont realize this is how tryouts are run everywhere. You can go to any other club and its the same thing.
Going to Waza? Good luck with that. They have the worst ethics in soccer around.

[Diane]

PS I am not from Sterling Heights, not sure why it says that? I am from this side of town

[asd]

gdg

[Rick]

Its unfortunate that politics are involved at all. Ethically these try outs should not only have to look right but they have to be right. Coaches should pay attention to what takes place on the field and if the team is already picked (before they even touched the ball)then don't go through the misconception of a try out and just state that we are putting together a pick up game of soccer for whoever wants to join us. What took place on Sunday and Monday was not right and the ones that get hurt are the kids.

Diane wrote:

I think many of you dont realize this is how tryouts are run everywhere. You can go to any other club and its the same thing.
Going to Waza? Good luck with that. They have the worst ethics in soccer around.

[Jeff]

Some teams may be partially decided before tryouts are even held. I can't say I like this, but it does happen. The coaches do know returning kids better than new ones so they are an easy pick. But I also saw boys that were cut from last seasons's teams and new boys added. The coaches have to add to the team what they feel are the best players to give them a chance to succeed as a team. I attended Canton's tryouts and it was all the boys who wore the team socks from last year's team that got picked. My son was discouraged, but it also gave him even more determination to try harder. He stepped up his game and made the Meteors at a year older level than he had tried out for in Canton.
I can't say anything bad about the new merger. Everyone has been great and I am excited about the level of skill they are offering to all the kids that play with them.

[Sue]

What are they doing for the rec level? Since the merger what is different in the rec level? Seems the same. It looks like they are focusing on the select and premier levels. Thanks for all the feedback.

Jeff wrote:

Some teams may be partially decided before tryouts are even held. I can't say I like this, but it does happen. The coaches do know returning kids better than new ones so they are an easy pick. But I also saw boys that were cut from last seasons's teams and new boys added. The coaches have to add to the team what they feel are the best players to give them a chance to succeed as a team. I attended Canton's tryouts and it was all the boys who wore the team socks from last year's team that got picked. My son was discouraged, but it also gave him even more determination to try harder. He stepped up his game and made the Meteors at a year older level than he had tried out for in Canton.
I can't say anything bad about the new merger. Everyone has been great and I am excited about the level of skill they are offering to all the kids that play with them.

[Lisa]

We had the same experience you did. My son tried out for goalie and only let 2 goals in and they chose a much smaller less experienced boy. Which they obviously already knew. We went with the Livonia YMCA Fire and love our new coach. He is very disciplined and is a very good trainer.

Sue wrote:

I had the unpleasant experience of watching my child try out for a select or premier team on Sunday and Monday evening. What a joke it was, I figured out almost immediately that the teams were already selected and this was a waste of time and energy. What kind of try out can you have when all the kids did for 2 evenings was scrimmage, there were no individual skills (drills) sessions. It was just a pick up soccer game. Then watching the coaches not even watch the scrimmages was even more agrivating. I'm not saying that my child was the best out on the field because she wasn't but all I'm asking for are for all the kids to get a fair shot. Politics are obvious when it comes to the newly formed club merger.Those that are in charge should be ashamed of themselves. I thought there would be not who you know but how you played would determine whether you're good enough to make it. As sad as it may be but how many parents observed the same things that I saw and what it our recourse? I'm currently looking at other neighboring cities and their soccer programs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[newsocdad]

Just a quick word on tryouts. All field player tryouts run by knowledgable soccer folks are done with small sided scrimmages. Typically you will start with a warm up that will vary depending on the age of the kids involved. For older kids you might try some variation of a drill that you are fairly sure they will not have done many times before so you can get a sense as to how well players listen and follow dirction. For all ages you might encourage some juggling which is a way to see how much time kids spend with the ball.

Following a 10 or 15 minute warmup -- which should be with a ball on every player's foot -- then you move into small sided scrimmages. You probably would start with 3v3 for younger age teams and 4v4 for older kids. But, some folks do 2v2 as well. Depending on time, you may see groups revised so that you get up to playing numbers applicable for the age. It is also possible that the evaluators will stick with small-sided numbers. You will not see "drills" being run.

If you want to get a sense as to where your kid stands during the course of the tryout (assuming you can actually see what is going on); watch who they are playing with. Are those kids good, average or weak? Coaches doing evaluations typically will move a stronger player who starts out in a weaker group to a stronger group and vice versa. In this manner you eventually end up with kids in strong groups, medium groups and weaker groups.

Different clubs obviously handle tryouts differently. Some clubs do not have the team coach involved at all, some will have the coach involved on close decisions, and some will let the coach pick. Some clubs will not cut a player from the club (although may move them to a lower level team), and some clubs are clear that if enough good players show up a tryouts then the whole team could be gone. If the coach is acting as an evaluator, obviously he or she already knows the strengths and weaknesses of existing players -- the real question is whether anyone new showing up tryouts is clearly better than an existing player.

[so4all]

Plymouth soccer club is still rounding out some teams including U15 girls

[Bill]

A few of the teams were picked before tryouts.
A friend plays on the new U14 A team and she was asked prior to tryouts, and was told the team was full before tryouts started. If this was not told to the parents of the girls before tryouts started, then blame JB and RL for purposely misleading you.

As far as the former coach who took took off to Canton, he's played enough politics in his years as coach so he has no room for complaint.

[SoccerDad]

My son has played with LSC for 3 years at the select/premier level. It is all politics. Don't know if other teams are the same, but LSC/Meteor teams aren't always chosen by talent, if a parent is a coach or member of the LSC management then their child is guaranteed a spot. My son was told prior to try outs he had already made the team, even though I was proud as a parent I was disappointed in the club. He should have to try out, and prove that he is the better player. At tryouts he didn't play his best because he knew he had a spot. This is not a lesson I want my son to learn. Politics and keeping spots open for children of coaches and/or parents involved in managing the club does not make for the best teams. If I'm going to pay the kind of money these teams require, I want good coaching and the best players a team can recruit. For three years I have watched our team get beaten because there is a lack of commitment to practice, to the team, and lackluster coaching. Most practices we were lucky to have 8 players show up. Most games we had exactly 11 players for 11 v 11. I am so glad my son is old enough now to try out for HS soccer, seems there they have to prove themselves every day. If a child wants to improve his skills then I would not recommend LSC/Meteors. Pay the extra money and go for a team like Wolves/Hawks or the new Vardar South. If you want your child to play for fun then LSC/Meteors is fine, but expensive for what they get out of it.

[Sue]

Thanks to everyone that commented. I learned a great deal about try outs and the way it seems to run in certain clubs.
Bill-If I was told the team was already set then there is no chance that I would have left a family gathering on Fathers Day to go to what they described as a tryout. What a joke!!!
What was told to me before the tryout was that there was going to be 4 teams A , B and two C teams and that it was going to be a tryout. They did not tell me the A and B teams were decided and the C team was looking to add 3 girls and those 3 girls were picked before the tryout began. I didn't know being friends of the coaches daughter or the school you go to would determine your place on a team.
As far as the coach that took his team to Canton maybe he was the smart one and knew what was going on and decided to leave to get out of the politics. I wish I would have known about the politics in the new club.

[Ehren]

I'm a parent of a U14 boy player for Livonia City Soccer. I was very upset at the "Tryout." There is a huge stigma about playing premier vs. playing select. I like the fact the premier games will be closer. After the tryout the old select team was left with 7 players. All of these players in my opinion could play in the premier division. I made it my goal to see that my son would have a place to play and began calling other players who had not committed to teams. End of last week I was four kids short of having a team. As the deadline for registering a team was yesterday I had four new players commit to playing with us. Now we have a team. If you have a U14 boy and want to play please contact me. The team will play in the Local Premier Division. [e-mail]
I have space for more players but time is limited. We will sign the team up Tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. Livonia City Soccer is still only $750 plus uniform, and practicing and playing here in Livonia. I have two other children playing soccer so the expensive clubs are really not an option for me. I want to make the local soccer experience the best it can be. So if it takes a few hours of making these calls and apologizing for the way tryouts went, I'll do it because I want my son to play on a quality team next year is high school.