Your player should be evaluated often to see if he/she is developing. There are several categories to evaluate, most agree on the following:
- Technical
- Tactical
- Physical
- Team
- Mental/Emotional
How do we get an evaluation?
Obviously seek an evaluation from your player’s coach first. They see your child in various playing environments. Practice and games. Pressure and no pressure etc.
Typically, a Coach will gladly provide an evaluation – with prompting and reminding. Unfortunately, there are also times we have requested and been told we will receive one and then it doesn’t happen. Don’t just wait on the coach – if you have asked, waited a couple of weeks and followed up and still nothing then you must reach out to other Coaches in the community.
We have had others evaluate our players and they are spot on – without reviewing film or seeing them in a game environment. The good coaches can see the player’s strengths and areas for improvement based on a couple of training sessions. If you are more so landlocked or politically it is not feasible, there are plenty of online forms to guide you through an evaluation or better yet -depending on the age of your player a self evaluation!
Here are links to some of my favorite evaluation forms:
It is critical that you begin to assist your player in self-evaluation. Development of your player’s character is a natural result of this process. First of all he or she needs to be honest with him or herself on capabilities and skills at a point in time. Secondly, your player’s brain will automatically begin to create goals. Therefore having these evaluation forms with a date documenting where they are at in their developmental journey will boost their confidence when they look back and review after 6 months to see where they have grown and improved. Also encourage them to create vision boards, or journals documenting what they have accomplished and what they want to do next.
If you are fortunate to a have a Coach/Personal Trainer provide feedback, ask if your player can returned in about 6 months for another evaluation. The majority of coaches are pleased to do so.
Is there anything missing from the above evaluation forms? (I do not have a goalie, so not sure if the AYSO form is sufficient?) Anything you would add from your experience? Please share! I can be reached at SoccerParentAcademy@gmail.com. Thank you!