Tryouts

Updates: 

BU-15 open tryout added: Thursday, May 2, from 7-9pm at West Torrance High School. Read more here.

If tryouts for your age group are done, it's not too late! Either contact the coaches directly (their contact info is on each team's page) or submit a tryout registration and we'll forward it to the right people.

BU-12 Los Angeles Galaxy Academy tryouts are on their own page, here.

Please try to make both nights for your age group (you only need to register once). If you can't make either night of tryouts for your age group, please email tryouts@southbayforce.com and we'll put you in touch with the coaches about a separate evaluation.

South Bay Force is excited to announce its tryout dates for 2013-2014 U-8 through U-14 teams. These teams are forming in February and March, 2013. 

Here's what's on this page:

Pre-register Online

Tryout Schedule

Tryout Field Addresses

Tryout Frequently Asked Questions

About South Bay Force

Please keep your eye on this page and the club calendar in the unlikely event that there are any changes to the schedule or fields. This is a link to the club calendar (it's also on the website home page). 

Still have questions? Email tryouts@southbayforce.com

See you at tryouts!

 

Pre-Register Online (Strongly Recommended)

Go to this page to pre-register online, and you'll be able to speed through check-in. Otherwise, you will have to fill out the paperwork -- online or printed -- while you're at the field.

To really speed things up, print out the waiver at the bottom of that page (or get it here), sign it, and bring it to tryouts.

 

Spring 2013 Tryout Dates and Locations:

Age groups are for the 2013 - 2014 soccer year! See the 'born after' column below.

 
Please try to make both nights for your age group (you only need to register once). If you can't make either night of tryouts for your age group, please email tryouts@southbayforce.com and we'll put you in touch with the coaches about a separate evaluation.
 
new age group born after date time field
Girls U-8 8/1/2005 Monday, February 4 4:00 - 5:15pm Manhattan Village
    Monday, February 11 4:00 - 5:15pm Manhattan Village
Girls U-9 8/1/2004 Monday, February 4 4:00 - 5:15pm Manhattan Village
    Monday, February 11 4:00 - 5:15pm Manhattan Village
Girls U-10 8/1/2003 Monday, February 25 4:00 - 5:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, February 26 6:00 - 7:30pm Mira Costa HS
Girls U-11 8/1/2002 Monday, March 4 4:00 - 5:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 5 6:00 - 7:30pm Mira Costa HS
Girls U-12 8/1/2001 Monday, March 11 4:00 - 5:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 12 6:00 - 7:30pm Mira Costa HS
Girls U-13 8/1/2000 Monday, March 18 4:00 - 5:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 19 6:00 - 7:30pm Mira Costa HS
Girls U-14 8/1/1999 Monday, March 25 4:00 - 5:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 26 (new players only) 4:30 - 6:30pm
North Torrance HS
         
Boys U-8 8/1/2005 Monday, February 4 5:30 - 6:45pm Manhattan Village
    Monday, February 11 5:30 - 6:45pm Manhattan Village
Boys U-9 8/1/2004 Monday, February 4 5:30 - 6:45pm Manhattan Village
    Monday, February 11 5:30 - 6:45pm Manhattan Village
Boys U-10 8/1/2003 Monday, February 25 6:00 - 7:30pm Manhattan Village
    Friday, March 1 4:30 - 6:00pm Manhattan Village
Boys U-11 8/1/2002 Monday, March 4 6:00 - 7:30pm Manhattan Village
    Monday, March 11 6:00 - 7:30pm South Torrance HS
    Friday, March 15 4:30 - 6:00pm Manhattan Village
Boys U-12 8/1/2001 Monday, March 11 6:00 - 7:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 12 7:30 - 9:00 pm Mira Costa HS
Boys U-13 8/1/2000 Monday, March 18 6:00 - 7:30pm Manhattan Village
    Tuesday, March 19 7:30 - 9:00pm Mira Costa HS
Boys U-14 8/1/1999 Monday, March 25 6:00 - 7:30pm Manhattan Village
    Friday, March 29 4:30- 6:00pm Manhattan Village

 

Tryout Field Addresses

 

These addresses are also in the event detail on the calendar:
 
Manhattan Village Field: Park Place, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
 
Mira Costa High School (Stadium field): 1401 Artesia Blvd., MB, CA 90266
 
Aviation Park: 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Redondo Beach, CA 90278

 

 Tryout Frequently Asked Questions

When are tryouts?

Tryouts are usually in January / February (U9 - U-14) and April / May (U15 and up). If you’d like us to send you an email when tryouts are near, enter your email address in the "Get Our Newsletter" section on the right side of the home page and check the "tryout information" box, or go to this page. You can also sign up for the club newsletter to get a sense of what’s up at the club. 

 
If you missed the February or April tryouts, it may not be too late for an evaluation and a chance to join a South Bay Force team. Contact the coaches in your age group (you can find out who they are by using the Teams menu item above), or send an email to tryouts@southbayforce.com asking who you should get in touch with.
 

What age group is my child?
 
It’s a little confusing because the teams form in the spring but the age group depends on the player’s age on August 1 of the current “soccer year.” For instance, someone who is 10 on August 1st is U-11 (because they are “under 11”) for the year starting several months before, in March, and ending the following February.  Here’s the information for the 2013/2014 season:
  • Under 8 :: August 1 2005 - July 31 2006
  • Under 9 :: August 1 2004 - July 31 2005
  • Under 10 :: August 1 2003 - July 31 2004
  • Under 11 :: August 1 2002 - July 31 2003
  • Under 12 :: August 1 2001 - July 31 2002
  • Under 13 :: August 1 2000 - July 31 2001
  • Under 14 :: August 1 1999 - July 31 2000
  • Under 15 :: August 1 1998 - July 31 1999
  • Under 16 :: August 1 1997 - July 31 1998
  • Under 17 :: August 1 1996 - July 31 1997
  • Under 18 :: August 1 1995 - July 31 1996

 

How do tryouts work?
 
After one or two sessions of open tryouts, a smaller group of players is asked back for additional evaluation. There may be several of these before the coach makes his or her final decisions.
 
 
One night, or two?
 
Most tryouts are two nights and players should try to be at both nights -- the more time in front of the staff, the better. If your child can not make one of the tryout nights, it's not the end of the world. The coaches understand that conflicts and illnesses occur.
 

What should I / my child bring?

Players should bring a ball and water, and they should wear regular soccer gear, including shinguards.

Parents will have to fill out a contact and waiver form. Copies will be available at the tryout, and we'll try to make them available here as well. For 2013, we may set up an online form to collect contact info, so that players will only need a signed waiver to get their numbered bib and get out on the field.

 
Can my child get on a team at other times of the year?
 
Even after tryouts, many teams may have a roster spot or two open until the late spring or summer. You should contact individual coaches to see if they have openings and whether they can evaluate your child -- most likely at one or more training sessions with their team. To find out which coaches to contact, look under the Teams menu item above, or send an email to tryouts@southbayforce.com.
 
The league we belong to, Southern California Developmental Soccer League (SCDSL) requires our teams to lock their rosters from August 15 through December 1.
 
Our coaches sometimes have prospective players come out to practices late in the soccer year (December - February). This is not always the case since teams are also focusing on the season-ending State Cup / National Cup tournaments, and some coaches don’t like having guests at training during that time. Generally, if a coach does have a player out to training during this time, it would be for evaluation purposes.
 

How can I contact the coach(es) for my age group?
 
You can find a list of the current year’s teams and coaches here on the site; info about the coaches is here. Coaches usually stay with a team for 3 - 4 years before turning it over, so teams often get new coaches after U-11 or U-12 and after U-14 or U-15 ... in other words, this year’s list won’t be exactly the same the same as next year’s list.

 
Do you offer “pre-club” programs?
 
Yes -- we have three programs for younger players. For questions about any of them, contact academy@southbayforce.com .
  • The club’s Youth Academy program, for players age 4 - 9, runs for one hour a week at Manhattan Village field and North Torrance High School. Using US Soccer’s Zone 1 curriculum, kids spend about half of each session learning new skills, and spend the second half practicing them in small-sided games. Our nationally licensed staff ensures that the exercises are presented in a fun and safe environment. Each skill block runs for six to eight weeks. For more information, see the “Youth Academy” section under the “Programs” tab here on the website or email the academy directors using the address above.
  • In November, the club forms ‘Select’ teams for boys and girls age 6 - 8 (U7 and U8) who want to up their games. Consisting of the best players in our Youth Academy, AYSO, and surrounding leagues, these teams will train 1-2 times per week through April and play in local scrimmages and two local tournaments.
  • We have year round U7 or U8 developmental teams; for information, contact those team's coaches listed on the "teams" page of the site or email academy@southbayforce.com.
 

Where can I get more information?

 
If you have any questions about the tryout schedule or process that aren’t answered here or elsewhere on the club website, please email tryouts@southbayforce.com.
 
 

About South Bay Force

 
What’s so special about South Bay Force?

We talk about what makes us different from other local clubs on this page, but here's the short version.

South Bay Force is a competitive club that develops some of the best players and teams in Southern California. These include some highly ranked older teams which represent some of the best teams of any club in the state. Our players have participated in US National Team camps and all major player identification programs, and numerous alumni are currently playing professionally or in college. Our teams regularly play in the major college showcase events such as Dallas Cup, Surf Cup, Nomads, Las Vegas Showcase, and Final Four Showcase. Since spring 2010, three of our teams have appeared in national finals, and they've won two of them.

Our coaching staff is the most highly skilled and qualified in the South Bay. Many possess a US Soccer “A” license, the highest level that can be achieved and one that requires hundreds of hours of work. Our coaches have professional and practical experience that includes coaching at NCAA Division I, II, and III schools; coaching ODP teams; developing successful club teams; and scouting at the state, regional, national, and professional levels. Their playing experience includes US and other national teams, Olympic teams, World Cup teams, MLS, and NCAA Division I.

We offer our own goalkeeper program, run a program to prepare interested players and parents for the college recruitment process, and spend significant effort developing our coaching staff. 

 

Where are you / where do you practice?
 
The club draws most of its players from the area between the 105 Freeway and Palos Verdes. Practices are at fields throughout the South Bay, including El Segundo High School, Manhattan Village, North Torrance HS, American Martyrs School, LA Harbor College, Mira Costa High School, and others.
 
 
What league and brackets do your teams play in?
 
South Bay Force is a founding member of SCDSL (Southern California Developmental Soccer league) and almost all South Bay Force teams play in that league, which has teams from Santa Barbara to San Bernardino to San Diego. SCDSL divides teams into brackets so that teams of similar quality play each other. There are three "flights" or levels, so opponents are at a similar level. Teams chose which level they play at for the year and are not required to win/lose a certain percentage of game to move up or down.
 
Our top teams in each age group generally play in top bracket for their age group. You can see what bracket our teams are playing in at the SCDSL site or on our teams page.
 
 
How many teams do you have in an age group?
 
We usually have three (and sometimes four) boys and three girls teams in an age group, which means about 45 players of each gender. If enough good players in an age group try out, we can add additional teams.
 
 
Do you teach a particular style or philosophy of play?
 
We focus on teaching both technical skills and tactical awareness. Our style of play requires progressive skill development, a commitment to the understanding of possession, and tenacious individual and team defending. At the youngest ages our coaches stress building the foundation for this style over wins as it has been shown that this long-term focus is how champions are built.
 
 
Where / when can I watch your teams play?
 
During the fall, you can see a team’s schedule by visiting the list of all our teams at the SCDSL website here. Click on a team and you can see their fall schedule and results. Our individual team pages also have links to their league schedule.
 
At other times, you should contact the coaches in the age group you are interested in and ask them. Outside of the fall SCDSL season, teams play in tournaments all over Southern California (and beyond), so it is difficult to catch them locally.
 
 
What is the weekly time commitment? How long is the season?
 
Club soccer requires a significant time commitment from team players and their families. Teams typically practice two times per week for at least 90 minutes each. Practice fields are located in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and other South Bay cities. 
 
The soccer season for U9-U13 players begins in March and continues through February of the following year. SCDSL play, with one or two games per weekend, begins in September and continues through early December. State and National Cup competition begins in February or March. There is typically a break during the early summer months (June or July) and during the December holiday season. 
 
The soccer season for some U14 and most U15-U18 teams differs slightly in that many teams take a hiatus from December to February as many of the Club players actively participate in High School soccer.   Those teams then restart practices after High School soccer ends and go on to play Sate and National Cup competitions in April.
 
 
How much travel is involved?
 
During the SCDSL season it depends on the bracket a team plays in. In SCDSL Flight 1, there are fewer teams in an age group -- usually eight to twelve teams in a region stretching from Santa Barbara to (sometimes) San Diego to San Bernardino -- so teams may travel anywhere in that triangle for an away game. In Flights 2 and 3, there are more teams, so they are closer together and travel for games is less.
 
In addition to SCDSL League games, teams will participate in tournaments that are played all over Southern California. Older teams and teams advancing in National Cup may travel around the country.

(c) copyright 2001-2013  South Bay Force FC d/b/a LA Galaxy South Bay

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