What requirements are there to make my high school’s varsity team? I would like to know specifics like how many juggles I need to be able to do, how far I need to run, and how fast as well.
The first thing to keep in mind is that every coach has different things they look for and different requirements.
What those are can depend on a variety of things like the team and coach’s preferred style of play, what part of the world the team is from, and even what the other players on the team can do.
Other factors include the size and reputation of the school and how popular soccer is among the student body. A school with better players to choose from or one that hopes to be more competitive is going to usually have higher standards than others.
In general, I personally tend to prefer aggressive players with good defensive skills, good attitudes, and speed. Some coaches put more emphasis on certain technical skills. In Latin America, coaches put a strong emphasis on dribbling.
Because of these factors, high school soccer coaches (or any level for that matter) don’t usually have things like a specific number of juggles or specific times for sprinting. When they do, it is usually in comparison to other players – for example, if all other things are equal, the player who can do 100 juggles will be favored above the player that can do 75.
Often what we look for is overall skill in the key areas of soccer. This includes technical skills like dribbling, passing, and shooting; tactical skills like your field vision and awareness; and an overall idea of how you play as well as your attitude.
If you absolutely must know, the best way to find out what the “requirements” are is to ask your coach.
When you talk to your coach, be sure to be clear that you are talking about soccer skills, and also be sure that he understands you are not asking because you want to do the bare minimum, but that you are asking because you want to be as ready and as prepared as possible.
Once you have found out what you need to do, remember to check out the rest of this site for helping in accomplishing that.
