Daryl Shore, head coach of Forward Madison FC, has seen a lot of tryouts. According to his own estimate, he’s been evaluating players for about twenty years. During that time, Shore said, he’s learned a lesson about the players who show up to compete:
“Everyone has a dream, and everyone should live their dream.”
This weekend, over 100 pro soccer hopefuls will show up to Breese Stevens Field in order to live their dreams at Madison Pro Soccer’s open and invitation tryouts (also free for the public to watch). And Shore will once again take up the role of evaluator, looking for players who could fit into Madison’s inaugural team in 2019.
“First and foremost, we’re looking at their ability on the soccer field,” Shore said. “How they move, how they play.”
This time, though, Shore has more than just competitive concerns to consider. Not only do potential players need to be good enough to win, but they also need to represent a new club in a city that has never had a professional soccer team before.
“The culture that we’re building is not one that’s just about doing the business on the field, but also that we can do the job off the field,” Shore said. “How we carry ourselves in the community is going to be a big part of what this organization is about moving forward.”
With hundreds of trialists vying for only a handful of potential spots, it’s not going to be easy to make it through. Still, it’s been done before. Talk to former goalkeeper Nathan Sprenkel, for instance, and he’ll tell you exactly how to make the team from an open tryout. He’d know – Sprenkel has made the roster for three professional soccer teams through tryouts, including that of Indy Eleven, Forward Madison FC Managing Director Peter Wilt’s former club.
According to Sprenkel, Madison’s trialists will have to be up for a challenge.
“It’s nerve-wracking, it’s competitive,” he said. “You have to be on your game for the couple days that you’re there. There’s got to be some luck and other things that fall your way.”
But Sprenkel’s most important advice? Just have fun.
“Have some confidence and belief in yourself,” he said. “Relax and enjoy the moment, because if you’re good enough the talent will show.”
More than anything, according to Shore, this weekend’s open tryouts represent an opportunity. An opportunity for someone, anyone, to fulfill a dream.
“There’s always hope, and that’s what you look for when you do these kind of tryouts,” Shore said. “You never know when you’re going to find that one player.”
Daryl Shore, head coach of Forward Madison FC, has seen a lot of tryouts. According to his own estimate, he’s been evaluating players for about twenty years. During that time, Shore said, he’s learned a lesson about the players who show up to compete:
“Everyone has a dream, and everyone should live their dream.”
This weekend, over 100 pro soccer hopefuls will show up to Breese Stevens Field in order to live their dreams at Madison Pro Soccer’s open and invitation tryouts (also free for the public to watch). And Shore will once again take up the role of evaluator, looking for players who could fit into Madison’s inaugural team in 2019.
“First and foremost, we’re looking at their ability on the soccer field,” Shore said. “How they move, how they play.”
This time, though, Shore has more than just competitive concerns to consider. Not only do potential players need to be good enough to win, but they also need to represent a new club in a city that has never had a professional soccer team before.
“The culture that we’re building is not one that’s just about doing the business on the field, but also that we can do the job off the field,” Shore said. “How we carry ourselves in the community is going to be a big part of what this organization is about moving forward.”
With hundreds of trialists vying for only a handful of potential spots, it’s not going to be easy to make it through. Still, it’s been done before. Talk to former goalkeeper Nathan Sprenkel, for instance, and he’ll tell you exactly how to make the team from an open tryout. He’d know – Sprenkel has made the roster for three professional soccer teams through tryouts, including that of Indy Eleven, Forward Madison FC Managing Director Peter Wilt’s former club.
According to Sprenkel, Madison’s trialists will have to be up for a challenge.
“It’s nerve-wracking, it’s competitive,” he said. “You have to be on your game for the couple days that you’re there. There’s got to be some luck and other things that fall your way.”
But Sprenkel’s most important advice? Just have fun.
“Have some confidence and belief in yourself,” he said. “Relax and enjoy the moment, because if you’re good enough the talent will show.”
More than anything, according to Shore, this weekend’s open tryouts represent an opportunity. An opportunity for someone, anyone, to fulfill a dream.
“There’s always hope, and that’s what you look for when you do these kind of tryouts,” Shore said. “You never know when you’re going to find that one player.”
