Clubs, Coaches, Parents, and Competitive Players,
It is getting to be that time of year again that causes the most stress and confusion in competitive soccer…tryouts. Tryouts are for Competitive players only…Recreational players may participate in as many activities and teams as they choose and cannot be restricted.
As noted on our website, clubs are allowed to have ID Sessions or “Kick-Arounds” or whatever they want to name them, and these can be attended by anyone. These sessions must be communicated as general sessions and CANNOT target certain players, teams, etc….targeting is recruitment and is illegal in Missouri. Player recruitment is a serious issue at any age and any coach, club representative or parent can be found guilty of recruiting and sanctions on those involved could include fines or suspension.
Some clubs may ask that you pre-register for an ID Session or Tryout, this is NOT a commitment by the player or the club for placement, offers of spots in the club cannot be offered to players from outside the club until the District Tryout date unless otherwise specified by the District. Offers within a club can be made to their existing players at any time but players are still able to attend tryouts before accepting should they choose. Some clubs will require you to pay a fee to attend their ID Session, if you would choose to pay this expense you should expect it to be non-refundable.
As a point of clarification, “Commitment Dates” should not be part of any offers that are extended to returning competitive players from your club. If you offer a spot for the 2025/2026 season to one of your players, you should not tie a date to their acceptance other than the official tryout date. If the player/family knows that they are returning and they would like to start their payment process prior to the official tryout date that is designated for their Missouri District, that is fine, but not essential or required.
IMPORTANT: Every parent should carefully review all club documents before signing. These are financial contracts with potentially large monetary impacts and once signed binding agreements for payment whether you continue for the entire seasonal year or not. Once a player has registered and signed up for a competitive club there are very limited opportunities to change clubs past June 15th and then during the seasonal year and those opportunities may be at an additional expense. It is essential that you understand the club’s policies on transfers, guest play, primary & secondary registration before you commit for an entire seasonal year. Missouri Youth Soccer Association is not part of any financial transaction between a club and a player/parent…it cannot collect fees owed by parents or force a club to reimburse fees that are previously agreed to by the parent/player.
The official tryout date within MO Youth Soccer Association along with any other instruction are determined by District per the MYSA By-Laws. Everyone is urged to review the full policies to be better equipped to navigate the tryout process and understand what recruitment is considered in Missouri.
Dates and additional information can be found on our website: