| QUESTION: I've paid the club fees and team fees and my child shows up at practice, why don't they get more playing time?
ANSWER: Club and team fees pay for training and coaching. Playing time is earned through hard work. TKO Premier does not guarantee players who show up at tryouts a slot on a team. We also do not guarantee that once a player is selected, they will get playing time. What we do try to deliver is the best training and development program for Premier level youth soccer players in SW Michigan. Your views on how we can improve that are very important. Let us know how we are doing. Evaluate the coaches. Send the Board members a letter. Believe it or not, we do read and discuss any correspondence received.
QUESTION: Is playing in the Michigan State Cup really important?
ANSWER: Yes and no. TKO Premier has competed well at State Cup in the past. If a team is looking for a high level of competition, they can usually find it at State Cup. Winning State Cup (and playing in the finals) gets a team points towards Regional and National rankings. TKO Premier Soccer Club tries to have all of it's teams participate in State Cup every year.
QUESTION: Another club promised me a college scholarship if I played for them instead of TKO. Will TKO get me a college scholarship?
ANSWER: Everyone dreams of a college scholarship at a Division 1 school (at least most parents...). Most youth soccer coaches know this and some (unethically) use it as a recruiting tactic. TKO can't promise players scholarships. However, there are several things a youth soccer player (with the support of their parents) can do to improve their chances.
1) We've all heard the saying "practice makes perfect". While it might not make you perfect, frequent practice and a good work ethic will definitely improve your skills and the consistency with which you apply those skills in game situations. A training program which includes complete physical fitness, skills training, proper rest and nutrition, and positive coaching is a must. It's pretty obvious to college coaches and scouts who is doing the work and who isn't.
2) Compete in front of a VARIETY of college coaches and/or scouts. TKO hosts a major College Showcase tournament every summer. The Kalamazoo Invitational Soccer Showcase (KISS) tournament is an opportunity for youth soccer players from ages 13 through 18 to compete in front of college coaches and scouts. The tournament produces a comprehensive book of team and individual player stats for the college coaches and scouts. There are typically between 50 and 90 college coaches and scouts that attend this tournament.
3) Play for a club that forms teams of players with consistent skill levels. Watch out for teams formed with a core of players whose skills are at the Premier level and filled in with players whose skill level is sometimes much lower in order to field a team. Players seeking to play college soccer excel when playing on teams with like minded and like skilled players. TKO tries to select teams at tryouts whose players have similar skills and who are like minded.
4) Play for a club/team which plays at a level of competition appropriate for their skills. This does not mean that clubs/teams should not be challenged to move to the next level. Some clubs/teams have been entered into leagues that are clearly beyond their level of competition as a way for the club to gain entrance into the current "wave of the future" league. Teams in these clubs are usually beaten often and by wide margins. Players who have played in such situations have labeled the experience as "degrading". TKO plays in the Michigan State Premier Soccer League (MSPSL) which although not perfect, usually places teams into apropriate levels of competition. It's our belief that this improves players and allows them to showcase their talents. We try to evaluate all of the new leagues that come along. When we find a league that is appropriate for our players skill levels and provides a better opportunity for our players to compete and showcase their talents than our currrent league, then we'll consider moving.
5) Compete in higher level tournaments. TKO plays in several tournaments each year. We have begun to enter tournaments as a club rather than as individual teams. This gets the club name out and allows TKO to showcase our talented youth soccer players. A couple of tournaments to note are Best of the Midwest and Michigan State Cup. College coaches and scouts go to tournaments to watch for potential players.
QUESTION: If I played for another club last year will I be able to play for TKO this year?
ANSWER: The short answer is yes. Assuming you attend tryouts and impress the coaches enough to be selected to the team, that is.
There have been many rumors circulated that have implied that players who left TKO for other clubs last year would not be able to get a spot on a TKO team when they return for tryouts. Nothing could be further from the truth. TKO continues to enjoy improving numbers of players at tryouts and awesome team performances during the season. Because of this TKO is again expecting a record turnout at tryouts. In evaluating that expected response, TKO will field more than one team in age groups where we have enough QUALIFIED (Premier level) players to support that. Also, while players who have played with a coach and a team certainly have an advantage during team selection, no player is guaranteed a slot on a team.
All players attending tryouts (including players returning from other clubs) will be evaluated in a fair and equitable manner.
The goal of TKO is to make available the best training and development options for youth soccer players at the Premier level.
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