How to Prepare for Youth Team Football Trials

Youth team football trials can be daunting but one way to eliminate the nerves is by preparing as much as possible for the opportunity ahead.

It is all about controlling what's controllable. Factors such as the weather or what the football trial itself consists of are out of the hands of a football player.

Yet, young players can still focus on several areas to ensure they arrive on the day in peak condition, mentally prepared and with the best chance of success as they move forward on their journey to becoming a professional football player.

Having helped countless young players through football trial preparation over the past decade, we thought it might be a good idea to impart some of our We Make Footballers wisdom.

Here are our top tips for preparing for a youth team football trial.

Create a training plan to prepare for the trial

Creating a training plan that focuses on specific areas the youth team trials might involve, will help a football player with both mental preparation and tactical preparation from a football point of view.

The plan should be based upon the FA Four Corner Model, which informs the football academy framework and the basis of our coaching syllabus at We Make Footballers. 

The technical corner

The technical corner looks at 14 different football skills with a further focus on left and right - aiming to make a player equally proficient using both feet.

Technical preparation is vitally important. A football player needs to go into their trial well-practised and confident in their sporting performance for the best chance of success.

The physical corner

Physical fitness will play a big part too. The physical corner works on areas such as speed, cardiovascular endurance and strength. As the trial heads towards its conclusion, the football players that are physically prepared will begin to stand out compared to those who are struggling.

It's about making the best first impression with the football scouts, and arriving in peak physical condition can be the difference between being selected and not being selected.

The tactical corner

The tactical corner is about decision making, off the ball movement, creating space and the rules of the game.

The best football players are often the cleverest; those who see things others do not. In youth football, tactical awareness is a particularly treasured trait to have, when the focus of most young players is on basic skills and showboating.

The social corner

Finally, there is the social corner. As important as a player’s technical ability is how they fit into the football team through positive attitude, communication and ability to form relationships.

The trial is an opportunity to showcase not only a player’s technical skills, but their good attitude, professionalism and what they are like as a person and teammate too.

A football player who prepares for their youth team trial by working on all four corners in the weeks before, will go in with a well-rounded skill set and strength in all areas of football. They will stand out ahead of someone who has instead mastered 100 perfect Cruyff Turns but not much else.

The best teams are always made up of the most well-rounded talented players.

When a player at a We Make Footballers academy is preparing for youth team football trials, our coaches put together specialist training plans and offer 1 to 1 sessions based on the FA Four Corners.

To find out more, please speak to your coach. If you are new to We Make Footballers, please use the link at the bottom of this article to find your nearest academy.

Eat right in the days leading up to the trial

Ever since Arsene Wenger rocked up at Arsenal in the mid-90s and infamously banned tomato ketchup along with a whole host of other foods, English football has valued the importance of close control of diet.

What a player eats in the lead up to football games is one of the most controllable factors. Nobody can influence it but the individual involved - and it can have a huge impact on performance.

The week before the football trial is vital for fuelling the body correctly.

A balanced diet for seven days, with enough of each major food group, leads into the two days before. At this point, the aim is to ensure the muscles have enough glycogen stored to provide a player with plenty of energy to play football to the best of their physical and athletic ability. 

Load up on the carbohydrates 48 hours before

This is achieved by eating enough carbohydrates. Eating foods such as pasta, rice, white bread, potatoes and bananas in the 48 hours leading up to the trial provides a football player with greater endurance. That offers an edge over those who tire before the end.

On the day of the trial, a healthy breakfast is essential. Slow-release carbs are recommended, which should be consumed three to four hours before the start. In that time, foods like porridge, eggs, baked beans and toast will top up glycogen levels to provide maximum athletic performance.

Drink plenty of water to remain hydrated

Equally important as food is hydration. The body needs to have enough water so that sweating does not dehydrate it through the trial. Dehydration reduces endurance, decreases strength, causes cramping and has a negative impact on coordination, concentration and decision making.

The week before the trial, football players should be drinking at least two litres of water per day to stay hydrated. This should be consumed through regular sips rather than taking on board large quantities when thirst occurs – thirst is the body’s way of saying it is already dehydrated.

Water levels should then be topped up on the day of the trial to help achieve optimum sporting performance. If the preparation is done correctly, then the football player should suffer from little dehydration during the trial.

The answer never lies in gulping down copious amounts of water an hour or two before the start.

Start getting a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep the night before will complement the healthy diet in preparing for youth team football trials.

Sleep deprivation can lower cardiovascular ability and decreases muscle strength - impacting on physical performance in the process. It also affects concentration, decision making and coordination.

Nine hours is the desired amount of quality sleep to properly refresh and re-energise. And just like with diet, the preparation should start at least a week before the trial by going to bed at the same time every night. The human body loves routine and this regulates its clock, helping sleep come easier.

There are other ways in which sleep can be improved to ensure a young player is physically and mentally prepared. Avoid caffeine or eating in the hours leading up to bed and have at least one hour away from mobile phones, tablets or laptops. The blue light these devices emit heightens brain activity and makes it difficult for the body to shut down.

Look and act professionally

First impressions are everything and the first impression a football coach gets of a player takes place before they have even kicked a ball.

To be taken seriously, a football player needs to look and act the part from the moment they arrive.

Be punctual

First, make sure you arrive early. Being late is the biggest mistake a football player can make.

Punctuality is highly valued in youth football and if a player cannot even get there on time for their own football trial, what does that say about their commitment to the team or their future football career? Set out on the journey early and ensure you get there before the scheduled start time.

Be respectful

Professionalism should continue from there. Always follow the instructions of the football coaches, be respectful and courteous to those running the trial as well as other football players partaking.

Have a well kept, suitable kit

When it comes to looking the part, a football player should ensure they take the right football boots for the trial. The weather can influence the type of stud needed and further boot decisions come from what surface the trial is taking place on – grass, 3G, astroturf or indoors.

Clean football boots and kit show a football player cares about their appearance. Shin pads prevent injury and indicate someone who values staying safe.

Football scouts will even notice if a footballer takes a water bottle or not, offering an insight into how much the player knows and how much they value the importance of hydration.

Be confident

As we said in the introduction, nerves can be a huge barrier to overcome when preparing for youth team football trials.

But a talented player should always remember they are there for a reason. Their ability has taken them this far and it is now a chance to showcase their skills ahead of the next step in their professional career.

Confidence in a trial can be boosted by a football player sticking to their strengths. Doing what they know they are good at will always result in a better showing and hopefully a successful trial.

Football clubs are not looking for showboaters with flashy skills who want to take every free kick or corner.

They want to recruit talent, with solid defenders, clever midfielders and selfless attackers. A football player who shows they are competent doing the basics in their best position will go further than any Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar wannabe.

Enjoy the opportunity

 

Not all trials are the same, but football is always at its best when it is fun. That is the mantra that underpins everything We Make Footballers Academies do, and it is what we try to instil in our football players when they are preparing for youth team trials.

Football players who are relaxed and enjoying themselves always perform better and have a more charismatic style of play. If they can think of it as just another hour or two of kicking a ball around, having fun and doing it for the love of the beautiful game, then suddenly the pressure is off and it is just another training session.

Enjoy the opportunity – because you have earned it!

We Make Footballers are experts and have a proven track record when it comes to preparing players for successful youth football trials. To find out more about the services we offer or find your nearest football training academy, please explore the rest of the We Make Footballers website.