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Saint Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club

EVALUATIONS & TRYOUTS

Late Placement (Missed tryouts)

Birth Years 2013 – 2005 (U11–U19) for 2023-24 Season

Tryouts for the 2023-24 season have concluded. If you are interested in joining one of our teams, please register for Late Placement, pay the $50 fee and you will be notified of a team placement. 

REGISTER

Developmental Evaluations 

Birth Years 2014 – 2015 (U9–U10)

Players registered in Blackhawks developmental programs will be assessed mid-summer for fall placement and again during winter for the following summer team placement. These dual evaluations—unique to our club—ensure the best match between players and their programs. We encourage all interested players to attend, but attendance at evaluations is not necessary to register. Evaluations at this age are used to:

    • Place developmental-aged boys and girls on summer teams with players of similar skills and ability
    • Determine the number of teams to be registered at each level
    • Enable the Developmental Director to adjust the curriculum based on the players participating
    • More info can be found here
REGISTER

Coaching Philosophy

Saint Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club is committed to giving each player the tools to become a complete player. A complete player displays mastery of both technical and tactical aspects of the game as well as character growth. We believe that soccer can be a medium to develop youth physically, mentally, and socially. We aim to produce skilled players who exhibit respect, dedication, and a passion for soccer within a highly competitive environment. Our club is dedicated to prepare youth players for the next level whether professional, collegiate, or amateur.

The path toward developing a complete player recognizes different developmental levels and utilizes developmentally appropriate activities toward the goal.

  • Technical: A Complete Player masters all aspects of ball control such as dribbling, passing and receiving, ball striking, heading, and tackling.
  • Tactical: A Complete Player understands the fundamentals of defending and attacking individually as well as a team. They understand their role on the field in different formations such as 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1.
  • Character: A Complete Player is a leader on the field who knows how to handle adversity, be a team player, and is respectful to others.

 

Naming Conventions

Blackhawks team naming conventions follow a tiered developmental designation of gender, age group, and color; color does not necessarily correspond to a league competitive division. We assign the “Black” color to the top team in a given age group, regardless of the league and division. Team naming reflects where a team falls in the developmental spectrum of our Blackhawks teams and not their playing level. You will receive information about play level and team plan with your team placement announcement.

BLACK  RED  GOLD  WHITE  GRAY  SILVER

Tryout FAQs & refund policy

My child is not able to make tryouts - what do I do?

If your child is unable to attend both days or can only attend one day, the child still needs to be registered for tryouts so the club knows his/her intent to play next season. The coaching directors will rely on coach input to help place the player on appropriate teams.

What are the rules for promotion and relegation?

Most of our teams participate in Twin Cities Soccer League (TCSL).  There is no promotion/relegation in this league.  Our Coaching Directors decide at which level the teams will participate.

For the MYSA league, please refer to their policies and rules relating to Promotion and Relegation.

Who will be the coach of my team next year?

Our club’s philosophy is that each coach has two years with a team. There are some exceptions to this. For example, if a team earns promotion, the club may extend the coach’s assignment with the team to help the transition. We believe players can learn new things from different coaches tactically, technically, and psychologically.

What should I think about heading in to tryouts?
We hope you will be selected for the team of your choice. If that doesn’t happen it would be good to have a backup plan. Please talk with your parents before tryouts about other playing options. (Note to Parents: Not every player is guaranteed a place on a team, or on the team of their choice based on roster size limitations and the number of available players in the age pool. Consider talking with your athlete prior to tryouts about other playing options.) If you have questions about the commitment required to participate on a higher level team (C1, Premier), please talk to the coach prior to tryouts. If other activities will cause you to miss a lot of practices or games, please consider other playing level options.
For more information, review the Team Formation Policy.
Do the teams change much each season?

Tryouts are conducted every year for competitive soccer. Players will be placed at the level where they fit best developmentally based on the coach feedback and player development over the season and tryout performance. Rosters typically change season-to-season between U9–U14, and somewhat between U14–U18. While teamwork is very important, keeping teams together starting at U9 would not be beneficial. Individual kids develop at different rates and grouping players based on their developmental level at the point of time is in the best interest of the individual and the team. This gives the opportunity to all players to be both challenged and successful.

Do any Blackhawks teams participate in the USYS National League?

Yes.  We have multiple boys teams participating, starting at U13.  For our girls teams, because of the fall high school season, we have to compete in the Great Lakes Conference, which is Ohio and New York.  We have competed in the past and given the expense associated with travel to these states, we have declded to put the girls teams in NPL, which is a highly competitive league in MN.

What is my responsibility to the team?

At Blackhawks, we expect you to take responsibility for your soccer experience like any other commitment. After joining a team, you will receive a lot of information about practices, games and other events that occur throughout the year. It is your job to keep track of this information. Likewise, it is your job to talk with your coach about any issues or concerns you may have.

Refund Policy

  • Tryout fees are non-refundable

  • For U12+ competitive teams, the club will keep 33% of the fees if players leave before November 15 for U12+. No refunds will be given for withdrawal after this point unless authorized by the Executive Director.
  • For U9–U11 developmental teams, the club will keep 33% of the fees if players leave before February 28th. No refunds will be given for withdrawal after this point unless authorized by the coaching director.
  • For Fall developmental and competitive teams, the club will keep 33% of the fees if players leave before August 10th. No refunds will be given for withdrawal after this point unless authorized by the coaching director.
  • For other programming, the club will keep 25% for camps, Skill Builders, futsal league, etc. if notified more than a week before the first day of the program, 50% if within one week, and no refund after the program begins.
  • A partial refund will be issued to players who experience a season-ending injury. The refund will take into account administrative fees and the amount of time the player was able to participate.
  • Team fees are not included under these terms.
  • Refunds for other programming and events not called out above will be determined at the discretion of the Executive Director.