Tryouts

Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo will be looking for another Kevin Souter or Nelson Pizzaro at this Saturday's KC Wizards tryouts.

This Saturday (March 7) the Kansas City Wizards hold open tryouts. The following Saturday (March 14) the Kansas City Brass will hold open tryouts. Regardless of a player's age, skill level or ability, trying-out for an elite group/team/school is admirable. Realistically, the chance the best players at the Wizards tryout have at making the Wizards: slim chance. However the chance of these tryout participants playing for the Wizards without attending the tryout: no chance. Are there other ways of getting drafted/signed to an MLS team? Yes. But not every good player can get the exposure that a college and/or PDL team could provide. And even then some of those high profile amateur players need the open tryout to help their cause. Last year the Wizards signed two players from their open tryouts: Kevin Souter and Nelson Pizzaro. Both Souter and Pizzaro had solid college and PDL credentials but their performances at the Wizards open tryout is what sold the Wizards staff.

My brother and I participated as players in the MLS discovery tryouts in 1994 and 1995 (MLS orginally planned to kickoff in 1995 however delayed their inaugural season to 1996). Although our play at the tryouts didn't yield either of us a MLS contract, the experience and feedback from US Soccer and MLS coaches working those tryouts (Steve Sampson, David Dir, Ron Newman and Guy Newman) was memorable and valuable. Three players who participated in the same tryouts were drafted in the inaugural 1996 MLS Draft (Shane Battelle, Manuel Catano and Brian Kamler).

Good luck to all of the participants during the next two weekends of tryouts. Hopefully all of the participants will have positive experiences with a few participants getting chances later to train and possibly compete with the first teams.