NWSC operates a 6-7 month assessment period starting in September and ending February/March, depending on the age group. The assessment, selection and placement process is comprised of:
- In-season assessments by the team’s head coach
- In-season assessments by NWSC’s technical staff and director of coaching
- Post-season evaluation sessions which normally incorporate 1 to 3 evaluation sessions (dependent on age and attending numbers). Evaluation sessions are observed by an evaluation team comprised of the director of coaching and NWSC’s technical staff.
Player performance in training and games between September and April is the most significant evaluation period. This period is the main opportunity for players to showcase their abilities and earn selection to the team for the following season. This is a players most natural environment where anxiety and stress levels are low allowing for individuals to showcase their greatest potential.
Who actually evaluates and selects the players during the 6-7 month evaluation period? Is it the team coaches, or the club staff? What are the roles and responsibilities?
- The head coaches provide feedback to the director of coaching based on the following criteria;
- Players ability on the ball (in possession)
- Players actions off the ball (out of possession)
- Physical (endurance, speed, balance and coordination)
- Psychological (emotional control, focus, team player)
- NWSC’s director of coaching is responsible for managing the Player Development Pathway, providing oversight of the evaluation process and the player selection decisions.
- NWSC’s director of coaching, technical staff, and head coaches (in that order) are responsible for selecting the players. Final selections are verified by the DOC to ensure an unbiased, fair, and honest process.
Note: If necessary, club staff (as unbiased and independent evaluators) will challenge and overrule a coach’s selection if they are thought to be unfair, dishonest, or inaccurate.
Are player/team selections pre-determined prior to the postseason evaluations?
No, player/team selections are not fully determined prior to the postseason evaluations. While coaches/evaluators will have reached some decisions on players as a result of their performances throughout the season, there are still many unknown factors that prevent teams/players from being fully determined until the end of the post-season evaluations. Some of these factors include:
- Existing players moving up
- Existing players moving down
- Existing players leaving the club
- New players arriving at the club
- Players attending from other clubs who don’t declare their intentions
- Addition of teams due to high numbers and ability of players registered
- Reduction of teams due to low numbers and ability of players registered
Post-season player evaluations are necessary in order to:
- Understand what players are interested in returning to play at the corresponding level
- Further evaluate/compare players from lower levels
- Evaluate players new to the community
- Evaluate players attending from other clubs
- Assess the ability to add another team if high numbers and quality allows
- Assess whether to reduce teams due to low numbers and ability of players
What role does NWSC play to ensure player selections are fair, honest and accurate?
It is the responsibility of NWSC to ensure a fair, transparent and honest process with respect to final player selections. As such, the DOC and NWSC’s technical staff will provide oversight of the entire process. This consists of:
- Management of the Player Development Pathway
- Periodic observation of players during training sessions or potentially games
- Delivery of training sessions every 4-6 weeks
- Ongoing consultation with team coaching staff regarding player abilities
- Observation of post-season evaluation sessions
- Facilitating post evaluation selection meetings
- Ensure evaluators are fair, honest and accurate by challenging and overruling selection decisions if necessary
- Approval of final roster selections
While we may not all agree on the final selections, it is important to know that NWSC goes to great lengths to ensure that the process is fair, transparent, and honest. We believe a 6-7 month evaluation of players through the Player Development Pathway, coupled with strong leadership and oversight from our clubs DOC and technical staff allows the final selections to be as accurate as possible.
Player evaluations are somewhat subjective and selection decisions are largely determined by the opinion of the DOC and technical staff. Opinions often differ between coaches, evaluators and parents and rarely does everyone agree.
Decisions to select a player are based on a multitude of different perspectives such as:
- Overall impact and influence on training and games
- Technical ability
- Tactical ability
- Athletic ability
- Attacking attributes
- Defensive attributes
- Positional attributes
- Attitude
- Attendance
- Positional needs of team
- A combination of everything above
When players are similar in ability, the coach will often choose the player that possesses a slight advantage (in the evaluators opinion) in the specific individual attributes listed above, or for specific positional needs of the team.
Example: Players may have a similar level of impact/influence during training or games, but their attitude and attendance may be very different.
When players are similar in ability, how does the club select players from outside the club/community versus those currently within it?
In situations where all things are deemed relatively equal, the club will select those players currently playing in the club, residing within the club’s catchment area, or those returning to the club.
No, players do not get access to a ‘select’ team simply because their parent is on the team staff. Prior to the appointment of a coach, assistant or manager, the club determines the level of the player first. Only when the club is satisfied the player is suitable for the relevant level of play will the coaching staff be appointed.
Players have no restrictions on development opportunities due to their year of birth. In staying with our “player-first” philosophy, the club will consider the player’s ability rather than their birth date.
Any player who believes that they have the ability to play at a higher level shall be provided the opportunity to go through a season long evaluation process to determine this. If successful during the evaluation period, NWSC’s technical staff will have the final say on whether playing up is in the best interests of the player after considering all factors. In short, if a player is good enough, they will be considered old enough.
Advancement of younger players will consider:
- Are they equipped physically, emotionally, and socially with respect to safety and interaction with peers?
- Does the environment provide the player with confidence, excitement, love of the game, and the ability to use technique, or is it simply a physical and technical battle to perform each week?
Our goal is to have 2 – 3 teams at each age group. However, the creation of additional teams will always be dependent on the number and ability of players that attend the evaluation sessions. Unfortunately this cannot always be foreseen ahead of time; therefore the decision to create additional teams needs to be made during or after the evaluation period. Along with the addition of teams we also need to appoint team coaches, all of which can lead to a lengthy process.
The timeline for completing the entire process can take between 3-7 days depending on how many teams there are, and if any unforeseen issues arise. The process is outlined as follows:
Step 1 – Division 1 players will be offered spots approximately 24 hours after the final evaluation.
Step 2 – Upon receiving the offer, Division 1 players will have 24 hours to accept a position on the team. Once all the spots have been accepted we move to the next step.
Step 3 – Division 2 players will be offered spot after the completion of the Division 1 roster.
Step 4 – Upon receiving the offer, Division 2 players will have 24 hours to accept a position on the team. Once all the spots have been accepted, we move to the next step.
Step 5 – If another team is to be created, the same process as above will apply.
Step 6 – Once all team rosters have been completed, players that are not selected will receive a letter/email informing them.
The club will not hold spots for players who delay acceptance past the 24-hour window and will continue to offer spots and build the roster until it is complete. Accepting players are expected to complete their online registration immediately.
If a player chooses to delay acceptance, will the club hold a spot past the 24-hour acceptance window, or will the club continue to offer spots and build the roster?
The club will not hold spots for players who delay acceptance past the 24-hour window and will continue to offer spots and build the roster until it is complete. Accepting players are expected to complete their online registration immediately.
