Get scouted by going to ‘x’ football trial or open trial game, showcase your talent to be scouted. That’s probably things you bump into on social media advertisement these days. Some of you here probably wondering to increase your chance to make a higher level jump to another team. And at this point, you feeling stuck don’t know where to go, don’t know where to ask, no available opportunity near you, etc.
Then, suddenly you found adverts about a certain company offering a chance to play in front of scouts or showcase game or whatever you want to call it. It made you feel like you found a breakthrough to make that move. Unfortunately, you later found out that you have to pay a quite big amount of money to come to these events. Soon, you are doubting yourself whether to spend the money to come to these events. So, here are some things to think about:
1. The Quality of Players
You might be thinking why am I saying this. This is all based on what I experienced, so don’t blindly take my word for it. Each person might have a different experience in different companies. The reason put this as my number one thing to consider is everybody is allowed to join as long as you are able to meet the financial requirement. It means that players who don’t have much experience in football or even never played football and not even prepare themselves can come to join.
The downside is those players who come unprepared can make your situation on the pitch harder. On the flip side, knowing that they are not on your level means you can show that you are better than them. Obviously, it is no harm for them to come. But for players who take this opportunity seriously, where they prepare in months and years, they expect to compete against high-level players as well, where it would be competitive.
2. Location of the Event
This might not be the issue if you live near the place of the event or you have access to a personal vehicle. For others who don’t you have to consider it as you would have to think about how much the transport would cost and the accommodation cost on where you going to stay. Also, I haven’t talked about food as well, it’s great and more affordable if you can bring some of your own food.
3. The Cost of the Trial
The last bit is, of course, the amount you have to pay for the trial. As I mentioned, with open trial any player can come as long as they pay. Some companies charge each player with an inconsiderable price and some charge less. So, it is better if you can be honest with yourself whether investing in this event would hurt you financially. Because it is not the end of your career if you can’t afford this.
There are more ways to actually progress your career and it is even more realistic for me as I personally preferred this method. In the end, if you can afford it and go to the event won’t hurt you financially, definitely, it would be worth it. Even if you don’t get picked up you can use this as an opportunity to widen your connection in the game whether that be with the coach, players or even people who are just come there to watch.
As I said earlier, this is not the only way if you want to progress to a higher level. In fact, only a small percentage of players got picked up from these kinds of events. So, don’t put your eggs in one basket. Talk to your current teammates, current coach, former coach, anybody who works in football can help you out. Make sure you backed it up with your training and performance on the field. Keep ballin’!
