Select is a program for players who want to take their soccer to the next level.

• Select teams are formed through unrestricted tryouts in June for players 11U-19U who want to take their soccer to the next level.
• Teams are formed based on the age groups with enough players who prove to Evaluators their readiness and commitment.
• Select teams compete in the Iowa Soccer League (ISL) at the Premier or Competitive Levels against other select teams from surrounding soccer clubs in and around the metro Des Moines area.
• Select teams have professional Head Coaches with extensive soccer coaching, with backgrounds ranging from playing in college, coaching High School, and even playing semi-professional soccer.  These are coaches who live and breath soccer and are there to help Select players reach their full potential if the player is just as committed.

• In addition to individual development, a Select team also has the advantage of having players of a certain level of ability and above, with generally higher levels of commitment, so development can continue to build from one season to the next without having to coach to cover a wider range of abilities.  The younger, full year Premier teams also have the extra challenge and bonding that they gain together at their tournaments, both locally and traveling to either the Des Moines area, or to a bordering state. 
• The below image is from Iowa Soccer's website and shows where these Select teams are in the player pathway.
  
  
  

Select Teams

11U to 15U age Select teams

• Requires a commitment to playing both in the upcoming Fall and following Spring soccer seasons.
  • Select teams that are formed for players not in High School in the upcoming Fall season take a full year commitment to play both in the Fall and Spring to build their soccer together for a full year.
• Includes 7-8 league games in the ISL State League where games are against other soccer clubs mostly in and around the greater Des Moines area who also have select teams.  ISL games are scheduled on Saturdays or Sundays. The ISL State League are Premier and Competitive level teams and the league is managed by Iowa Soccer.
• ISL State League has varying levels of divisions ranging from competitive teams that are sometimes considered B teams in larger clubs, to the top teams that have proven themselves through competition together already, and compete in the Premier division and are typically also competing in the Iowa State Cup / Iowa Championship  where one team of each age group earns the honor to represent Iowa at the U.S. Youth Regionals. 
• Select teams typically compete in two select level tournaments in the Fall, and two tournaments in the Spring.  Normally one of the two tournaments each season are more local, such as the Des Moines area, and the other can be in a bordering state, such as in Kansas City.
• Select players are not discouraged from participating in Middle School sports, but they must also be able to provide commitment to attending and fully participating in as many trainings as possible, as well as league games and tournaments. 
• Select teams take the commitment of players who want to grow as individual players and as a team and with that commitment and desire, they do grow in more ways than just soccer, but also in character and confidence.
  
  

 Select Teams for High School age players

• High School age soccer players ranging from 15U to 19U are offered the chance to tryout for a spot on Select teams that compete together in the Fall season in the competitive ISL State League.
• Includes 7-8 league games in the ISL State League where games are against other soccer clubs mostly in and around the greater Des Moines area who also have select teams.  ISL games are scheduled on Saturdays or Sundays. The ISL State League are Premier and Competitive level teams and the league is managed by Iowa Soccer.
• ISL State League has varying levels of divisions ranging from competitive teams that are sometimes considered B teams in larger clubs, to the top teams that have proven themselves through competition together already, and compete in the Premier division and are typically also competing in the Iowa State Cup / Iowa Championship  where one team of each age group earns the honor to represent Iowa at the U.S. Youth Soccer Regionals. 
• All players must go through the same, unrestricted tryouts with evaluators such as college coaches.
• Players are not discouraged from participating in other High School sports or activities, but committing to a Select team does also add a commitment to attend as many trainings as possible, and to be able to participate in most, if not all games.  Trainings will be scheduled to be mid to later evening.
• All Select teams for Iowa Rush South, including the high school age, will have a paid professional Head Coach.
• The High School age groups are targeted to have Aaron Ruff as their professional Head Coach.  Aaron Ruff has successfully coached many teams for Iowa Rush and was the Head Coach of the Ankeny Centennial boys soccer team, and he also played collegiate soccer himself.
  

Select Team Tryouts

• Iowa Soccer determines when unrestricted tryouts can be held for Select teams that will compete in the ISL State League.  The time frame for tryouts always lands primarily in early to mid June.
• Two tryout times are set up for each age group and players are encouraged to attend both nights if possible.
• All players tryout in their own age group and any opportunities of playing up are determined by the Evaluators.
• Tryout age groups will span two or more birth years, but they do not determine what age groups that teams will be formed for - example - 12U, 13U, 14U, etc.  
   
• Teams will be formed based on the turnout and evaluations within each age group (birth year).
  
  
• Trying out does not guarantee  a bid (invite) to a Select team and a player receiving a bid will have 12 hours to accept or decline that bid.  The Bid Dates and accepting bids by 8pm of the bid date is determined by Iowa Soccer and all soccer clubs in Iowa offering select teams follow the same guidelines.
        
• For tryouts, players should arrive at least 20 minutes early, and check-in the first night to receive a tryout shirt that will have a number on the back which is used to identify each player for evaluation.  The same shirt needs to be worn to both tryout nights because of that unique number.

Select Team Bid Dates (Invites)

• The timing for the bids (invites) for Select teams that will compete in the ISL State League are determined by Iowa Soccer. 
• The reason there are specific dates and hours for bids is because some players tryout for more than one soccer club's select program and could receive more than one bid, so that player would receive their bids at the same time, and will have until 8:00pm to decide and either accept or decline.  If a bid is declined, then the club has the option to extend the bid to the next alternate or go with a smaller roster.  If a player does not respond that they are accepting a bid by 8:00pm on bid day, the club is able to reissue the bid to another player who is on the alternate list.
• If a bid is received as an invite, you only see what team you are being invited to and details about that team such as who the Head Coach will be, confirmation of what league the team will compete in, number of tournaments if the select level package includes tournaments, and any other information that may need to be shared.  You will not see a roster of who is on the team until all bids have been extended and either accepted or declined. 
  
  
• The Bid dates for tryouts in June, 2018 will be as follows, per Iowa Soccer:
  
  • Invites from tryouts for 11U-12U age division teams may be issued on or after 8:00am on TBD
  • Invites from tryouts for 13U-19U age divisions may be issued on or after 8:00am on TBD
  • Per Iowa Soccer rules - Bid time frame is from 8:00am to 8:01pm of the bid day.
  • Bids must be accepted or declined by 8:00pm.     
    
  • Click here to read Iowa Soccer's ISL Tryouts Overview and Tips for Parents
    
    

• Players will not be informed prior to bid day whether they make a team within the club per ISL Tryout Regulations.

• Players will be contacted by email to be informed of their roster placement if invited, and the email will have the details of what to do next and the deadline to accept or decline by.  Depending on numbers, some players may receive an email informing them their player is an alternate, and there could also be players who receive an email that they do not receive a bid this time if Evaluators feel they are not ready yet, or if tryout numbers are higher than determined roster size.
• An player who received an alternate bid could then either receive a bid invite to the team if another player declines their invite and that alternate is next on the list, or receive an email confirming that the team roster is final and no more bids will be extended. Registration for recreational soccer will still be open and a coupon will be provided to honor the Early Bird fee for anyone who either does not accept a bid, or does not receive a bid and prior team placement from the prior season will be honored when possible as long as the player is registered for Rec by the deadline specified when the coupon is provided which is generally two days following the bid date.
  
• The email with an invite bid will have the instructions of what to do next but it will involve a link to accept or decline the bid and then if accepting, registering online for Select soccer to reserve your players roster spot.
• Payment plans are available that for example, for the full year select players, spreads the cost across ten months and for the older high school teams if fall-only, an optional payment plan that spreads payments across four months.