Evaluations are done once a year at the end of the spring season to determine the proper placement of players onto teams for the subsequent fall season who will be playing in the Nashoba Valley Youth Soccer League (NVYSL) at the Grade 3/4, Grade 5/6 and Grade 7/8 levels. The GDYSC does not conduct evaluations for the PreK/K and Grade 1/2 players because these are non-competitive programs run exclusively by the GDYSC. We also do not conduct evaluations for the Grade 9/10 or Grade 11/12 program because we normally only have enough players to field one team at each grade level.

The Nashoba Valley Youth Soccer League (NVYSL) is a league comprising 25 towns in Central Massachusetts. At the Grade 3/4 level, the league tiers play into 4 levels (Rec 1, Rec 2, Rec 3 and Rec 4). Rec 1 level play comprises teams that are very competitive, Rec 2 level teams are competitive, Rec 3 level teams are moderately competitive, and Rec 4 level teams are typically made up of beginners or players looking for a purely recreational program. At the Grade 5/6, Grade 7/8, Grade 9/10, and Grade 11/12 levels, the league tiers play into three different levels: MTOC Division 1, MTOC Division 2, and Recreational.  The MTOC Division 1 and Division 2 levels of play are the most competitive, and teams that play at that level compete in the spring to qualify for the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions, which is a statewide tournament that ultimately determines the best town team in the state at that age level and gender. Because of the multiple levels of play within the NVYSL, we, as a club, need to construct teams that compete at these different levels. The GDYSC age group coordinators, with assistance from the GDYSC board, use all of the information available to them from the evaluation days and the coach's evaluations from the previous season(s) to properly rank all of our players before assembling them into teams for placement into the NVYSL for the fall and spring seasons. Since the league tiers play, we must also tier our teams and construct them based on the relative abilities of the players that we place on them.

Eligibility

Eligibility for the different Grade levels is based almost entirely on school grade, with occasional exceptions for age eligibility. Age waivers for PreK/K and Grade 1/2 players are done by the GDYSC board, while age waivers for Grade 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 players must be pre-approved by the NVYSL registrar as part of the team roster submission process. If players are age-eligible for a different Grade grouping than their current school grade would naturally qualify them for, we can obtain a waiver from the Nashoba Valley Youth Soccer League that will allow them to play with children of the same birth year eligibility.

The NVYSL combines the Grade 9/10 and 11/12 grade groups into a single HS age group in the fall but segments them into Grade 9/10 and Grade 11/12 in the spring season.

Evaluations and Team Placements

The purpose of the evaluation process that we conduct as part of the GDYSC is to determine the relative skill, aggressiveness, awareness, field sense, athleticism, and team vs. individual orientation of all players who will be playing at the different grade levels. We use the information gathered from these evaluations to properly place players onto teams at the appropriate level of play based on their current stage of development. To determine where the players should be placed, we normally have 10-12 GDYSC coaches and 3-4 external professional coaches evaluating all players in game situations for 1.5 to 2 hours. Typically, we separate the players into random teams, and each player on each team will be given a numbered pinnie to wear. Each team will rotate through 4 different 15-25 minute scrimmages with other teams of players in different color pinnies. 3-4 evaluators are stationed at every scrimmage field and rate players from 1-5 (1-low, 5-high) in terms of the previously described criteria and as compared to the other players they are evaluating. All evaluators have a chance to see every player because of the way we rotate all teams through every scrimmage field. At the end of the evaluations, the evaluators hand in their scores for all of the players that have been evaluated. A statistical analysis is applied to ensure that evaluations are normalized. Results are then averaged. The age group coordinators will then use these evaluations to assemble teams for the fall season. 



Evaluations are relative to all players, so they need to be performed in one go. Individual evaluations or make-up evaluations are not practical so only one evaluation opportunity is available for each grade level. While participation in evaluations is not required for participation in the GDYSC program, it is strongly encouraged that players make every effort to participate and provide age group coordinators with the best possible assessment of their skill level.

In addition to the rankings from the evaluation days, the age group coordinators also rely on coach evaluations submitted by every coach at the end of every season to their respective age group coordinator, and these evaluations are factored into the final placement of the players. We as a board try very hard to place players correctly, but without data, it is hard to make relative comparisons, which can invariably lead to incorrect placements, disgruntled parents, and disappointed kids. So, it is important to bring your children to evaluations so they can be properly evaluated against the other players in their age level/gender.

What to Wear

All players should wear full soccer gear for the evaluation sessions, including cleats, soccer shorts, a t-shirt, and shin guards. They do not have to wear their GDYSC uniform, but they should wear equivalent apparel. They should also bring the proper size ball (size 4 for Grades 3/4 and 5/6 players and size 5 for Grades 7/8 and above) and plenty of water since they will be playing for about 2 hours. Also, children should be encouraged to do their best, but do not put too much pressure on them. For many, this will be the first time they have gone through a process like this, and it can be a little intimidating. Players play their best when focused but relaxed, so putting too much pressure on your sons or daughters before the evaluations is not helpful. You should be encouraging them to have fun and do their best.

If you have any questions about the evaluation or team placement process, please contact the GDYSC board. Thank you.