Crew to hold open tryouts April 9

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Columbus Crew General Manager Mark McCullers announced today that the club will hold open tryouts for the fourth straight year, on Saturday, April 9, at the Crew Training Center at Obetz.

The tryout will last all day, with registration beginning at 7 a.m. and the evening session ending at 6 p.m. Select members of the Crew coaching staff will be in attendance throughout the day to assess and evaluate the entire player pool. As part of that evaluation process, the coaching staff will reserve the right to dismiss candidates at any time throughout the day. College players will not be eligible to participate in the tryout due to NCAA regulations. There is no pre-registration, and players should just show up on the day of the tryout.

All tryout participants will receive an official numbered tryout shirt that is theirs to keep. There will be a $50 administrative fee per player, which must be paid in cash or check prior to the first training session. All proceeds from participation in the Crew open tryouts will go to The Columbus Crew Foundation.

"Although this is a difficult way to make it on the Crew team, these tryouts provide individuals a unique opportunity to display their skills and potentially make a dream of becoming a professional soccer player a reality," said Crew Director of Soccer Business Development Mike Lapper. "Typically we have over 70 individuals from all over the country in attendance and this year's tryouts should prove to be no different."

Individuals wishing to try out are solely responsible for any and all accommodations and transportation they deem necessary. They are also responsible for their own training gear, such as cleats and shin guards and anything else they might need to perform to the best of their abilities. Players must also bring their own ball.

For further information, interested players are encouraged to call Mike Lapper, The Crew's Director of Soccer Business Development, at 614-447-4141.

Agenda for Saturday, April 9