Preparing for Tryouts

Whether you are looking to join a sports team or a club, you may have to go through tryouts first. Check out these tips to prepare for tryouts and have a good chance of making the team.

Be Prompt

The first thing you will want to do is confirm the when and where of the tryouts. Depending on the offerings at your school or organization, there may be multiple tryouts for different levels, such as junior varsity and varsity. There may also be multiple rounds of tryouts for the same team, so you want to double-check that you are attending the right one each time.

Try to get to the tryout session early, so you have a few minutes to get familiar with the space and begin preparing mentally and physically.

Prepare Mentally

Meditate: Take deep breaths and picture yourself doing well. Meditating before tryouts can calm your nerves.

Positivity: Keep a positive attitude, no matter what gets thrown at you. Don’t get discouraged if you believe you didn’t do the best you could have.

Coachability: If you make mistakes during the tryout period, it’s okay. What matters is how you recover from them. Keep a good attitude and listen to any feedback from the coach or captain; that’s what they are looking for.

Commitment: If you are committed to seeing the tryout through, you can overcome any mental or physical exhaustion or challenges that may arise during the process.

Prepare Physically

Sustenance: Eat well the day before, and bring enough water and snacks for tryouts to keep your energy up.

Rest: Getting a good night’s sleep can boost your energy for the next day and help you to focus.

Practice: In the lead-up to tryouts, focus on covering the required basic skills. Of course, it’s always good to show what you’re really good at, but if you focus too much on fancy tricks and lack the core skills needed, it can harm your chances of making the team or club.

Remember, making the team isn’t the only measure of success. Be proud of yourself for putting in the work, showing up and having the courage to try.

If things don’t go the way you hoped, give yourself a little time to be kind to yourself and keep moving forward. Every tryout is an opportunity to grow and build confidence—and there will always be another opportunity waiting for you.

Good luck!