For a lot of 9th graders, you may be going to your first high school tryout. Depending on what school district you are in and if you are at a four year high school, it can be intimidating to put your skills on the line and let a coach decide your basketball future. And for some school districts where they’ve cut the 9th grade programs, there can be even more pressure.
Here are few tips to think about as you prepare for your tryout.
Start now! For most high schools, tryouts are less than two months away. You don’t want to go in to the tryout without having worked on ball skills or conditioning. Even if you are playing other sports, you need to find a way to get to a gym or park for at least a few hours per week. Work on your shot. Work on your ball handling. Work on your passing. And don’t forget to get a few sprints in. The last thing you want to have happen is run out of gas before the tryout is over. And no, football shape/cross country shape/other sport shape is not the same as basketball shape. Sprinting, change of direction and the ability to do it over and over again at a tryout is something you have to specifically prepare for.
Do everything your coach says. Even if you don’t agree with it. Coaches want players that will listen and try to do things the way they ask. If you are confused about something you should be able to ask a question for clarification (when the time is right, not in the middle of a competition) but always be coachable. If your coach suggests working on your off hand…do it. If they want to move you to a different position…do it. If they think you are going to question every decision they make they are going to question whether you can handle being on their team. And keep in mind: your body language says as much as your mouth. Even if you don’t outright question your coach, if your body language is poor, they will pick up on it.
Be a good teammate. You can’t control everything. Sometimes you are going to have a bad shooting or dribbling day (though you can avoid that by the first suggestion above). But you can control your actions. One thing you can always do is be a good teammate. Coaches want players that are good for team chemistry. If you are helping out your teammates, coaches will start to see that they won’t need to worry about bad apples and can focus on coaching their team. Now, don’t confuse being a good teammate with being a non-competitor. You always compete as hard as you can. But when the drill is over or the game is done, win or lose, give your teammate a high five or a word of encouragement.
Do something special. So often, players worry about scoring at a tryout. They think that is the only way they will make the team. And yes, that is very important. But there are other ways to make a team. If you are having an off day with your shot you better show your coach that you have other things to offer. Get every rebound. Shut down the best player on defense. Dive for every loose ball. Continuously talk to your teammates on defense and get them in the right spot. If a coach sees that you can do more than just score, not only will you likely make the team, you’ll have a chance to stay on the floor a lot longer.
Leave nothing to chance. When the tryouts are over and you walked off the floor, you don’t want to wish you would have done more. So don’t risk it. Play as hard as you can. Work harder than you ever have before. That way, when you go to bed that night, you know you did everything you could. Now it’s in the coach’s hands. And regardless of the outcome, you can feel good about your effort knowing you left everything on the floor.
Ask some questions. After the tryouts are over and the teams have been selected, every player has a choice. They can accept the outcome as the way things are or they can choose to make it better. This is what is called the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset. A fixed mindset says “OK, I’ve made the team so I’m good enough” or “I didn’t make the team so now I’m done”. A growth mindset says, “I’ve made the team and now I want to keep improving” or “I didn’t make the team right now but next time I will”. If you have a fixed mindset, you probably aren’t going to get much better. But if you have a growth mindset you will seek out a way to get better. And most coaches will want to help you. When the dust settles, ask your coach a few questions. See what you can do better and then get started on it.