5 Basketball Tryouts to Set your Season up for Success

The basketball season is quickly approaching which means tryouts. Whether it's your first tryout or last they can be intimidating. You get a short amount of time to showcase all of our offseason work and the outcome affects the entire season. To help you prepare, we've come up with a short list of 5 tips to set your tryout up for success. 

1. Trust your training

Trust your taining. You've put in the offseason work and now it's time to showcase it. Tryouts can be stressful but all the time you've spent improving different areas of your game will pay off. Reflect on your top skills and think of ways you can showcase them in tryouts. 

2. Arrive early

Getting to tryouts early will give you ample time to get ready mentally and physically. The last stress you want to add to that day is rushing to get to the gym on time. This might not make or break you making the team but it will certainly put you at ease going into the tryouts. 

Use the extra time to warmup, stretch, start form shooting, and ball handling. If you don't already know the coach this also gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself if you're early.

3. focus on the details

There are lots of ways players can stand out aside from making shots. Coaches want players on their teams that will give their all to get the win. Make sure you're focused on the other details and small details that make a big impact...

• Taking a charge 
• Hustling on defense
• Communicating with teammates
• Supporting teammates
• Listening/following the coaches game plan
• Creating open looks for your teammates

4. brush off mistakes

Don't let a mistake shake your confidence. They are bound to happen in tryouts, practice and games. What's important is how you react after a mistake. Shake it off and have a next play mentality. 

Brushing off mistakes doesn't mean you don't accept feedback from coaches after tryouts. Take feedback as an opportunity to grow and become a better basketball player. 

5. play to your strengths

Understanding your strengths as a player is vital to having a successful tryout and season. The season will provide plenty of opportunities to improve weaker areas of your game. Tryouts are short and attention from the coaches is minimal so every chance you get to showcase your strengths counts.