Basketball tryouts can be stressful and anxiety-inducing for young athletes, but making the team is not as complicated if you study these tips. A number of players have heard the line, “better luck next year.”
That doesn’t have to be you. If you fall into that category after months of preparation, look on the bright side, NBA legends Bill Russell and Carmelo Anthony were among the players to not make their high school basketball teams.
“As I stared at the list of players on the bulletin board who advanced to the next tryout, I did not find my name on it, no matter how many times I read it,” Russell wrote in an article for USA Today.
Check out these 12 tips below to help you prepare for your tryout.
12.) Play to your strengths
Learning new ways to pass, outmaneuver your opponent, and execute an alley-oop sounds great and all, but one of the biggest mistakes players make during tryouts is attempting to do too much to impress coaches by doing things that are outside their skill set.
If you are a good rebounder, focus on grabbing boards. The same could be said for perimeter shooters and ball-handlers. If you’re 6-foot-8 and a solid rim protector, defend the paint at all costs. Unless you’re Michael Jordan or LeBron James, one player cannot possibly do everything.
If you know you’re a point guard, don’t try to play center. We all want to break ankles when we have the ball, but this is just not practical for everyone. If you know you miss a lot of 3-pointers, it’s best to avoid shooting outside the arc during tryouts.
Otherwise, you’ll expose yourself. No one is the best at everything in basketball, but every player has to be great at something to help the team. That’s the bottom line.
11.) Conditioning is imperative
According to a 2014 study by Sportscasting, the average NBA player burns between 900 and 1,000 calories per game, if they play 20 minutes. An athlete who plays over 30 minutes per game usually burns off 1,200 to 1,500 calories per game.
This is all the more reason why players should arrive to tryouts in peak shape. Suicides are used in tryouts to gauge a player’s physical condition and to test mental toughness. This drill is meant to enhance a player’s speed and stamina to help them endure fatigue.
Furthermore, these are the five most common basketball drills during tryouts:
- Dribbling
- Shooting
- Passing
- Agility
- Rebounding
10.) Arrive early
This point should be a given. It’s never a good look to arrive late for anything — whether for a job interview, school, church, funeral, wedding, etc. It will not fly with coaches. This is a game of phycological warfare.
If you arrive late for the tryout, you’re already putting yourself at a disadvantage compared to everyone else. Getting the coaches to like you is that much more difficult if you show up late. Take it seriously.
9.) Eat a healthy snack/meal beforehand
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and have a small meal prior to your tryout. No, you shouldn’t eat at Golden Corral’s buffet or feast on KFC’s chicken before your tryout.
However, eating a small meal with complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber for breakfast or lunch on the day of your tryout can provide you with much-needed energy. Eat fruits, vegetables, skinless chicken, pasta, etc.
If you can, avoid fried foods, seed oils, sugar, and gluten. There is no nutrition in consuming processed foods with maltodextrin, aspartame, monosodium glutamate, sucralose, and dextrose.
Having an upset stomach before a workout could spell the end of your NCAA or NBA dreams before they even begin. On the other side of the spectrum, don’t go into your tryout feeling hungry. You won’t feel well after a few hours.
8.) Be a great teammate
Contrary to popular belief, you can win coaches over by being a good sport. No one likes a sore loser. Learn to respect your fellow teammates, coaches, and athletic trainers. People love to talk, you know?
If word gets out that you’re rude to people, you can kiss playing on a team goodbye. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but those players are likely the cream of the crop with inside connections.
You might have all the talent in the world, but if no one likes you and they don’t want to play with you, the team’s chemistry will suffer. Even if you don’t make the team, keep your cool. Coaches can recommend you to another coach/team.
7.) Sprint on every possession
If you’re on defense and you fell behind after your teammate just scored, you better sprint up the court as soon as possible. Learn to hustle. A lack of effort is a sure-fire reason for a coach to cut you.
It should go without saying that transition is one of the most important aspects of basketball.
Players are more enthusiastic when it comes time to sprinting in offensive transition.
Though, that’s not the case when coaches are yelling at them to set up on the defensive side. You will not give your coach a positive impression if you show you care more about offense than defense.
6.) Don’t be selfish on the court
Hogging the ball is fine and dandy if you record a double-double or triple-double in a game. But at the end of the day, your teammates have to respect you. This point goes hand in hand with “being a great teammate.”
If your sharpshooter is wide open and you’re always ignoring him, your coaches might call you out on that. Isoball will not work against every defender. Be sure to give your teammates touches.
5.) Learn to shake off mistakes
Hardly anyone is perfect during a tryout. Coaches expect all players to have weaknesses. Nonetheless, how you respond to your mistake(s) will make all the difference in whether or not you’ll make the team. If you screw up, say to yourself, “Oh well, on to the next play.”
Basketball is very fast paced. Make sure to clear your mind. If you dwell on a mistake for too long, this will likely lead to more errors. Never let a situation go from bad to worse. That’s a big no-no during tryouts.
4.) Listen to your coach(es)
Ignoring your coach’s directions is another silly way to get cut. If you’re performing left-handed layups instead of right-handed and you’re busy dunking instead of practicing tip-ins, you might not make the team.
Be sure to study all the rules of basketball as well. It helps. Avoid goaltending, backcourt violations, double dribble, shot clock violations, travels, arguing with refs/coaches, etc. Not understanding all the rules can lead to mistakes.
3.) Have a realistic attitude
A basketball tryout is a skill and talent evaluation. It’s important to go into it with a positive mindset. Just because others don’t think you’re the best, that doesn’t make it true. Be honest and critique your own play.
Every player who has the right size, genetics, and attitude can improve. Michael Jordan is the textbook example. Even then, Nate Robinson succeeded in the NBA at only 5-foot-9.
Therefore, it’s still possible for all the shorties out there.
Prove people wrong and never let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. This is easier said than done. Sometimes, we don’t want to hear the truth. That’s not the case with coaches and mentors. They don’t miss anything!
2.) Avoid injuries
This is a big one. You would never imagine it in a million years, but athletes do in fact get injured during tryouts. It happened to me during middle school in seventh grade. I dealt with bone spurs and MCL sprains in my early playing days.
On layups and jump shots, always try to land on your feet, not on a defender or teammate. I personally injured the cuboid bone in my left foot on a layup when my foot landed on an opponent’s ankle.
Although this is a factor that’s out of our own control, try your best to avoid injuries. You can do this by properly stretching your muscles, wearing brace pads, staying hydrated, and working with the athletic trainers.
1.) Never leave anything to chance
Even if you have the skills to make the team, you still might not succeed if you don’t come fully prepared. What if one of your sneakers gets ruined after someone steps on the heel? It might be a great idea to bring a second pair.
If you don’t think water will be provided, bring a couple of bottles or a full half-gallon jug. If you’re dealing with eczema, asthma, psoriasis, or hives, it’s best to pack your medication and take it with you to the tryout.
Additionally, be sure to get at least eight hours of sleep. That’s the bare minimum. For teenage athletes going through puberty, nine hours is more ideal.
When I tried out for the freshman team in the ninth grade, I only got six hours of sleep the night before. I had so much anxiety that I couldn’t sleep. A lack of sleep can affect your focus.
If social media is negatively affecting your play, avoid the sites. They can be toxic. If you know you play better with your girlfriend around, bring her to your tryout. It’s the little things that can add up.
Practice whenever you can and learn to relax if you can’t. Basketball is supposed to be fun. If you’re not having fun, something is wrong.
