What Coaches are Actually Looking for During Tryouts
Coach David Morrell is the director of coach and player development for the Wanneroo Wolves Basketball Association. A huge part of his job is overseeing the Western Australia Basketball League (WABL) tryouts that come around for the Wolves every October. And I just so happen to be married to the man…
Players often enter tryouts with a very wrong idea of what coaches are looking for, so it’s my hope to fix that and ensure you enter with the right idea! Here is all you need to know on exactly what coaches are looking for during tryouts:
An Energy Giver
An energy giver could be described as someone who talks, high fives, and encourages others. They could also be described as someone with intensity, urgency, or someone who just brings the juice! (Ya know?!) If you want to stand out as an energy giver, you must do all the above.
What else could this look like? For starters, do NOT walk – RUN. When you are told to go anywhere or do anything, show your urgency and hustle by running. When instructors call the group in – let them see YOUR face first!
Deliberations over team selections sometimes result in the need for a tie breaker (meaning two players are being considered and coaches are having a hard time choosing one or the other) Often time the athlete that is chosen over the other in a tiebreaker is the one that had urgency and showed that he or she wanted it more simply by sprinting in every time coach called them to a spot.
A Confident Play Maker
I’ve talked a lot about building your confidence for tryouts, but how about when you’re actually showcasing your skill in a tryout? Let’s break down what a coach is looking for when it comes to confidence:
Remember this – you will get so much more credit for a good play made than you are going to get instantly canceled for making a bad play. Read that again.
In other words, don’t go out seeking to avoid making mistakes – go out seeking to make big plays.
This is a great thought to have for big games too! Tryouts will always include actual live play and they’re absolutely great preparation for the pressure you’ll experience in a big game at some point along your basketball journey.
I think about all the tournaments I played in American AAU summer ball. Most of the time, these were not simply tournaments we’d fly all the way across the country to simply play a game of basketball in – these were showcase tournaments. I’m talking – American college recruiters sitting right on the edge of the sideline or baseline with their black suit pants, branded polos and, of course, a notepad and pen in hand; scouting whether or not we were good enough to be offered a full-ride scholarship to their school.
Talk about high-pressure! But college recruiters and your coach alike are not looking for perfection – they are looking for players who are confident enough to go out seeking to make big plays.
Find the sweet spot: go out confidently finding opportunities to make plays, but DO NOT put the pressure on yourself to make ALL the plays. If you try to do too much, it will work against you because no one plays their best and reads the game well under that mentality of forcing the issue in order to stand out. Or it will go against you because you will look like you are not a team player. Find the sweet spot in the middle.
A Team Player
Basketball is a team sport, so not only are coaches looking for the confident player who seeks to make big plays, but they are also looking for the player who makes the right play for the team.
If you are told to play 5 on 5 in a tryout and
- It’s free play: Be a good spacer/cutter off ball; be active and screen for teammates and look to score/make plays!
- The coach has given keys for a specific motion offense: Demonstrate your competence by running that offense correctly and well; not just by scoring by breaking the offense. FOCUS on running the offense. If you are only trying to show the coach that you can score and you try to score every time you have the ball in your hands, you are only hurting your chances of making the cut by making the coach think you are not a good listener or don’t know how to run an offense.
That being said, if you do mess up a play, don’t freak out – just focus on the instruction given to you again and confidently ask questions for further clarification if you don’t understand what you’re meant to do.
Also another thing I need to warn you against doing that is very common: Do NOT keep calling for the ball and running towards the ball. Show you are a team player by spacing the floor correctly and allowing teammates to make plays too.
A Player Who Has a Good Shot (Not a Perfect Shot)
Players tend to overthink makes and misses during tryouts. Honestly, this only makes you tighten up and most likely shoot worse. So, don’t worry about makes and misses. Wasn’t it Michael Jordan who said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”? Think of that another way – yes, you will miss shots; even the best of the best miss shots regularly! Misses are inevitable! And coaches know that.
In tryouts, coaches don’t care if you make a shot or not; what they are really looking to see is if your shot looks good – do you have proper technique? Are you following all the way through your shooting fingers? Are your fingers leaving the ball with good spin? Is your shooting rhythm consistent? Are you consistently on balance? And again, when you shoot, is it the right play for the team?
A Player Who Moves Well With the Ball
Ball handling can also be a bit daunting for a lot of players especially in the beginning of our basketball development (believe me, I remember when I could hardly dribble the ball between my legs and how much I would dread any time a coach said “Ok, now – behind the back!”)
Don’t worry about losing the ball occasionally during tryouts. Coaches are focused on whether you’re moving well; changing pace and changing direction well (exaggerate this where you can!!); and whether you are utilizing both hands.
Not confident in your weak hand? That’s ok – DON’T SHY AWAY FROM IT! Show the coaches that you’re willing to work on it by utilizing it when you’re asked to or when you’re on the side of the court that requires you use your weak hand.
Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Tryout
If ball handling (or anything for that matter) is not your strength – focus on showcasing your strengths where you can and simply do your best and bring the energy with all the rest! Coaches know you are developing and a confident, positive attitude with a growth mindset screams “I have potential” and “I am coachable” to any coach. Simply put, that’s really what coaches are looking for!
If it comes down to selecting you or another player and your tryout didn’t scream those things at the coaches, but the other player’s tryout did; then chances are they will select the other player. Don’t let that be the case, especially when your attitude is such an easy thing to control. Be determined to outwork everyone – with your attitude too!
If you take all these tips to heart, I do believe you’re setting yourself up for the best chance at a successful tryout. Making a team is never guaranteed, but keep in mind – it’s all a part of the journey (just ask Michael Jordan).
Good luck, Basketball Buddies! I’m cheering you on!
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Thanks Teige, from reading this I now understand that a trial is not only about how you perform, but about how you act and the energy you bring. It has also made me determined to be the most energetic and hype up others at my next trial.
Awesome, Jamima! You got it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you so much Teige I was so worried about tryouts and reading that makes me feel pumped and confident, I now understand that coaches are focused on the little things (not the big things) like team work, form and hustle
So happy to hear you feel pumped and confident, Kennedy! Yes, at the end of the day, it’s the little things that make all the difference! Go get ’em, girl!
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