Building Your Confidence for Tryouts
"Let Your Determination be Greater than Your Fear!"
Congratulations!
Wait, what? Congratulations? I haven’t even tried out yet? …You may be questioning my congrats, but if you’re reading this, you most likely have an important tryout coming up and trying out for anything is a big deal! So, let me start by saying, “Congratulations!”. Think of tryouts as an opportunity for you to grow as a player and a person – you are putting yourself forward into a position that a lot of people don’t have enough courage to do to begin with. So truly, take a breath and congratulate yourself on being courageous enough to commit to trying out!
And if you’re not feeling so courageous, then you’re still in the right place! My hope is to fuel your confidence, give you some keys for success, and help you feel that courage by the end! So keep reading, friend!
You Are Not the Only One
Tryouts can be unnerving and if you feel nervous, then believe me – YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE! That simple fact in itself should have you stand up a little taller and puff your chest out a little farther. If there’s one thing I know about having a good tryout, it is that it all starts in the mind. And if you can wrap your mind around the fact that the person next to you is just as nervous as you, you can use that thought to your advantage.
Avoid Comparison
Being aware that you’re not the only one in the room who is nervous is not a comparison; it is a fact to help encourage you. Comparison will only harm your ability to perform well by most likely making you more nervous, tensed up or discouraged. Avoiding comparison requires a shift in perspective that I believe is necessary to even begin digging up that confidence inside of YOU.
Here’s two examples relating to comparison in WABL tryouts that are fairly common:
You’re really hoping to just make it into WABL. At the tryouts you start warming up and you see a player that looks really good. “Dang…”, you think to yourself, “I’m not gonna make a team” Little did you know, that player is about to make the state team. Yeah, they’re good. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t make a team.
How about this one?
You’re on a court with a couple of players from last season’s “Champs” team, but the coaches ask you to move to a different court. “Oh no…”, you think to yourself, “they don’t think I’m good enough for that court.” Little did you know, the coaches were actually wanting to see you compete against other players. Don’t compare courts and think of any court that’s “not the best court” as a “cut” court. Just compete, stay focused and solidify that you’re the best player on that court.
Please hear me out on this – In both the above scenarios, if you were to get discouraged and let your discouragement impact how you played from there, you are only hurting yourself. Again, comparison will only harm your ability to perform well. Instead, choose the right perspective that avoids comparison. With the right perspective and the right preparation, you should be nothing but confident in yourself walking into tryouts!
"Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail"
Preparation is key because confidence is a result of preparation. According to Benjamin Franklin, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” and you, my friend – by reading this article and getting your mind right – are doing the exact opposite of failing to prepare. So, let’s dig into your preparation even more so you can build that confidence!
Here is a 6-Step Preparation Checklist for Your Tryouts
- Be fit (go for some runs in the lead up to tryouts to prepare your baseline conditioning)
- Practice basketball skills (strengths and weaknesses!) in the lead-up to tryouts
- Prepare your body (get an adequate amount of rest / sleep / hydration / nutrient-rich food leading up to tryouts)
- Prepare your necessary gear the night before
- Be early (on time is late – aim to check in as early as they allow, and maximize your time to warm up and get ready.)
- Have a clear, focused mind (complete all the above and this one should be easy!)
Outwork Everyone!
You can guarantee, I have always valued preparation in every tryout I have ever had. And I’ve experienced a few tryouts along my basketball journey. As I reflect back on my younger days of playing basketball, I can honestly say I actually remember feeling more determination than fear in my junior high/high school tryouts. I wanted to make the team and I refused to let me be the reason I didn’t.
What do I mean by that? Well, I knew that I had control over a really powerful thing – my work rate. So, I had it in my mind that I was going to OUTWORK EVERYONE!
Here’s the thing, if you go into a tryout knowing that you’re going to outwork everyone, then you can go in with confidence. Because, no matter what happens – what mistakes you make, shots you miss, turnovers, etc. – your focus is on being the hardest worker on the court – not on being perfect; not on being the best – but for sure being the hardest worker. Thus, your foundation is solid – you keep playing; you don’t let your mistakes compound; you simply won’t be shaken.
I was determined to ensure that when the coaches’ eyes scrolled down the list of names and came across mine, the main thought that ran through their heads was, “That girl’s a competitor!”
Keep in mind that if you are horribly unfit, it will be very hard to outwork everyone for the duration of tryouts. So in your preparation phase, get out and go for some runs, get your wind, find your lungs and be fit when you step on the court.
There’s nothing that’s going to make you incapable of showing who you are as a player as much as nerves or being unfit.
Keys to Remember in Building Your Confidence for Tryouts
So if you want to be a confident competitor, remember these keys – congratulate yourself on the courage to grow as a person through tryouts; you’re not the only one in the room who’s nervous, so get outside yourself without negative comparison; and be confident in your preparation and your determination to outwork everyone – let your determination be greater than your fear.
You’re clearly determined to do well in tryouts; you simply being here proves that. So, be confident in that determination and stick with me, your Pro Ball Buddy, for even more tips on tryouts coming your way!
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Hi Teige
Lovely information. Have just printed this out for my daughter saying she didn’t want to tryout as she isn’t good enough after a shooting program today. Was going to book you for 30 mins for mentoring for her before Saturday. Hoping this will help instead.
Amazing
Thank you ❤️
Hi Sue,
Thanks so much for sharing this with me. I really do hope the article encourages your daughter to go for it! There are probably heaps of players she was comparing herself to in the shooting camp that aren’t her age or who are at a completely different stage of their basketball journey! And I believe “Part Two” will be extremely helpful in addressing the skill of shooting directly. Definitely let me know if there’s any other way I can help. All the best!
Blessings,
Teige
Just out of a state trial, this is amazing advice and has made me feel proud for trying and even more determined than before (can’t wait for part 2!). Also, love the site name!
Hi Jamima!
How sweet of you to take the time to comment! I’m so glad you feel proud and even more determined now. I’m proud of you too! And thanks heaps for the compliment on my website name!:)
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