Youth Baseball Tryouts – 5 Tips to Help You Make the Cut
Youth baseball tryouts can be a stressful time for everyone. You haven’t played since last summer, all eyes are on you, the player, and you’re desperate to impress. But stressed out players don’t play their best games. Here are 5 tips to make your next tryout just a little less stressful.
Tip #1 Look the Part
Some of the most important things to do during tryouts have nothing to do with baseball at all, starting with making a good first impression. So show up with plenty of time to sign in, warm up and get your head in the game. And dress the part. A coach is going to take you much more seriously if you show up looking like a baseball player than he would if you showed up wearing jeans.
Tip #2 Play Naturally
Youth baseball tryouts can give some players major nerves or anxiety, causing them to overplay or overcompensate. Just do your best relax, focus on your moment and then attack it with enthusiasm.
Tip #3 Have a Good Attitude
The right attitude is something all coaches look for. How you react to both perfect plays, and mistakes, is going to show them what to expect from you during a game. A good attitude covers:
- Being Coachable. Make eye contact with the coaches when they’re talking, be interested in what they’re saying, and ask questions if you have them.
- Being Positive and Confident. Don’t sulk if you make a mistake, or roll your eyes if the coach says something you don’t want to hear. Don’t be timid and don’t let one error ruin the rest of tryouts. If there’s one thing coaches are looking for, it’s confidence.
- Being a Good Teammate and Team Player. This shouldn’t be mistaken to mean be social. Tryouts are not the time to be laughing and goofing around with your friends. However, you should encourage your fellow players if they make a mistake, communicate well during group drills, and overall give your best.
The attitude the coach perceives from you during tryouts can be the difference between making the cut, and sitting the year out.
Tip #4 Have Fun
It may seem cliche, but coaches want to see that you enjoy the game of baseball and that you want to be there. They want to see that you’re having fun playing.
If you like baseball, and you enjoy playing it, you’re more likely to stay dedicated to the hard work required to be good at it. So set aside the pressure you’re putting on yourself and focus on having fun. A coach will see if you have talent, even if you’re not playing as well as you might have hoped.
Tip #5 Be Prepared
It’s important to be prepared before youth baseball tryouts, even if it isn’t your first time. Make sure your pants are clean, your cleats fit, and you’ve been keeping your pitching arm loose.
The coach will be able to tell pretty early on whether or not you play baseball, so show up ready, follow these tips, and chase your love for the game.
