With the summer slowly winding down, theFall will be upon everyone before they know it. Many sports will refuel for the Fall and Winter seasons, and basketballis one that will garner the attention of many.
You want to play basketball and are gettingready for your tryouts. There are manythings that you should plan on doing beforehand to make sure you are in tip-topshape for the start of basketball tryouts. Let’s look at some activities you can do to prepare for your basketballtryouts.
Arrive to Tryouts in Shape
You want to make sure you are standing outamongst your competitors for all the right reasons. You do not want to be noticed for being out ofshape. Basketball requires a lot ofendurance and that is something you will need to train for ahead of time.
Expect your tryout to be filledwith many conditioning drills to see who is ready and who isn’t. You should work on some long-distance runningto build up your lung capacity and running sprints every day. Another good exercise to take part in is jumprope. All three activities will help tobuild up the strength and endurance you will need to succeed.
Display the Right Attitude
Attitude is everything. A coach is more likely to draft someone who workshard and has a great attitude over someone who has a lot of talent, but aterrible attitude. A coach wants to see youwant to work hard and you want to get better. You learn to take the criticism from the coach and work on drills toimprove upon your mistakes.
Coaches look for these intangibles in atryout. Which players have the desire,hustle, determination, grit, effort, and strong communication skills to setthem apart from the rest of the field? If you really want to make a basketball team, you will need to displaythese kinds of characteristics. Read uponline of some strategies to help your intangibles stand apart from others.
Showcase your Skills
It is tough to stand out in every aspect ofthe game. Everyone has their strengthsand weaknesses and it will be your job to really showcase your strengths. It is important to remember that even if youare taking part in a warm-up drill; you need to give it everything you’ve got,regardless if the coach is watching or not. Simple drills such as layups can showcase the laziness in someathletes. This is your chance to perfectyour craft. Work hard throughout everydrill you take part in.
It will be important for you to work onlayups, passing skills, free throws, and ball-handling skills. These will be included in a tryout. You may be stronger in some of thesecategories, but you want to practice beforehand to show that you have someskills in areas that you may not consider being a strength. YouTube features many videos that will demonstratedifferent drills you can take part in to cover these areas. If making the team means a lot to you, youwill take the time to prepare for all aspects of the game.
Defense, Defense, Defense!
There is nothing a coach will love more ina basketball player than someone who thrives at playing defense. This is the perfect opportunity for you tostand out in a basketball tryout. Coaches will focus on your stance, posture, and foot speed. They will look at your ability to playman-to-man defense, zone, and team defense. Stay with your opponent and don’t back down.
Your ability to hustle and keep up withyour opponent will really stand out in your ability to defendsomeone. Coaches want someone who willnot give up on their defender. Defensemay not get the top headlines in the local newspaper, but a good coach willnever pass on someone who can play defense. Watch online videos of some of the best defenders to ever play the gameand mimic their secret to success.
Expect Game Situations
Expect the tryout to include a scrimmage of some sort. Take a deep breath, relax, and just play your game. Don’t do too much. Do a lot of little things right and you’ll get noticed. You should become a student of the game, watch games, study players and you can even watch some films on basketball. Learn from the successes and failures of others.
The scrimmage is where you can show offyour knowledge about the game. Know whento pass the ball and when to drive to the hoop. Be an effective communicator on the court. Make sure you are constantly talking andmoving. Coaches are always looking forleaders and scrimmages will showcase the leaders of the team.
Regardless of how well you play, yourhustle should stand out on the court. Hustle and attitude are two things that no drills will ever showcase. These two things can always be maximizedand both are in total control of the participant. No one should ever beat your hustle and attitude.
Enjoy the Game
Preparing for and taking part in abasketball tryout can be a very stressful time. Just remember, it is a game. Games are fun. You wouldn’t be interested in playing thesport if you didn’t enjoy it. Duringyour tryout, even in the toughest moments, always remember why you wanted toplay basketball in the first place.