"Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden
Trying Out For Competitive Teams: Part 3
Trying out for a competitive team, be it your local community team, a travel team, or a national team, is a stressful experience. It goes against the norms of teamwork, support, and playing for more than yourself. It’s the one moment on a team when you are literally in it for you.
Understand what the coaches are looking for in the tryouts:
a. Own your position and own your role. I.e., If you are a defender in lacrosse, focus on the individual and tactical skills necessary for your position.
b. Highlight your strengths. You don’t need to play amazing or in hero mode, you just need to play to your strengths.
c. Last time, I mentioned the need to play selfish. Remember that you only have a few opportunities to highlight your skills, so take advantage of those moments in games / scrimmages.
d. First time (your first tryout) can be the worst time. You can feel overloaded by the whole experience. Take it one moment at a time, be present in each moment, enjoy the experience, and be grateful for the opportunity to compete.
In the end, focus on you and what you can control. Play your game, and focus on the little things that help you to perform vs things that distract you, like worrying about coaches judging you, comparing yourself to the other athletes, and wondering what it takes to make the team.