As tryouts approach, it’s natural for both kids and parents to feel anxious, especially if the athlete feels rusty, lacks experience, or is trying a new sport. You might be thinking, “Will they make the team?” While this can be a stressful time, there are steps you can take to boost your child’s chances of success. The key is skill acquisition—and the good news is that the human body and brain are incredibly adept at learning new skills, as long as we are diligent and disciplined with our training.
If your child is feeling unprepared, or you’re worried they won’t make the team, here’s a streamlined approach to help them improve quickly.
Step 1: Identify the Key Skills for Success
If you’re running out of time and need to make the most of the days or weeks before tryouts, it’s crucial to focus on the right areas. Start by identifying the three biggest skills that will have the greatest impact on your child’s performance during tryouts. These skills could be related to a specific sport position or essential aspects of the game, such as speed, ball control, or communication.
But how do you determine which skills to focus on? If you or your child are unsure, it’s a good idea to consult an expert—whether that’s a coach, an experienced player, or even an online community. Objective feedback from someone who knows the sport can be invaluable in pinpointing what your child needs to work on most.
Step 2: Leverage Online Resources
Once you’ve identified the top three skills that need improvement, it’s time to put in the work. Thankfully, we live in a time where we have access to countless online resources. YouTube, in particular, is an amazing tool for finding sport-specific drills and techniques.
Search for drills that target each of the three key areas you’ve identified. Choose one or two drills for each skill, giving you a total of 3 to 6 drills to work on. It’s important to keep the number of drills manageable because, when it comes to skill acquisition, repetition is key. Mastering a few drills is far more effective than trying to juggle too many at once.
As Bruce Lee famously said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” The idea is to develop muscle memory and confidence by repeating the same movements over and over.
Step 3: Develop a Daily Routine
With the drills selected, the next step is to create a consistent training routine. Ideally, your child should practice these drills both before and after practice, dedicating at least an hour each day to sharpening their skills. Consistent practice will lead to noticeable improvements, even within a short time frame.
Here’s a suggested daily routine:
- Warm-up: Spend 10-15 minutes warming up to prevent injuries and prepare the body for training.
- Focus on the first skill: Spend 15-20 minutes practicing one or two drills related to the first key skill.
- Second skill: Dedicate another 15-20 minutes to drills for the second key area.
- Third skill: Use the final 15-20 minutes to work on the third skill.
- Cool-down: End with a short cool-down period to help the body recover.
Repeating this process consistently every day leading up to tryouts will help your child improve quickly.
Step 4: Long-Term Skill Development
While the steps outlined above can help your child improve in the short term, long-term consistency is the best way to ensure they are always ready for future tryouts and games. Ideally, your child should work on their skills at least one to two days a week, even during the off-season.
This light, year-round practice will help keep the relevant parts of the brain and body engaged, so they don’t have to “re-learn” the skills each season. It’s like riding a bike—the more you practice, the more natural it feels, and the easier it is to get back into the rhythm when the time comes.
Step 5: Encourage a Positive Mindset
Finally, it’s important to keep the experience positive and stress-free for your child. Remind them that tryouts are just one part of their athletic journey, and the goal is to improve over time. Whether they make the team or not, every bit of practice helps them get better. Encourage your child to focus on their progress and effort rather than worrying solely about the outcome.
If you maintain a supportive and encouraging environment, they’ll feel more confident, and that confidence can translate into better performance during tryouts.
Conclusion: A Last-Minute Plan to Help Your Kid Make the Team
If tryouts are fast approaching and your child is feeling unprepared, don’t panic. By focusing on the three most important skills for their position, leveraging online resources like YouTube for targeted drills, and developing a consistent daily routine, your child can significantly improve in a short amount of time.
Even though you may be working with limited time, these steps can give your child the boost they need to make the team. And for the long term, keeping up with light skill development throughout the year will ensure they’re always ready when tryouts or new sports seasons come around.
With the right strategy and support, your child can walk into tryouts with confidence, ready to give it their all.
Thank you for reading!
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Ian Smith
Owner, Lead Trainer Mountain Speed Strength & Fitness
Evergreen, CO