Make the Team!

Yo! It's Avery. Heads up, dudes! Try-out season is comin' at ya faster than a pass from me on the b-ball court. And you know that's pretty quick! Here are some tips on tackling the challenge of making the team.

Do your homework. Not that kind of homework—sports homework! It's hard to make the team if you've never tried out some moves! Give it at least two weeks of practice so you have built-in confidence on the day of tryouts.

Prepare like a champ. Get a good night's sleep the night before tryouts. On the big day, drink plenty of water and eat an energizing breakfast and lunch. You’ll want to be at your best when it's time to show off your skills!

Be confident in your abilities. Trying out in front of the older kids and the coach can be intimidating, but if you take some deep breaths and visualize yourself doing awesome in the tryout, you’ll have the confidence to really show off your skills!

Be a team player. Coaches don't want just a bunch of show-offs out there! Let them see what a great teammate you'd be at tryouts, and you'll be sure to score extra points in sportsmanship—which is a super important quality to have as a competitor.

Stay positive. If you gave it your best shot and still didn't make the team, don't get discouraged. Ask the coach what your strengths and weaknesses are as an athlete, then work on improving those weaknesses and playing up those strengths to prep for the next tryout session. If you did make the squad, get ready. Now is when the hard work really starts!