Your best asset to scoring a spot on the team during tryouts is you. Put all the worry and overthinking aside. If you make a plan, remain confident, routinely exercise at home, and keep the negativity at bay, you will be a step ahead of everyone else when tryout day arrives. Our sports medicine specialists have tips to safely train for tryouts.
Plan
By preparing properly, you can reduce the risk of injuries during tryouts. Gradually increasing your training intensity, incorporating proper warm-up and cool-down routines, and focusing on proper technique and form can help minimize the chances of sustaining injuries. Safe preparation prioritizes your well-being and holistic development as an athlete. It takes into account factors such as rest, recovery, and maintaining a healthy balance between training, academics, and personal life. By avoiding excessive training loads or burnout, you can maintain a sustainable and enjoyable athletic journey.
Resource>> Read the book: “Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence” by Gary Mack and David Casstevens
Resource >> Read the book: “The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive” by Jim Afremow
Practice
Create an exercise regimen and stick to it. Exercise at home, at a nearby park, or with the experts at FAST – Foothills Acceleration and Sports Training. If you’re feeling stagnant, liven things up. If you’re aiming for a spot on a football team, play a few games of soccer with some friends in the park. If you spend every workout at the gym, exercise at home. Run a few laps around the neighborhood. If you always jog alone, invite a buddy or two to join you. Stay in peak shape — but don’t overdo it. Know your limits and avoid any physical injuries by playing it safe the days leading up to the tryout date. You don’t want to be out of the running before you’ve had a chance to prove yourself.
Relax
Don’t stress or overthink every single detail. Scoring a spot on the team is all about your mental attitude. Keep the negative voices out of your head and stay positive before and after your time on the field. Staying positive will lessen your chances of freezing or making a mistake. It also replaces fear with motivation as you earn your place on the team.
Stay Healthy
Proper nutrition can enhance your physical fitness, strength, endurance and overall performance during tryouts.
It’s easy to let your goal of succeeding override everything else, but don’t let that happen. When you get into that one-track mind zone, take a step back. You don’t want your drive to succeed to exhaust yourself and ruin your chances.
Get eight hours of sleep a night.
Remember that exercise plan you created? Make sure you schedule recovery days as well. Recovery days don’t necessarily entail being a couch potato. You can lightly exercise at home with some yoga, walking, or stretching.
Do You
Focus on the joy of the game, not the win/lose aspect. Don’t be afraid of failing or other’s judgment. Be confident in your abilities and you’ll discover that you’re more skilled than you remember. It’s OK if you don’t give a perfect performance on the field. Play to your strengths and don’t hold back. Shush the negative voices and recall how well you performed in those weeks leading up to the tryout. You can make a good impression if you rely on talent rather than showy tricks.
Unfortunately, even with recovery days and low-impact exercises at home, injuries can still happen. Our sports medicine specialists can help you get back on the field. And if you are looking for sports specific training to set yourself up for success, our FAST coaches can help get you there. Schedule an appointment at a Foothills Sports Medicine location near you.
