Many athletes always ask me:

"How do I prepare for tryouts?"

With middle school and high school tryouts right around the corner, you want to be mentally ready to compete your best and not panic...

Tryouts can be a stressful time for many athletes. You can feel anxious, nervous, and just plain "scared."

You want to have a focused and confident mindset instead of scared so you can perform well.

You might experience a feeling of being "on a stage" during tryouts or a showcase.

You have a day or two to show the coach your skills, and you often think you have to stand out or perform perfectly.

That’s actually not true and can hurt your performance because you might over think it and tighten up...

Yes, you only have a day or two, but you absolutely don’t have to stand out or be perfect.

Coaches see talent, but they also see "potential" in athletes in middle and high school.

Also, many coaches want to see you when you are having a bad day. They want to see how you respond or handle challenges.

You want to have the look of composure and grind it out when having a bad day or look like you are still trying.

Coaches know when an athlete can play or when they have the potential to play, even on a bad day.

So, during your tryouts, use the skills you have that day, no matter how good you feel about your skills, and trust what you have.

Eight tips to mentally prepare for tryouts:

1. Leave your expectations at home, they won’t help you.

2. Focus on one play, routine, performance, etc. at a time. Avoid thinking about outcomes or cuts.

3. Let go of mistakes and focus on the next play, round, performance, etc.

4. "Look" confident: keep your head up, shoulders back, and talk confidently.

5. Communicate with your teammates. Coaches want to see you communicate and show leadership.

6. Be teachable - try to make changes given from a coach.

7. Look forward to showing your skills at the tryout.

8. HAVE FUN!

Good Luck!

-Cindy Clough

For more information on how to perform with trust and help with tryouts, check out our audio and workbook program, "The Fearless Athlete":