Basketball tryouts are exciting times for youth players. They offer a chance for young athletes to practice, improve, and compete in the sport that they love. Not every young player can make the team, but there are is plenty they can do to prepare and increase their chances. With the right preparation a young player can be more confident during basketball team tryouts and have a much better chance of making the team. Here are some tips to help young athletes prepare for basketball tryouts.
Shoot, Shoot and Shoot Some More
Every team needs strong shooters, and a player’s chances of making the team are greatly increased if they can shoot well. Shooting is largely a function of muscle memory. Practicing shooting is all about getting in a comfortable rhythm and building accuracy alongside confidence. Young players preparing for basketball team tryouts should make sure that they’re shooting at every chance that they get, so they can build up the rhythm and muscle memory.
Coaches at basketball tryouts will instantly be able to tell whether someone is a natural shooter with a good rhythm or someone who struggles. It may seem like a small detail to some young athletes, but practicing shooting is fundamental.
Run Some Chair Drills
A lot of young players are used to shooting around on their back porch but struggle a bit when other players are introduced. A great way to combat this is to use stacking chairs when doing drills. Stack a few chairs to emulate a human body, and then practice dribbling, shooting, and layup drills around them.
Young players need to practice shooting over something five or six feet tall so they get used to the obstacle a human represents. Practice crossover dribbles around the chairs (you should also practice dribbling drills with cones), and practice layups around and over chairs. If an adult or a friend is willing to help out, all the better.
Exercise, Practice and Repeat
Most young basketball players don’t have great conditioning because they’re not used to playing on a team. Sometimes coaches will simulate the physical demands of a game during basketball team tryouts. This can throw a lot of kids off their game, as they quickly find themselves out of breath and lacking the physical stamina to compete in drills when they’re already tired.
To prepare for this, young players should do conditioning—run a mile, or several wind sprints—and then do basketball drills. Then condition some more, and do some more drills. This builds stamina but also helps players get used to using basketball skills even when they’re tired.
Eat Right and Get Plenty of Sleep
A lot of young players don’t fully understand that proper sleep and a healthy diet can greatly impact their physical abilities. The night before team basketball tryouts, make sure your kid gets at least eight hours of sleep, then eats a healthy meal a few hours before basketball tryouts.
By employing these tips, any young athlete will be much better prepared for basketball tryouts. The sooner you start, the better the more success you will have at tryout.
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