Tryouts | Making the Team

When trying to make a basketball team and get noticed by coaches there are several misconceptions that are often made by players, including:

• If I score a lot of points I will make the team
• By hitting a tough shot, I will impress the coaches
• If I dribble past all of the defenders and make a tough pass this will show the coaches that I am one of the better players
• If I try to make an incredible block on defense this shows the coaches that I am a good defender
• If I do a spectacular spin move or behind the back move, I will impress the coaches

…the general point is that coaches are NOT looking for a player that will do incredibly difficult things on the court. Of course it’s hard for some players to understand this because those incredible things, like hitting a tough shot or make a difficult pass, are what players believe will make them stand out most in a tryout.
You don’t have to be the most talented player in the world to stand out in a tryout.
To make a difference players can do the following things:

• Consistently box out on defense
• Make easy plays on offense…. don’t turn the ball over
• Make your teammates better by giving good passes
• Work your hardest on defense, hustle, dive for loose balls
• Finish your open layups

Coaches are looking for smart and hardworking players… players that will make a good decision at the end of a close game. You’ll impress the coach by showing the him that you’re cool and composed on offense and hardworking on defense.