It is that time of the year again: tryouts! It is a stressful day or two, but you can do a lot to help your athlete get through it. 

STEP 1: Be Prepared

This includes making sure your athlete has their equipment ready to go, has eaten a well-balanced diet, and has what they need to succeed. All of these things can be done the night before! Have your things packed, get enough sleep, and eat a healthy meal. VERY IMPORTANT – have your athlete hydrate the night before.

STEP 2: Be Memorable

100% effort is a no-brainer; it is so important to hustle and try your hardest. Coaches love players with a high work rate! Even if the skill level is not as technical as other players, if a coach knows you are going to work hard and make the team better, this is a plus. 

If you play a sport where there are a lot of players trying out, wear something identifiable to tryouts. It can be a headband, certain color shoes/sneakers.

STEP 3: Be In Control

This is a tough one because our mind sometimes plays tricks on us. Control what you and your player can control. This means that while others may get more ball touches, it is not about that, but how you and your player react to that. If a player doesn’t pass you the ball, do an amazing job of supporting the ball carrier using your off-ball movement.

 

Happy Hockey – Coach Masters

 

Each post is written by Amy Masters (not AI), but grammatically corrected by Google – thanks Google. 

 

About Amy Masters

Amy Masters is a sports mom, coach, and club owner/administrator. She has been coaching youth sports (not just hockey) for more than 15 years. She started Jr Lions Field Hockey, the youth recreation program for the Hunterdon County community, growing it from 40 players in year 1 to 150 players by year 3. 

A few years later, she saw the love and competitiveness grow, then started Omega Field Hockey Club, serving NJ and PA athletes. Before coaching, she was a collegiate field hockey player for Lock Haven University, winning 2 national championships and being named All-American. 

In her spare time, she loves playing mediocre golf, spending time with family (like her latte addicted daughter, sarcastic son and kind husband), loves fitness, playing against the U12s in scrimmages, and is happy to race anyone. She was also the co-editor of a youth sports newsletter that served over 3 million subscribers. She is now taking her insight here to the world of hockey.