In the competitive world of high school club and travel sports, no spot on any team is guaranteed. However, there are steps student-athletes can take to not only better prepare for their club tryout but also to stand out in the crowd and secure the spotlight on the court or field. Pay close attention to the following five steps, and be ready to invest some time, energy, and focus, to ensure you are equipped to face your club tryouts head-on.

5 Steps to a Successful Tryout

1. Train

It’s no surprise that your club tryout will take a toll on your body physically. Do yourself a favor and start the training ahead of time. This way, your athleticism can shine and your endurance can run the course of an aggressive multi-day tryout. There are numerous sports-specific workouts published publicly that you can do at home or at the gym. Make a plan, write it down, start early, and stick to it.

2. Reach out to the club Director

Ask about booking individual lessons with one of their coaches. Speaking as a 12-year club coach, this is a fantastic way to get your name out there. Learn about the club, its coaches, and get 1-on-1 training from the experts.

3. Register for tryouts ahead of time!

Many clubs organize their tryouts based on numbers, and preregistered athletes usually get ahead just by signing up before the deadline. Perks like skipping the registration line upon arrival on day one, receiving a pre-numbered tryout shirt, and getting the chance to start warming up early as the latecomers fight through all the red tape are just some of the advantages.

4. During the tryout:

Be vocal, volunteer to shag balls, and play with a smile! When it comes to sports, we coaches can teach you how to play, how to swing harder, jump higher, or run faster. What we cannot teach is coachability, personality, or spirit. Showcase that you are a team player, be vocally supportive of the athletes around you, introduce yourself to the coach rating your court/field area, and always take a few minutes before each water break to help gather equipment.

5. Leave nothing behind.

You may not be the fastest runner in the gym, the highest jumper on the field, or the strongest hitter on the court; but what you can do is give it all you’ve got. Dive for every ball, call for every pass, sprint as fast as you can, transition to each spot faster than others, showcase your endurance and your athletic ability, and never give up. If your vocals match up with your heart, you will get noticed, and in all the best ways.

No matter what sport, club/travel/AAUs are often where US college coaches find and recruit talent for our upcoming seasons. Club is no longer just the sport you play between your high school seasons to stay in shape. Club sports showcase some of the most competitive teams there are in high school circuits today. If you are serious about wanting to be a better athlete and get noticed by club coaches, then follow the above 5 steps carefully and intently. Remember: the path of vigilance is always a direct path to success.

The demand for high expectations can set anyone up for failure, especially for youth athletes who are not mentally tough or not accustomed to being pushed into a level of discomfort, like tryouts.

For some, participating in strenuous activities brings a stressful sense of urgency in the form of stage fright, headaches, continuous perspiration, numerous trips to the bathroom (all forms of anxiousness, nervousness, and scared feelings) performance anxiety equating to the pressure to perform.

The expectation of performance and fear of failure cripples athletes at all levels due to the worthiness of impressing a coach, parent, siblings, scouts, and teammates, often sometimes sabotaging their performance due to a lack of confidence.

Developing concrete yet consistent strategies to counteract mental setbacks can help athletes have a better experience while succeeding in their sport. In addition, assisting an athlete in identifying various triggers can help change how an athlete performs. For example, some strategies might come from practicing with those (parents, teammates, or friends from an opposing team) willing to participate, or mindset strategies that will help the athlete focus on the task and not comparison.

More importantly, talking to experienced athletes who have been in similar positions should document a consistent strategy, a plan of preparation “drills and exercises” to encourage success. Furthermore, having a plan is vital in keeping yourself calm and focused, which will enhance your capabilities despite your feelings.

Concentration, calmness, and confidence also can help one avoid the traps of focusing on the wrong things before and during the tryouts. Instead, focus on what you can control, and things might come to you easier because nothing can be achieved without practice.

Here are several tips to help anyone have success during tryouts.

Get a good night’s sleep; at least 8 hours.

Athletes that train and participate in games should sleep about an hour extra, when applicable.

Make Film study a priority.

A visualization mindset is a vital tool used by highly successful people.

Drink plenty of water, consume fruits and veggies.

Water is most healthful; more importantly, athletes can stay hydrated by adding fruits and vegetables.

Get a massage or stretch therapy.

Massages improve an athlete’s range of motion, soft tissue function, athletic performance, and decrease delayed onset muscle soreness, in addition to stiffness and fatigue after a performance.

Hit the weight room; it breeds confidence.

Exercise will certainly boost your self-esteem.

Don’t focus on your competition.

Focusing on your competition prevents original ideas and creativity. As a result, you are missing out on the best athlete you could be.

Know your weaknesses.

Knowing your weaknesses is equal to knowing your strengths for success.

Pay attention to what’s going on.

Distractions often derail individuals; therefore, directing your attention to your priorities will allow you to accomplish the unthinkable.

Listen to feedback.

It’s not uncommon to hate constructive criticism; however, criticism can be your best lesson. It’s a sign that someone loves you and cares.

Be coachable.

Coaches love coachable athletes; it improves their willingness to learn, takes your ability to the next level, and helps you attain achievable goals.

Understand The Power of Self Talk

Self-talk can assist in correcting negative thoughts and coping during difficult tryouts. Self-encouragement can go a long way before and after. It allows one to accomplish obtainable goals.

Have fun!

Always have the mindset to learn and increase in established mental abilities.

CLICK HERE to learn more about mental health in sports or HERE for more about tryouts.

This article answers such questions for ensuring a productive offseason sports performance and conditioning program, and being less prone to injury when tryouts or practices begin. Other scenarios include addressing athletes with restricted or zero offseason time.

• Give Yourself Recovery Time. A long sports season is physically and mentally taxing. Generally, the body needs adequate time to recover—at least a week or sometimes additional time (depending on the individual)—rather than immediately heading to the gym after the final game and launching high-intensity workouts.
• Delay or Ease Gradually into Offseason Workouts After Finishing Multiple Sports Seasons. Transitioning straight from basketball season to baseball season, for instance? Once that season ends, even more extensive recovery time may be most favorable (e.g., three to four weeks) for muscle and joint healing before commencing intense offseason workouts, throwing or passing motions, or running, jumping, or sprinting drills, for example. In the interim, substitute performing low-intensity and low-impact activities (active recovery) such as brisk walking, light jogging, swimming or bike riding—before beginning the more strenuous offseason work ahead.
• Write Offseason Goals and Priorities After Assessing Strengths and Weaknesses. After reviewing your performance from the past season, write down what you must accomplish in the coming months to be a better and healthier athlete next year. List the No. 1 priority, then second and third goals, and proceed with your offseason plan.
• The Year-Round Single-Sport Athlete with No Offseason. For one-sport athletes going from fall high school or college games to participating on winter, spring or summer clubs, there is no real “offseason.” Perhaps there are a few weeks scattered during the year without competition—otherwise conditioning time is limited. Staying healthy is essential when playing a sport year-round. Consuming sufficient nutrient-dense calories is required to maintain weight and support muscle. Regularly getting at least 8-9 hours of sleep to aid recovery and sustain mental and physical energy; fitting in one or two short but intense full-body strength training sessions on non-consecutive days each week to remain strong; and allowing ample rest time to promote healing of muscle or joint soreness.
• Avoid Two Negatives: Overtraining and Undertraining. Overtraining certain muscle groups while undertraining others not only creates muscle imbalances and chronic joint soreness (e.g., performing excessive pushing movements and insufficient pulling exercises) but makes one vulnerable to injury when sports practices start. Other forms of overtraining include doing too many running, sprinting or jumping drills in the offseason—placing greater demands on the knees, hips, ankles and feet; or overdoing sports drills (e.g., throwing too many pitches each week and inflaming elbow and shoulder joints). Undertraining certain muscle groups (e.g., core muscles) or not doing enough balance exercises or endurance drills also negatively affects sports performance.

Covering All Bases: A Sample 12-Week Off-Season Program

For athletes with ample offseason time, here’s a sample 12-week (three-month) program:

A. For the first two weeks, do three full-body strength workouts on non-consecutive days and do stretching, running and core-strengthening movements (Prone, Side, Supine Planks, and Seated Med Ball Twists) on non-weight training days.

B. For the next two weeks, do two full-body strength workouts, including more balance-boosting movements (Single-Leg Squats, Single-Leg Cross Rows, and Single-Leg Hops) on non-consecutive days and practice sports skills on non-workout days.

C. During the following two weeks, do one full-body strength workout; a power workout comprising Squat Thrusts (or Burpees), Jump Squats, and multidirectional interval Sprints; and an endurance workout (biking, rowing, or uphill running).

Repeat A, B, and C for the next six weeks.

RELATED: The 4 Phases of Football Off-Season Training

There was once a time in which the spring signaled a time to relax for a couple of weeks both physically and mentally before heading off to partake in some other activity, but over the years, like most other sports, basketball has become a twelve-month activity and commitment.

While ideally, you may think you would have extra time to hang out with friends, play some video games, catch up on school, or work a part-time job, the reality is you will also have to find time to train and workout in order to keep up or stay ahead of everybody else.

Rest & Recovery

Also known in the NBA world as “load management”, it is important for young players to take some time away from the court to let their body and mind rest and recover. There have been many studies about the wear and tear that young players are now experiencing on their bodies. Young players may also want to mentally remove themselves from their offseason program from time to time in order to avoid mental exhaustion and falling out of love with the game.

This is also a great time to check in with your doctor and your physical health specialists (chiropractor, physiotherapist, etc.) to address any health concerns that may have come up after the grind of the high school season. Spend time repairing your body before you set out trying to build it up.

Make A Plan

Whether your coach is moving up with you to the next level or you are going to be under the tutelage of a new coach, it is important to find out what they feel your strengths and weaknesses are and how they envision using you next season. While there are some things that may be obvious, you don’t want to go into tryouts and next season surprised by anything.

WORKOUT

Assuming that you officially begin your school season at some point in mid-late October you have about six months to work on your body. The question is, what to work on and how to do it? Are you looking to become quicker, stronger, lose weight, gain weight, or have better mobility, flexibility, and balance? There are many factors to consider when approaching your off-season workout program. Rather than just hitting the gym and throwing some weights around, focus on building the proper periodization schedule which is important to achieving your physical goal.

If you can afford a personal trainer, it may be worth looking into as they can help create a proper workout program that is catered specifically to your needs. If this is not an option, use the following guidelines

Functional Strength: April – Mid-June

This focus here should be on preparing your body for more intense work in later months. Target improving core stability and stabilizing muscles through functional exercises. Don’t think that just because you are not lifting heavy weights, you aren’t improving your overall strength, balance, and athletic ability.

Workout Schedule: 2-3 days per week, 2-3 sets, 15-20 reps, 50-60% of 1 rep max

Maximal Strength: Mid-June – August

The focus for this stage is optimal strength. As you will be lifting heavier, your rep count will drop significantly and your rest time will increase, allowing you to exert more energy. Ideally, you would want to plan your routine for every other day in order to allow for proper recovery.

Workout Schedule: 3 days per week, 3-5 sets, 4-8 reps, 80-90% of 1 rep max.

Power: September

After months in the weight room building strength, it’s time to convert that work into power. Using body and resistance exercises such as plyo pushups, medicine ball wall throws, medicine ball squat throws, Vertimax machines, and depth jumps will help build explosive power. Focus on form and proper movement.

Workout Schedule: 2-3 days per week, 8-10 sets, 8-12 reps, bodyweight, and resistance bands/medicine balls

Maintainance: October

Assuming you will be practicing or running open gym sessions multiple times per week, strength training during the early part of the season should be limited to maintenance only. Lifting too heavy can cause injury or muscle fatigue which can have a negative impact on young players who are still growing.

Workout Schedule: 2-4 days per week split between the weight room and power/plyometric training.

Speed/Agility/Quickness/Balance/Stability

It is just as important during the offseason to work on speed, agility, quickness, balance, and stability as it is to increase your strength and power. Incorporating drills that focus on linear speed, change of direction, first step, acceleration, deceleration as well as reaction, and the ability to absorb contact with and without the ball.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Whether it is improving your handle, extending your range, working with your non-dominant hand, or attacking the basket, practicing on-court skills in the offseason is one of the most important components to becoming a better player. Whether you are at the gym, the park, or your driveway, it is important to have a plan and keep track of what it is you are working on so you can see improvement.

If you are working on skill development on the same day as you are scheduled to work out, take into consideration proper rest periods. Having your arms and legs completely exhausted will not only negatively impact your ability to shoot, dribble or run, but it could also lead to injury. Aim to do three skill development sessions a week.

If you ask any coach or skills trainer, they will likely give you a number of shots that they believe you should be taking over the course of a session and the entire off-season. And while that is true, it is also important to understand that you could be putting up thousands of shots with many of them being terrible. There is no point in putting up 1000 shots in a session with most of them having terrible form. Aim for a minimum of 500 shots per workout. If you want to get more shots up, make sure you give your body adequate rest.

With that being said, focus on keeping your skills workouts to within 60-90 minutes maximum. Chances are if your workout or skills session is any longer, you are having too many breaks or periods of time in which you aren’t working at an optimal level. Taking 500 mid-range shots in an hour with half of them having poor form doesn’t do you any good. Compare that to making 100 mid-range shots in twenty minutes with proper repetitive form and you will see that sometimes more is not better.

In your 60-90 minute skills session, incorporate defensive drills, ball handling, passing, footwork (jab steps, etc), attacking the basket, post-up, mid-range, free throws, and three-pointers (all of your shots should be off the catch and off the dribble).

PLAY

Obviously, this is the most enjoyable part of the offseason for most players. This is a time when you can not only work on improving the skill set that you already possess, but you can also add another element to your game. If you are playing pick-up with friends or at the gym, don’t be afraid to try something new. If you aren’t comfortable handling the ball, try it. If you are not a three-point threat, go ahead and put a couple up.

However, when you take into consideration your strength training and your skills training, there are only so many hours in the day to add in gameplay.

At the beginning of your offseason, your primary focus should be on individual work, improving both your mind and body. Aim for a 75/25 split with 75% focus on individual work and 25% gameplay, whether it be 3-on-3 or 5-on-5.

During the summer months, start to shift your focus to a 50/50 split and then a 25/75 ratio as the offseason comes to an end.

One of the biggest hurdles that young players today face is the draw of AAU or Club basketball. With so many teams and tournaments, it’s like being in a candy store with unlimited funds. However, playing multiple games over the course of a back-to-back (and sometimes another back) days does not allow your body to rest and recover properly.

Club coaches are not only wizards in the gym and on the field; they have an uncanny ability to read core personalities of every boy and girl they teach. A successful coach is a great educator first. They know their student’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential leadership capabilities.

Testimonials

College coaches will do a thorough academic and athletic evaluation of a prospect to determine where they fit in their recruit priority chart. Moving forward, a diligent college recruiter will reach out to the club coach to learn about the inner makeup of the prospect.

Given a choice between a blue-chip prospect who may be a potential “loose cannon” on the inside of the team and a solidly skilled prospect who brings a strong character component to the table, college coaches will likely lean toward the latter. Consequently, a strong testimonial from the candidate’s current coach can go a long way in closing the loop in the college evaluation. Below is an example of an impact coach testimonial:

Coach Testimonial: “Rarely in my time at PDA have we added a player directly from a tryout onto our top team, but I was so impressed with Ian during our tryout process that we immediately offered him a place on our top team that plays in the MLSNEXT league. As a player, Ian is most comfortable in central midfield but can also play wide. His best qualities are his comfort with the ball, his passing ability, and his creativity. As a person, Ian would be an outstanding addition to any locker room, university, or team culture. He has been a pleasure to coach, has taken instruction very well, and applied it during matches, and his training habits are exemplary. Ian is an excellent, positive, and supportive teammate. I have no hesitations at all in recommending Ian to any college program and would be happy to discuss him further at any time.” –Tyler S.

The Coach Testimonial should touch on 3 critical areas. 1) Athletic ability, 2) Ability to coach and teach the prospect and 3) The potential leadership qualities he or she brings to a program.

Player Profile

Prospects should create a starting point for their college search by defining themselves. Creating and sharing a 1-page player profile with college coaches is an excellent first step. Not only should the profile let college coaches know who you are, but it should also include a powerful coach testimonial.

The testimonial serves as a soft recommendation where a coach can identify the skill of an athlete but also convey their core character and inherent leadership qualities. In addition, club coaches can utilize powerful networking skills and cultivate robust relationships with college coaches.

Leadership

College coaches are grounded, common-sense individuals who rely on their gut when making most of their program decisions, including recruiting. Whether you are the captain of your team or a member of the student government, embrace these leadership roles to build your character foundation.

College coaches have an uncanny ability to size up prospects quickly. They can pinpoint a real leader as opposed to a “resume leader” in a heartbeat. And who better than your private coach to convey your leadership skills to college coaches?

The coach testimonial, as part of the player profile, forms the recruiting foundation. Picking up the phone and calling college coaches gives club coaches the opportunity to convey personal information about the prospect further. This drives the recruiting process to the next level.

The club coach can be many things to prospective student-athletes, A mentor, sounding board, and even a sport psychologist! In addition, he or she can be a powerful ally who can offer valuable information to college coaches. Perhaps just enough to tip the scales for the prospect in the right direction.

For ages, it’s been debated between what classifies as a sport and who qualifies as an athlete for ages. Is Crossfit a sport? What about bodybuilding? Are Nascar drivers really athletes? Why is the Spelling Bee on ESPN every year? Major League Eating, really? What about hobby horsing? (if you don’t know it, look it up. It’s entertaining.)

Sports and athletes are highly subjective terms. Those who participate in the activity will usually vigorously defend it, claiming it’s the hardest and most demanding sport there is, even if nobody else agrees (looking at you, curling).

Regardless, we can agree that there are many “activities” that are just as physically demanding as any sport there is. And to prepare for it, strength and conditioning preparation is still very appropriate. For members of a marching band, the practices and performances can be just as grueling as two a days in football, just without the head smashing. Look at the drum major tryouts at Ohio State. Think these guys aren’t athletes?

For the sake of the article and consistency, we will refer to marching band members as athletes.

In terms of physical attributes for marching band, posture is everything. Maintaining the “set” position throughout a performance is just as important as the music itself. Dropping an instrument or being unable to maintain the set position during a performance is a big no-no. These often result in huge deductions in competition.

Holding a 7-pound brass instrument parallel to the ground throughout a halftime performance is no joke. The shoulders and entire back side have to be pretty strong to maintain such a heavy, awkward posture. Or what about having a 50-pound tuba strapped to your spine. That requires a pretty strong…everything. And do that in a uniform that puts you in a claustrophobic sauna. Good times.

So how can these athletes best prepare for their upcoming seasons? What exercises should they do to perform at their best? This article isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of how to get ready for a season but rather a general preparation recommendation. Learning to master these strength and conditioning movements and principles will more than prepare a marching band athlete for band camp and their upcoming season.

Conditioning for Marching Band

Probably the most challenging aspect of marching band is the heat. Growing up in the midwest, my summers were hot and humid. I always remember seeing the marching band practicing in the school parking lot in August, presumably dying yet maintaining perfect composure.

Having a solid aerobic foundation is crucial in marching band. Without it, the athlete can quickly conform to exhaustion and fall to mistakes the band can’t afford.

For a healthy athlete, maintaining a heart rate between 130-150 for 40-60 minutes will allow any athlete to build a robust level of aerobic conditioning. This is my conditioning recommendation for all the athletes. It is tough, but doing this 1-2 times per week will get them in good condition to battle the heat and humidity and endure the length of a performance.

Strength for Marching Band

Brass and Woodwinds

Brass and woodwind training should be about the same, as these athletes hold the instrument in front of them, mostly parallel to the ground at 90 degrees. These athletes need strong and enduring shoulders, as well as strong backsides. Here is a few excellent bang for your buck exercises for these instruments.

• Bottoms up kettlebell walk. This is a common exercise for baseball players. Still, it translates well to building brutally strong shoulders that can hold a heavy instrument for an extended period.

• RKC planks. This is your standard plank, but harder. Marching band athletes need a strong core to maintain a neutral posture, despite a heavy instrument trying to pull them out of it. A strong, three-dimensional core is crucial for optimal performance and reducing or preventing back pain.

• RDLs. In my opinion, there’s no better exercise out there to develop a strong posterior chain. This strengthens the hips, hamstrings, back, and can save the knees a lot of trouble. Again, this is an exercise that helps support the maintenance of proper posture in a performance. This exercise can be performed with a barbell or free weights.

• Calf raises. You know you need calves, perhaps steers if you are in a marching band. No video is needed here. Just lift your heels up and down, a lot.

Of course, there’s a vast difference between carrying a tuba and a flute. Those that carry the heavier instruments need to practice getting stronger in these lifts. Members carrying the flute and other light instruments would benefit from these exercises, but not as essential for them. The conditioning, though, is very relevant for all.

Percussion/Drumline

The individual positions within the percussion section vary a lot. A set of tenor drums can weigh around 45lbs! That’s a lot of weight that the backside has to hold up. Then there are those in the pit, and they often don’t have to carry anything. So depending on individual position, these athletes should emphasize building strength in these exercises accordingly.

• RDLs. I’m putting these at the top of the list because I feel they are the most important. Like the brass and woodwinds, RDLs are highly recommended for strong backsides to maintain the strength needed to carry these instruments and hold a neutral posture. Those that carry the heavier stuff should become brutally strong in this exercise.

• Hip thrust. Again, special attention needs to be paid to building strength on the backside, particularly the glutes. There’s no better glute exercise than the hip thrust. This can be done with a barbell, or free weights can be used on the lap. You can also use no weights for lots of reps.

• RKC plank. A strong core is a must for all.

If You Struggle With Back Pain

If you struggle with back pain or any pain at all, please see a doctor and get medically checked first.

Athletes will often be medically cleared for activity but still struggle with an achy back. I’d strongly recommend this routine of three exercises for a healthy back for these athletes. Don’t just go through the motions, though. Pay close attention to your technique.

As stated earlier, this is a general recommendation for marching band athletes. These strength and conditioning recommendations should serve as a foundation of programming for the athletes but is not an exhaustion of what these athletes should do. However, if nothing else, stick to these exercises and conditioning protocol to help you or your athlete perform their best.

Most football players have good intentions going into their summer off-season training, but sometimes they fail to achieve their goals. One poor decision or training mistake can completely derail your program and undermine all your hard work in the weight room.

To make the most out of your off-season football training, formulate a plan and avoid these six common mistakes.

1. Neglecting Your Neck

Football is a game of contact. Any time there is a collision or tackle, your head experiences some type of force due to the rapid deceleration and change of direction that occurs when you’re stopped in your tracks. If the force is too great, you might sustain a concussion.

The neck serves as a vital connection between your body and head. Strengthening your nearly two-dozen neck muscles will protect your cervical spine and help reduce the amount of force transferred to your head during contact. (Learn more about the importance of neck strength.)

Solution: Begin training your neck by performing full-range-of-motion exercises and incorporating manually resisted isometrics. The isometrics are performed for time, which should gradually increase as your muscular strength improves.

Here’s a simple but effective neck-training workout that requires nothing more than a Physioball. Start with two sets of each exercise.

Lateral Neck Flexion Iso

Muscles Targeted: Scalenes and Levator Scapulae

Assume an all-fours position on the floor with a physioball between the side of your head and a wall. Drive your head into the ball, keeping your chin tucked and eyes fixed on the floor. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Perform a set on opposite side.

Cervical Neck Flexion Iso

Muscles Targeted: Suprahyoid, Infrahyoid and Sternocleidomastoid

Assume a kneeling position on the floor with a physioball between your forehead and a wall. Drive your forehead into the ball, attempting to tuck your chin to your chest. Hold for 10-20 seconds.

Neck Extension Iso

Muscles Targeted: Splenius, Longissimus and Semispinalis

Stand facing away from a wall and with a physioball between the back of your head and the wall. Drive the crown of your head into the ball, attempting to look up through your brow line. Hold for 10-20 seconds.

2. Ignoring Aerobic Exercise

Many players and coaches are under the impression that football is a purely anaerobic sprint sport. However, a football game—especially in high school, where  players often play multiple positions—does require endurance; and the energy system typically associated with long-distance running helps you recover between plays and sustain your performance for the length of a game.

Solution: Incorporate tempo runs into your program twice per week. Start with two to three sets of 400-meter tempo runs (maintain 80 to 85% max speed), resting for the same amount of time it took you to complete the run before you start the next set. Do these at the end of your workout so that you are not fatigued when performing your strength and speed work.

3. Being Preoccupied with One-Rep Maxes

As a strength and conditioning coach, powerlifter and former athlete, I understand the desire to set new one-rep max records. However, a huge max doesn’t always equate to enhanced performance on the field. Your max strength is important to an extent, but you also need to focus on power, endurance, conditioning and durability.

Solution: There’s no need to perform one-rep maxes on a regular basis. Instead, measure your one-rep max at the start of your off-season program and follow a training plan that is based on your max numbers. Retest your max at the conclusion of a training cycle to measure your progress.

4. Gaining Weight via Junk Food

In a mad dash to gain weight, many players resort to eating everything in sight. They regularly crush fast food, soda, ice cream and pizza, hoping that the calorie surge will help them hit their weight goal. If you take this approach, you will certainly gain weight. But it will be undesirable fat that will only slow you down.

Consuming calories from substandard sources will also impede recovery, limit training gains, elevate your blood sugar and impair digestion. If you are heavier and dependent on junk food, you will feel bloated and tired once tryouts hit, masking your true athletic ability.

Solution: Gaining weight is all about energy surplus. Eating more calories than you burn creates the right environment for muscle growth. However, the calories need to come from quality sources, such as lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables. Cut out sodas and other sugary drinks from your diet, and stick to water, tea and natural fruit juice. No exceptions!

5. Using Poor Olympic Lifting Technique

A high school football player looking to play at the collegiate level must be able to perform the Power Clean and Snatch. These movements will literally improve every aspect of your game, and they are staples of collegiate training programs.

But they are complicated lifts and they take practice to learn. Unfortunately, high school athletes often skip this step. They tend to jump right into the movement, and end up performing something that looks more like a wonky Reverse Curl.

Solution: Learn how to perform the Clean and Snatch by mastering the several movements that make up the lift in a careful progression. Perfect each of the following movements in this exact order to ensure that you learn the proper movement patterns.

• Vertical Jump
• Barbell RDL – perform it in various ranges of motion, including floor to knees, shins to hips and thighs to hips
• Front Squats
• Hang Shrugs
• High Pulls
• Hang Clean
• Power Clean
• Hang Snatch
• Power Snatch

6. Failing to Get Sufficient Sleep

Many young athletes are unknowingly sleep-deprived. Staying up late playing video games or talking with friends can take a serious toll on your performance. In fact, failing to get enough sleep can actually impair muscle growth and recovery.

Solution: Strive to get at least eight or nine hours of sleep each night. Avoid caffeinated beverages after noon each day, and don’t eat sugary foods before bed. Turn off all sources of artificial light to help you fall into a deeper sleep.

Read more

• Weight-Training Techniques for the Football Off-Season

For many players, the first practice of every soccer season is a new beginning. If you are moving up to the high school level, it means you will be experiencing the game on a whole different level. A bigger pitch, tougher talent and more demanding schedule are just a few of the early struggles that young players are faced with when starting a new season.

Most players show up to spring practice or tryouts and have no idea what to expect. Some have played the game their entire athletic career, while others have never touched a ball before. Many things factor into a player being selected to the roster, but most fail to prepare themselves for what’s in store. Below are five tips you can utilize to help you stand out and increase your odds of making the cut no matter what your skill level.

1. Arrive Early, Work Hard

Show up early and stay late. Always arrive 10-15 minutes early for practice. Spend this time getting acquainted with the coaches, your teammates and the pitch and ball. Warm up and prepare your body to compete at the highest level. After practice, stay extra to help clean up the field and make sure everything is in order before you leave for the day.

Work hard when you’re at practice! Older players can often get complacent. Therefore, tryouts can be a newcomer’s time to shine. Use them as an opportunity to prove to the coaching staff that you want to be there and you deserve to be there. If there’s any time to give everything you’ve got, this is it. Always go the extra mile at practice to show that you care about yourself and the team.

2. Be a Great Teammate

When coming to a new team as a young player, your role is likely going to be small. Not many players are the “go-to” star or the best player on the team in their very first year. This is a time for the player to grow and develop before becoming a key player in future years. That means you should aim to contribute to the team in any way possible. During tryouts, make sure you are being the best teammate possible. Be vocal and encourage your teammates, make smart decisions with the ball and never turn down an opportunity. If the team is running a drill and needs a fill-in keeper, seize that opportunity even if you’re primarily a striker. Proving that you are willing to do whatever it takes to support the team will go a long way with your coaches and teammates.

3. Accentuate Your Strengths

You’re not going to be good at every skill. The harsh reality is, you’re probably not going to have all the skills and technique to be great at even one position. Not yet, at least. That’s where practicing and training come in to play to help make you a better player.

But during tryouts, you need to accentuate your current strengths. Find out what you excel at and thrive on it. If you’re a defender and you have a knack for stealing the ball from an attacking player and clearing it with your left foot, go ahead and showcase that skill. Don’t try to steal the ball and streak upfield for a magnificent goal when you know your dribbling and shooting skills aren’t your strong suit.

It’s OK that you don’t have all of the skills yet; these will come in time. But during tryouts, find what you’re good at and hang your hat on it. That will help you minimize turnovers and make consistent positive contributions for the team.

4. Be Coachable

Good coaches will adjust and tweak a player’s game during tryouts. While this time is used to evaluate performance, coaches still want to give helpful cues to players so they can properly assess their talent and see who responds well to coaching. Take everything the coaches give you and directly apply it to your game. Even if it’s a simple suggestion like changing your positioning, the coach will look to see if you made the adjustments they advised to you. If you made the change, they know you’re willing to listen and adapt. If you didn’t, it could be a sign that you’re not coachable.

Always feel free to ask coaches for suggestions on ways you can improve your game. If a coach tells you to make a change that you don’t understand, ask them to explain what they’re looking for and how it will benefit you. By showing interest in your coach’s suggestions, you show the coaching staff that you’re willing to expand your knowledge of the game to become a better player. And if you do make a mistake, try to avoid making that same mistake over and over. That will prove you can adapt to the opponent and you’re a quick learner.

5. Be Vocal

Congratulate your teammates when they make a nice pass or shot. Help your teammates navigate the field by letting them know where the defense is and where the open man is for a pass. Even simple things like greeting your teammates and coaches when they arrive at the pitch. The more vocal you are, the better off you’re going to be.

Many teams struggle with finding a vocal leader to help guide their teammates during the regular season. Using your voice could be a key to keeping you on the roster and seeing some playing time. When you do make the roster, if you find that your playing time is limited, continue to use your voice from the bench. Call out the openings that you see and yell words of encouragement. Don’t coach your teammates, leave that to the coach; but always be positive and yell words of encouragement.

Trying out for a new team with a new group of teammates and coaches can be a bit overwhelming. But if you remember these tips, you’re going to help yourself stand out and prove you can be a worthy addition to the team.

Photo Credit: iStock/monkeybusinessimages

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Travel teams are more focused on youth sports and generally include athletes toward the end of their elementary school years up through high school. Unlike a community-based recreational league, team sports almost always require a tryout or audition. And unlike rec sports which allow all team members equal playing time and experience, a travel team will not necessarily guarantee playing time. Travel teams often venture out long distances to play other elite teams across the state, or in another region of the country.

Parents of young athletes want to see their children succeed. And many are seeing team sports as this generation’s opportunity to allow their athlete to grow and improve chances of being recruited to a competitive high school or college level team. Travel teams are not meant for every athlete or every family. There are several factors to consider when deciding whether or not you should pursue your young athlete to join a travel team.

Travel Teams Pros:

• Access to expert coaches. These are elite teams and the coaching is more involved in creating a better, more competitive athlete.
• New skills and more challenging play with elite athletes. There is a greater focus on skill development and competition for playing time.
• Time management and organization. The young athlete will learn to balance school, chores, and sport. It will teach them to better manage their time to accomplish goals.
• Increased exposure for high schools, colleges, or more elite travel teams. This could open the door for scholarships.

Travel Teams Cons:

• Expensive. There are fees for joining, as well as travel costs involved.
• Time-consuming. Expect to be on the road most weekends in season.
• Burnout. It is a much more involved commitment, and the young athlete may have to make some other sacrifices as far as hobbies or interests go.

When It’s Time For Travel Teams

• The athlete is bored at practice and games. If your athlete is spending a lot of time acting up and restless during practices, they may have mastered a skill or drill while the coach works with the rest, this could be a sign they need more stimulation and advanced skill work. If they are not challenged with the practices, workouts, or games, the young athlete may act out because they are bored and feel like they must wait around for the rest of the team to catch up.
• The athlete shows a level of self-discipline and motivation. Being on a travel team requires the athlete to be independent and organized. They must still complete and succeed with schoolwork and manage workouts outside of team time, family commitments, and the other necessities of any school-aged child. If you constantly remind your child to practice skills, pack their gear for sports, and finish chores and homework, a travel team will not be a good fit.
• Coaches recognize potential. All coaches love to have star athletes excel with skill and play. And good coaches will remember when an athlete is ready to advance beyond what they or their team can offer.
• The athlete is dominating on their rec or school team. If your athlete is leading in scoring and consistently shows advanced skills with their team, it may be time to move into a more elite field. Remember, however, just because they may be advanced with their rec team, does not mean they may succeed when placed with other elite athletes.
• Does your athlete live and breathe their sport? Are they working on skills above and beyond the coach’s suggestions? Do they watch the sport, research stats, study players? Team sports are a deep commitment. The athlete should be all in on and off the field. If the sport is something they just enjoy doing, then maybe a travel team isn’t for them.
• Is your family ready for the commitment? Being a part of a travel team involves the entire family. Some or all of the family may end up traveling to the games. This can be expensive with gas, tolls, hotels, meals out, and other travel costs. The commitment to one child for a travel team could mean less time for siblings to pursue their interests and activities. Travel teams will require sacrifices for everyone in the family. This has to be a decision that involves every member of the household.

Athlete Investment

Travel teams are an investment in your young athlete. It is an opportunity to advance their skills and love for a sport. It can be a tool to open doors for further advancing their athletic career and helping with scholarships for private high schools or colleges. Travel teams should be enjoyable but not a chore or drain on the family. Often families join a travel team but feel obligated to continue, especially after investing so much time and money. It has to be the right fit for the athlete and their family. Travel teams can offer many opportunities, but in the end, it should be about the love of playing regardless of the level of competition.

A walk-on prospect is a recruit who either lacks the athletic skill to attract a scholarship offer or who wants to attend a college that does not offer athletic scholarships (e.g., Division III programs and Ivy League schools cannot offer athletic scholarships).

At face value, this may appear to spell failure, but when you dig deeper into the potential gains, it becomes increasingly appealing.

D-I and D-II programs have a cap on the number of athletic scholarships they can offer and the number of aggregate scholarship athletes permitted on a squad in any given year. For example, in women’s lacrosse, the maximum number of scholarships is 12, but a typical D-I women’s lacrosse squad has around 35 athletes. This means that roughly two-thirds of the squad are walk-ons.

Honestly, college coaches draw little or no tangible distinction between a scholarship recipient and a walk-on student-athlete. They both have the same opportunity to impact the team. When the dust settles, a coach’s job is to win, and he or she will simply put the best team on the field to achieve that end.

Walk-on Scenarios

There are three possible walk-on situations:

• Colleges where athletic scholarships are exhausted
• Colleges that do not offer athletic scholarships
• College coaches who have a clear tryout policy.

Verbal offers for athletic scholarships are becoming more popular, so there’s a chance that coaches from top-tier schools have committed their upper limit early. This may appear disappointing at first, but always look at the bigger picture. An athlete who might not qualify for a scholarship in his or her freshman year could very well qualify during subsequent years.

A small group of colleges and universities hold to a strict “non-athletic grant” policy for all student-athletes. In many cases, these programs are at brilliant academic institutions. Not only can coaches offer potential assistance with financial aid and non-athletic grants, they may, in many cases, offer robust influence in assisting prospects through the admissions process.

Many college coaches offer a fall tryout period when student-athletes have the opportunity to make a good impression and land spots on the team.

The Pitch

Grabbing the attention of college coaches, especially for walk-on candidates, takes a lot of convincing and grunt work.

First, the athlete and his or her family members must develop a “thick skin.” Feedback from coaches could be predominantly negative, so you need to prepare for the best and expect the worst when it’s decision time.

Second, it is critical to take a bold, “stick your foot in the door” approach in presenting your case. Remember, coaches are looking at three key attributes prospects: Strong academics, potentially impact athletes and strong character. Your recruiting approach should be vigorous, but polite.

Third, this should be a “prospect effort,” and not a mom-and-dad approach. Students need to buck up and confidently push the walk-on agenda with college coaches themselves, building a strong and convincing case.