[Athlete Tip] How to Walk Into Tryouts With Confidence (and Stand Out!)

Tryouts don’t have to be overwhelming or nerve-wracking. Whether you're months out or walking in tomorrow, having a plan makes all the difference. In this episode, we break down exactly how to get ready, both physically and mentally, so you can show up confident, calm, and ready to shine.

Here’s what we cover:

✅ The real purpose of tryouts (and why that should ease the pressure).
✅ How to lay the groundwork weeks, or months, in advance.
✅ Why visualization actually works (and how to do it right).
✅ What to prep the night before and morning of tryouts.
✅ Simple ways to stand out without needing to be “the best”.
✅ What to do after tryouts so you don’t spiral.
✅ How to handle disappointment with confidence and clarity.

🎧 Press play and get your step-by-step plan to show up strong. You’ve got this!

Episode Highlights: 

[00:00:00] Tryouts Are Just Another Chance to Play. We kick off with a mindset reset: tryouts aren’t about becoming someone else; they’re about showing what you already know how to do.

[00:01:34] Control the Controllables. Shoutout to Ava shows how effort and mindset matter more than results. You're in charge of your attitude, body language, and how you respond.

[00:02:37] Lay the Foundation Early. If you’ve got weeks or months to prepare, focus on skill work and daily progress. Build confidence through small, steady steps.

[00:03:55] Let Go of the Pressure. Tryouts don’t need to feel heavy. They’re simply another opportunity to play the sport you love.

[00:05:01] Create a Game Plan (Months Before). Now’s the time to get serious about training. Work on your weaknesses, but know and strengthen your top skills so you can showcase them later.

[00:05:45] Start Training Your Mind (Weeks Before). In the weeks leading up to tryouts, lean into visualization and choose a mantra. Practicing mental reps is just as important as physical ones.

[00:07:10] Prep the Night Before. From gear to meals to choosing a standout shirt, set yourself up to feel steady and ready in the morning.

[00:07:54] Own the Morning. Use music, breathwork, and your mantra to walk in calm and confident. Arrive early, introduce yourself, and make a strong first impression.

[00:11:22] During Tryouts: Lean Into Strengths. This isn’t the time to fix weaknesses; it's time to showcase what you're great at. Go big, take risks, and bounce back fast.

[00:13:13] Be the Athlete Coaches Remember. Coaches notice effort, leadership, coachability, and energy. You don’t have to be the best, just someone they can trust on their team.

[00:14:06] Reflect, Don’t Ruminate. After tryouts, thank the coaches. Do a quick check-in with yourself: 3 things that went well, 1 or 2 to work on and then let it go.

[00:15:00] Your Team Doesn’t Define You. Whether you made the team or didn’t, it doesn’t say anything about your worth. There’s always opportunity in the outcome, so make sure to look for it.

[00:16:08] Your Final Step: Stick to the Plan. Create your plan, visualize your success, and go play your game. No matter what happens, you’ve already won by showing up prepared.

Next Steps:

• Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter's Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do
• Visit our podcast website for more great episodes

Register here for the Summer Confidence Series to grab the free PDF with scripts, strategies, and a recap of the episodes all in one place!

Transcript

1:03

Welcome back to the Raising Elite Competitors podcast. I'm Coach Saylor, a mental performance coach inside our mental training program, the elite mental game specifically for girl athletes. Athletes, this one is for you. I'm so excited for today's episode because it is all about how to prepare to crush tryouts, and this is actually pulled from the elite mental game and a bonus training that we have in there. Of creating a plan to crush tryouts. So super excited to give you these tips today. Whether your tryouts are tomorrow morning, maybe they're in a few weeks, or maybe you still have a few months to repair anywhere you are at in the journey, these things are going to be helpful for you. So before we get into today's episode, I would like to give a special shout out to Ava. Ava says that EMG has been so helpful and inspiring. I think it has really helped me with the disappointments I've faced so far this season. I didn't make varsity, but I've managed to look at the bright side and only cried a few times before I got past it. LO. And anytime my teammates frustrate me, I've been trying to stay encouraging and just focus on my own mindset and effort. Ava, we are so proud of you. Sports are not always glamorous. Sometimes we don't get the outcomes that we want, but super proud of you for persevering through that and still being able to control the controllables, which is something that we will talk. About today. So Ava is an athlete inside the late mental game. If you are interested in learning more about that, you can click in the show notes and the details on this episode. To get started so let's get into today's episode about your plan to crush tryouts. And the goal of tryouts is really to just showcase what you can do, it's important to actually understand. Why tryouts are important. It is simply to show off the skills that you already have, and so hopefully that actually takes some pressure off of you, if the goal of tryouts is just to show up with the skills that you have, that means that you get to show up and be you. You do not have to be anybody else during this tryout time, right? You get to show up and be you, and you're gonna be able to own that. That is going to give you so much confidence in your preparation. So for tryouts, you want to be as prepared as you can be, right? Like that is simply what you have to do. So you wanna be laying the foundation. If you have still a few weeks, maybe a few months. This is really when you want to. Hone in on the physical skill work of your sport, right? Like really being able to trust your skills, trust your training, and just prepare the best that you can. Because then when tryouts hits, you know that you've done all you can do, and it's time to just go out there and do your thing, right? Also, on the tryout day, I want you to give yourself permission to just let go. Have fun and play freely, because again, you've done all that you can do to prepare and that's why it's so important to lay the foundation and be sure that you are taking steps daily, weekly, to be as prepared as you can and to really just get 1% better at each time you go out there on the court, on the field. Whatever it is that you compete in. And then the other thing I hinted at it earlier is I want you to control what you can control, okay? Let go of the rest. Coaches are going to make their own decisions. Teammates are going to show up and act how they're going to act, so you need to show up and control what you can control. You're in control of your effort, your attitude, the intensity that you come and play at your body. Language, being coachable, being a great teammate, communication, leadership, demonstrating, stepping in and demonstrating in drills. That is all in your control and that's really what is going to make a difference in your tryouts as well. And the other thing too is tryouts. You don't have to put all this pressure on it, right? It is simply. Another time that you get to go out and play your sport, the sport that you love, so it's not this big thing. You don't need to make it this big thing. It is simply another opportunity for you to go out there and do your thing, to play the sport that you love. Okay, let's get a little bit more specific and dive into kind of the before, during, and after of tryouts. Okay? So we kind of laid the foundation of what it's going to require of you. As you're preparing for tryouts, but now let's really get into, before tryouts happens, what need needs to happen? Like, what is your plan? And you do need to create a specific training plan, let's say you're in that phase where you still have a few months before tryouts. This is your time to work on your skills, to push yourself, to get outside of your comfort zone, for you to train at a really high level. And not only work on your weaknesses, but also like kind of figure out what your strengths are. What are those things that you are good at that you can really showcase? So a few months before, you need to create that training plan for yourself to be able to execute and for you to really be prepared. When it comes to that tryout day, a few weeks before tryouts, this is really when you are wanting to tap into. The mental side, and really focus on your mindset. So it would be helpful for you to start incorporating some visualizations that are really specific to tryouts, and maybe you have the privilege to actually go and train at your tryout location, or maybe you at least know what it looks like, what it feels like to be in there. That's going to be helpful to put in your visualization. Make it as specific as possible and really try to set aside like a few minutes every day, right? Like two to three minutes every day of visualizing. And just seeing how you want to show up on your tryout day is going to be helpful because the cool thing about visualization, if you didn't already know this. The more detailed you can imagine something, if you imagine something using all of your senses, your brain does not know the difference between you imagining it and visualizing it or it actually happening. So you can really use that to your advantage and kind of create these situations ahead of time to help build your confidence. Come tryout day. The other thing that would be helpful a few weeks before is to really come up with a mantra, like a key phrase or maybe a word that you're going to come back to that's gonna help guide you and refocus you,, during your preparation for tryouts as well as your tryout day. Okay, now let's get into like the night before, right? Like you have tryouts tomorrow morning, a few keys. You just wanna be as prepared as you can. Can you pack your food ahead of time? Can you, have your gear all ready to go, all set out? Wearing a bright shirt on your tryout day can be really helpful. Like you don't have to, but it's going to help give you that extra edge to stand out and after tryouts when coaches are like, who was that girl? And the bright orange shirt, right? That's going to help you. Or maybe like doing a fun hairstyle that day, right? Like having small ways that you can also stand out. Other than just your, your skill. So the night before, put your gear out, pack your food up. The morning of, you don't wanna be rushed, right? Like when you wake up. We want this to be as peaceful as possible. So that's why it's important the night before to get everything ready to go. The other thing too ahead of time is to time it out, know how long it's gonna take you to get to the tryout facility, how., Long, you need to warm up ahead of time, To get acquainted with the environment that you're gonna be in. Like, have that already pre-planned so that there's no extra surprises, during that tryout morning. So do what you can do that is in your control to prepare. And the other thing to know is that nerves are a good thing, as you're preparing, maybe you're months out and you feel a little bit nervous, maybe it is. Tomorrow or next week that you have tryouts. Nerves are not a bad thing, okay? And you can actually shift your nerves to excitement. When you think about nervousness in your body, you probably, your heart beats a little bit faster, right? You have sweaty hands. Maybe your body shakes a little bit. You get butterflies in your stomach. You have lots of thoughts racing through your brain. Okay, great. Guess what? What happens when you are excited? The same things, right? You have lots of thoughts running through your brain. Your heart beats a little bit faster. Your breathing probably picks up. Your body's a little bit shaky. You're sweaty, all of those same things happen. So it is literally just how you think about nerves. So I want you to know that nerves are actually a good thing. They are your body and your brain's way of preparing you to be ready. Okay? So anytime you feel nervous, I want you to remember and say to yourself, this means that I'm ready for tryouts. I'm excited for tryouts. Don't be scared. If you are nervous, know that it is normal and it is a good thing. Channel nerves into something that's going to be helpful for you. And then the morning of like, you want to stick to what you know. Okay, like Have a really great. Pre-competition, pre tryout routine. So to pump yourself up, maybe you listen to some music, maybe you're able to be in the car with some teammates or friends, doing that same visualization that you've done a few weeks before to imagine yourself once again playing at tryouts, how you were wanting to show up. Also, tapping into your breath too, like taking a few deep breaths. I know that it sounds. Super cliche, but that is actually going to calm down your nervous system if you are feeling like a little bit hesitant or apprehensive. And it's gonna help you get into that mode of being like calm, cool, and collected and confident. Right. Saying your mantra again to yourself. And again, you timed it all out, so you will likely, and I would definitely recommend being at the tryout facility a little bit early. Okay. Like you want to be there. As early as you can probably so that you can just get really comfortable. And as soon as you walk in, okay, you get comfortable, maybe you put your gear on, go and introduce yourself to the coaches, like walk up. Have really strong. Positive, like tall body language. Introduce yourself to the coaches. Make that first impression. Have your head up. Don't be looking at your phone or unengaged, right, and then start to interact with some other people who are there as well. These small things are all going to add up and help you really stand out like you are going to get noticed for doing these little things that other athletes might not be doing. Okay? So just stand out in those simple ways. And then during tryouts, okay, we kind of set the scene of few months before, laying the groundwork, laying that foundation, and then what you need to do before tryout. Now during tryouts. Okay. We talked about in that kind of like planning mode that you want to maybe be focusing on and working on some of those weaknesses. During tryouts, you don't necessarily need to work on your weaknesses, Y ou need to show up and lean into your strengths. That's why it's important to know what you are good at. Coaches are gonna be on the lookout for the ability to fill certain roles on their team. You need to know what you're good at and you need to be able to showcase that as well. Be able to show up, know exactly what you can do and what you can bring to a team. And do that again, just like show up and be you. The other thing take risks. Like go, go big. Just go for it at this tryout. Because you're going to make mistakes either way. Whether you take risks or not. Mistakes are going to happen. And if you make mistakes, it is a when you make mistakes. So if you're already going to make mistakes. Like take risks, get outside of your comfort zone. Just go for it. Go big. Like why not? And then once you do that, also have a system to be able to bounce back from your mistakes quickly. You don't need to dwell on them because again, they're going to happen. That's going to be a normal part of the tryout process. You can't expect yourself to be perfect, nor is anybody else around you going to be perfect, and the coaches are not expecting you to be perfect. Be able to bounce back from mistakes and recover really quickly, like get back into the game and refocus on that next play, that next moment. And then control what you can control. Again, we touched on this earlier, but you really just need to show up. Have a great attitude, be a leader. Work your butt off, right? Like be the hardest worker in the gym. Demonstrate when you're able to be an active listener. Be coachable. Be a supportive teammate, right? Like communicate. Control what you can control and let go of the rest. There's going to be a lot that is out of your control and that's okay. You need to refocus and shift to what is in your control and then after the tryout, while you were there at the facility, I want you to thank the coaches. That's going to be important again for leaving that impression and just showing that gratitude, like expressing the gratitude of the ability and opportunity to play your sport once again. So go up, thank the coaches. Leave that lasting impression. And then after tryout, maybe you get in the car ride home. I don't want you to beat yourself up. That is not the time. Because you did the best you can with what you have. Do a quick reflection. Think about like three things that went well at the tryout and maybe one or two things that didn't go so well that you are going to improve on. And that's it. Then you need to let go of it again. You did the best that you can. That's all that you can ask for. And then once you get to kind of like the decision point, maybe coaches are sending out offers. Whether you make the team that you wanted, you didn't make the team you wanted, or maybe you didn't make a team at all, know that that is not a reflection of you, Whatever team you make does not define who you are as a human because you are not your sport, you are a human first athlete. Second. So whatever team you make is not a reflection of who you are. It's not a definition of who you are. It is simply a decision that had to be made right. and again, a lot of those factors are out of your control. Know that you did the best you can. And then know that you can go out there and see whatever decision was made as an opportunity. There's an opportunity in everything. Maybe you made varsity. Okay, great. What's the opportunity in that? How can you get better? Like where are you going to make progress in? Maybe you didn't make the team you wanted. Okay, where's the opportunity in that? Maybe you get the opportunity to step up and be a leader and a role model on your team. Maybe you didn't make the team at all. Where's the opportunity in that? Maybe now you have more time to try out things that you wouldn't have tried out, right? Maybe there's other activities that are going to fill your time. Maybe you're gonna be a little bit more focused on schoolwork as well, like. There is an opportunity in everything. So try to see the good no matter what decision is made. So athletes, your next steps are to create that tryout plan. Have a plan, stick to it, execute it. Know that it can be flexible, but really try to hold yourself to a high standard as you are preparing. And then visualize. Visualize your success, how you are wanting to show up at your tryout. And then go out there. Know that you've done everything you can to prepare and crush it. This is your tryout plan. I hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. As always, it would mean a lot to us if you would rate or review this episode as well as send it along to a teammate or maybe a sibling who is preparing for tryout. Thank you so much and we will see you next time on the Raising Elite Competitors podcast.