Players and coaches across the nation are gearing up for baseball tryouts. This is the right place as we have stocked up on helpful tips and lots of dos and don’ts to help you get prepared, make a good first impression, stand out, get selected, fit, and prepped for the baseball team. This blog is going to tell you exactly what the coaches want from their players. What they are looking for in terms of talent. What kind of drills you should prepare for and how to handle the stress of baseball tryouts.
Baseball is meant to be fun, and you should enjoy the journey just as much as the game. With our tips, you can take your game to the next level, prove yourself as a player, and learn new ways to strengthen your skills in baseball. Ready to make the team? Keep reading for expert-level advice on how to make it happen.
Preparing for Tryouts
Whether you are planning for junior league, high school, or college tryouts, it all comes back to strategy. You want to give your best performance at the tryout. Put out the absolute best effort that you are capable of and you will be noticed. These tips will help you prepare before the tryouts even start.
Daily Training Regimen
Preparation is key for baseball tryouts. There are a lot of activities that you should focus on doing several days, weeks, or months in advance before showing up to tryouts. These specific drills and activities should be incorporated into your daily training routine. Over time, your body will get used to the strain of these activities and your body will naturally become stronger and better equipped to handle the stresses of baseball.
Every day you should include some combination of the following workouts. Repeat them and become an expert in them because they will help you build endurance, strength, and stamina.
Sprints and Endurance Running
Speed is an important skill to have in baseball. You should begin sprint intervals and distance routines several weeks or months before tryouts begin.
Running regularly will build up your stamina, endurance, and speed. Before you know it, you will be exceeding your previous running goals and having to set all new ones.
Sprints and endurance running are both great options for baseball training. Both will prepare you for common baseball try-out activities such as the 60-yard dash.
Weightlifting and Strength Training
Running alone is not a good stand-alone training routine. You should also be in great physical shape before the tryout and that includes your muscle strength.
Bench presses are a great option for enhancing your arm strength and throwing speed. Leg presses can be used to increase leg strength and running speed. A good strength training routine that you perform regularly will make a good impression on coaches.
Baseball Drills
It should go without saying that you need also need to practice your on-field skills. You must practice hitting, fielding, and throwing regularly. Depending on your position, you may want to focus more on one area than another, but it never hurts to be good at more than one position.
There are several fielding and throwing drills that you can work on at home. Pay attention to your footwork when working on fielding practice. You should know how to field a ball with the proper footwork and mechanics.
For pitchers, practice is imperative. A good pitching net will help you focus on different kinds of pitches and various areas of the strike zone. Coaches love seeing versatility in pitchers but if you can deliver a perfect fastball, that is also an asset.
There is a lot to learn when it comes to being a good hitter. Regular batting practice and hitting drills will help you learn how to identify pitches, wait for the perfect pitch, make contact when you swing, and how to hit with power and force. Exceptional hitting will get you noticed by a coach, fast.
Stay Away from Stress
In order to prepare yourself before tryouts begin, you must keep yourself free from stress and anxiety because it can have a negative impact on your performance and skill. Stress is something that can ruin all your hard work in life, even your performance as an athlete. There is no point fretting about the past performances, games, or training sessions. Stress has a tendency to lower your focus and may cause you to show less than what you are capable of.
The right mindset matters a lot at a baseball tryout, and it means that you should be stress-free and confident all the time during the tryout. Focus on what you have to do and block out everything else. To reduce your stress levels pre-tryout, stay hydrated, eat a balanced and healthy diet, and do deep breathing exercises to focus your mind.
Get a Good Sleep
Rest is crucial if you want to be at peak performance during the tryout. Without proper sleep the night before, you may be too exhausted to fully display what you are capable of. Many athletes struggle to sleep the night before a competition, so getting a few good nights of sleep in a row before the night before a tryout is a good strategy. It is like building a good foundation of energy and rest before the big day!
On the Day of the Tryouts
So, after you have prepped for a tryout what happens on the day? It is important to know what coaches want in their team both in terms of skill and attitude.
Dress Appropriately
Have you ever heard the term dress for the job you want? Put that saying to work for you now. First impressions are important, even if you have met the coach before. You should show up looking like a baseball player.
Grab a good, reliable pair of baseball cleats and a baseball cap. You should also be wearing a shirt, baseball pants, and a belt to complete the look. You can also view our top-rated baseball gloves.
If the coach asks you to wear/not wear something in particular, then make sure to follow that rule. Coaches like players who follow directions, and it shows that you listen to instructions.
Show Up Early
There is nothing worse than being late to tryouts. It does not make a good first impression and will not set you up for success. On-time means 15 minutes early. Make sure that you get there on time and begin warming up. You should have all of the proper paperwork and forms filled out prior to your arrival. Your equipment should be ready to go and you should start warming up as soon as you are signed in.
Stay Active
You may underestimate this while at the tryouts but be aware that coaches take this very seriously. You may not realize it but every move you make is being watched at all times. Keep moving and stay active during the entire tryout. Energy is important in baseball and coaches like to see that you are eager to play the game.
Body Language and Attitude
On top of showing that you are active, do not underestimate the value of a positive attitude and body language during the tryouts. Coaches want to see that you are teachable so always listen up and pay attention to them when they speak.
Even if you are a good player, you may not get selected if you do not listen actively. Coaches will often select the players who need more training on the field if their body language shows a willingness to be a part of the team and learn. Coaches want to coach, so display your desire to learn. Always show interest and be attentive during the tryouts.
Have an energetic attitude and talk to the coach confidently. Never throw your equipment and never show that you are disappointed with your performance. Always be confident! Coaches want to see that you have a positive attitude.
When listening to the coach, show positive body language by shaking and nodding your head in response. Make eye contact with whoever is talking to you as it shows respect and that you are listening.
Take Leadership
Take the lead and be the first one to get to your position in the field. Others will follow you and start to get to their positions with the same enthusiasm. It will show you are a leader without ordering and shouting to your teammates. Coaches watch for this kind of leadership when looking for who will make a great teammate.
Stay Calm
Even if you give your best at the tryouts, there is a chance that the coach will not appreciate your effort. They may have their methods and ways of analyzing your performance, no matter what, stay calm. Showing confidence even under pressure will demonstrate that you have a great attitude towards the game.
Ask for Critiques
It is important to ask where you could improve next time. This shows that you are coachable. If you have questions, ask them. Do not correct the coach and do not tell him that there is a better way of doing something. If a coach offers a suggestion, pay attention, listen, and do your best to follow directions. Coaches want to see a willingness to learn and a desire to improve.
Baseball Tryout Drills and Activities
These are some of the drills that you may encounter at baseball tryouts. Know these drills, familiarize yourself with them, and practice them regularly. You should be able to perform these drills to the best of your ability on the day of tryouts. Every drill is important to display your skills. Take each one seriously and remember that you are always begin watched.
Dynamic Warmup
Warmups are important because they help reduce the risk of injury. Before tryouts begin you will need to do a stretch to warm up your muscles. This is a good time to get into the right headspace. Focus mentally on your performance while you get loose.
60 Yard Dash
In baseball, you need to be fast. Fast players stand out. The time spent on training for this will show your raw athletic talent in the most basic thing you will need in baseball – speed.
Sprints are a good way to train for a 60-yard dash. The best thing you can do to outperform during this activity is to prepare ahead of time by practicing a 100-yard dash. If you are confident in your 100-yard dash skills, then a 60-yard dash will seem easy. You can maximize your performance by building up endurance ahead of tryouts.
Throwing and Defensive Evaluation
During defensive drills, coaches will be checking your glove skills, throwing skills and footwork. This is where all of your preparation will shine. Coaches want to see that you can field and throw properly so make sure that you are ready to catch the grounders that bounce to you. Coaches will also be watching for throwing velocity and accuracy.
Get into a good athletic position before the ball comes to you. Get down behind the grounder quickly and field it. View how to properly field a ground ball. Make sure the ball settles in your glove before winding up for a throw. After you field the ball, try to hit the baseman in the chest to make the best impression.
Coaches will usually direct outfielders to make long throws. Once again, fielding, glove work, footwork, velocity, and accuracy are all being checked. Try to perform all of the actions required to the best of your ability.
Always act like defense is your favorite part of the game even if it’s not. Show a willingness to try different positions. You need to demonstrate that you are willing to be a team player and help in any way that you can.
Batting Practice
During batting practice, it is possible that the coaches will not have changeups or breaking balls pitched to you. Mostly, it will be just fastballs. Try to hit every pitch hard. Home runs aren’t important here, but you need to show that you can hit the ball with force no matter where it is thrown. View drills to help you can increase your batted ball velocity. Your mechanics are being watched here so make sure that they are on display.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that coaches are not just looking for the best of the best. Coaches are looking for team players, players who show a desire to get better, and players that listen. Raw talent will only get you so far in this game if you aren’t willing to take direction and try new things. Demonstrate your capacity for listening and your desire to learn and you will make a great impression. Good luck!
Once you make the team, here is our baseball gear checklist you will need to purchase for the upcoming season.
