How to Prepare for Football Tryouts and Make the Team This Season

I still remember my first football tryouts like it was yesterday—the nervous energy in the air, the sound of cleats on fresh turf, and that sinking feeling watching more experienced players effortlessly execute drills I'd only seen on YouTube. Having coached youth teams for three seasons now and having gone through numerous tryouts both as player and evaluator, I've noticed one universal truth: the players who make the team aren't necessarily the most talented, but those who've transformed practice into second nature. This hit home when I recently came across Philippine volleyball star Alyssa Valdez's comment about her team's training: "During our training kasi, head-to-head din talaga 'yung mga counter attacks namin so I think we were able to actually implement everything na pinractice namin to the game." That single statement captures what separates tryout success from disappointment—the crucial bridge between practice and performance.

Most athletes spend 70-80% of their preparation time on physical conditioning alone, which frankly misses the point of what coaches actually look for. I've made this mistake myself, arriving at tryouts with impressive stamina but without the tactical awareness to handle unexpected game situations. What Valdez described—those head-to-head counter attacks in practice—is what I now call "pressure inoculation." It's not enough to practice counter attacks in controlled scenarios; you need to simulate the chaos of actual gameplay where decisions must be made in under two seconds. When I prepare athletes now, I insist they dedicate at least 40% of their training to scenario-based drills that mimic actual game pressure. Find a training partner who will challenge you relentlessly, create situations where you're physically fatigued but still need to make precise passes, and most importantly, practice making mistakes and recovering quickly. Coaches notice recovery speed more than perfection.

Nutrition and recovery are where I see approximately 60% of tryout participants undershoot dramatically. The week before tryouts isn't about dramatic changes—it's about consistency. I learned this the hard way when I carb-loaded the night before tryouts one year and spent the first hour feeling sluggish. Now I advise athletes to maintain their normal eating patterns while increasing hydration to at least 3 liters daily in the week leading up. On tryout day, consume a familiar meal 3-4 hours before—for me, it's always oatmeal with banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter—and have a quick carb source like dates or sports gels available for energy boosts between drills. What most players don't realize is that dehydration can decrease performance by up to 20%, and at competitive tryouts where margins are thin, that's often the difference between making the team and being an alternate.

The mental component is what truly separates the top 15% of tryout participants. Early in my career, I'd get so nervous I'd literally forget basic formations. Now I teach players to develop what I call "trigger phrases"—simple cues that bring focus back to the present moment. When Valdez mentioned implementing everything they practiced, she hinted at this mental preparation. Your body knows what to do—you've trained it—but your mind needs to get out of the way. I have players visualize different tryout scenarios for 10 minutes daily in the two weeks leading up: imagine successfully defending against a faster opponent, picture yourself making the correct pass when exhausted, visualize the coach nodding approvingly at your positioning. This mental rehearsal creates neural pathways that make actual execution feel familiar rather than foreign.

Something I wish I'd known earlier is that coaches start evaluating the moment you arrive—maybe even before. I've made the mistake of thinking tryouts began with the first whistle, but coaches notice who arrives early, who's properly warming up without being told, who's helping collect equipment after drills. These intangible factors account for what I estimate to be about 30% of the final decision for borderline players. When skills are relatively equal, coaches choose the player who demonstrates coachability and team orientation. During water breaks, don't isolate yourself—engage with potential teammates, ask thoughtful questions about the program, and demonstrate positive body language even when fatigued. I once made a team primarily because the coach noticed I was the only trialist encouraging others after failed attempts.

The final piece that most players overlook is post-tryout follow-up. Immediately after my last college tryout, I made the mistake of leaving without speaking to the coaches. Now I always advise sending a brief email within 24 hours thanking them for the opportunity and briefly reiterating your commitment to developing as a player. This isn't brown-nosing—it's professional courtesy that keeps you fresh in their memory during selection meetings. About 25% of coaching staffs I've spoken with admit this influences their decisions for players on the bubble.

Making the team ultimately comes down to demonstrating that you've already done the work to bridge practice and performance. When Valdez described implementing practice into games, she identified the exact transformation coaches seek—players who make training translate to results. As you prepare, remember that tryouts aren't about creating something new but revealing the preparation you've already completed. The players who stand out are those who make the difficult look routine, who maintain composure under pressure, and who demonstrate they're ready to contribute from day one. Trust your training, focus on the process rather than the outcome, and remember that every successful athlete was once exactly where you are now—nervous, hopeful, and one solid performance away from earning their spot.