Tryouts are often a kid's first experience being evaluated in a competitive setting, and that can be nerve-wracking for both players and parents. Knowing what to expect ahead of time makes the whole process a lot less stressful.
What Actually Happens at a Tryout
Most AAU and travel tryouts run somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes and typically include:
- A warm-up and some individual skill drills (ball handling, shooting, defensive slides)
- Small-sided scrimmages, where coaches can see how a player reads the game
- Occasionally, conditioning or agility drills, though this varies a lot by program
Coaches are usually evaluating more than raw skill. Effort, coachability, how a player treats teammates, and basketball IQ often matter as much as scoring ability, especially at younger age groups.
Effort, coachability, and basketball IQ often matter as much as scoring ability -- especially at younger age groups.
How to Help Your Child Prepare
- Get sleep and eat normally. Cramming extra practice into the day or two before a tryout tends to do more harm than good.
- Focus on effort, not outcome. Reminding a kid to "just compete and hustle" is more useful advice than "make sure you score."
- Arrive early. Rushing in late adds unnecessary stress and can mean missing the warm-up.
- Bring the right gear. Check ahead of time whether the program requires a specific practice jersey color or number.
What Happens After
Turnaround time for tryout results varies widely -- some programs post results the same day, others take a week or more, especially if they're running tryouts across multiple age groups. If you haven't heard back in the timeframe the program mentioned, it's completely reasonable to follow up directly.
If your child doesn't make a particular roster, it's rarely the end of the road. Team sizes are limited, and a "no" often has as much to do with roster needs at a specific position as it does with a player's ability. Trying out for more than one program in the same tryout season is common for exactly this reason.
Looking for programs holding tryouts near you? Search the directory to find AAU and travel teams by location and age group.