Starting something new is exciting, scary and similar to entering an unfamiliar dark room. You don’t know what is in front of you. You don’t know which way to turn. When I started my career in college basketball, that’s how I felt. I was in unfamiliar territory. People were speaking languages that I didn’t have a clue about. My coaches were yelling 1,2,3,4,5, elbow, short corner, and maxing out.  I was being tossed new terms and acronyms left and right.

If someone would have told me the things I’m about to share with you, I would have had an extremely successful college basketball career. Instead, I was a below average to average college player.  I eventually became frustrated, couldn’t dig myself out of my frustrations and stop playing basketball my junior year of college.

At the beginning of something new, everyone has the opportunity to be successful. But only the ones that do specific things will end up successful. Below are some of those specific things you can do to have a successful basketball career.

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Get Some Rest

Make sure to go to bed at a decent time the night before. You want to be well rested because you will be doing a lot of moving around and running. Don’t eat a lot or at all immediately before the tryout. Eating too much will weigh you down and make you feel sluggish.

Relax

Remember to relax. Basketball is a game. So if you don’t accomplish anything else, simply have fun. If you feel a little uptight, think of something funny and just smile. You will be amazed at how instantly you will relax.

Don’t worry about making any mistakes. Just put forth maximum effort to do what the coach is asking you to do. If you don’t understand a drill, try to ask the coach or get towards the middle or end of the line. This way you can watch the players before you.

Pay Attention

This is not social time. Believe me. A coach will not select you, if you are socializing with other players during the tryout. That is not a good first impression.