Coaching Middle School Basketball: Organizing a Tryout

A painful part of being a coach - a part that many coaches hate - is preseason tryouts. This is especially true when it becomes clear that cuts are in order to get the team to a manageable number of players. The best way to make these tryouts easier for the players, coaches and parents alike is to have structured, well-planned practices for tryouts.

Middle School Coach Nick Cammarano explains how you can structure a tryout and shares the secrets to developing a successful tryout system that everyone can feel good about participating in. Whether it's demonstrating drills or teaching you what to look for during a tryout session, Coach Cammarano will make sure you are in a position to choose the best team possible.

Cammarano provides an essential list of items that need to be addressed before any tryout. Things like announcing the tryout, ensuring players get their physicals, player and parent meetings and more.

On the court, you will see a series of drills that will help you make confident decisions when you select your team and that can help you distinguish between players who appear to be similar in comparison. Cammarano diagrams every drill that he uses so you are fully prepared to teach your players how to properly execute the drill.

Just as important as the drills themselves, Coach Cammarano provides insights into which skills and traits to look for in your players and why. He runs his "hopefuls" through dribbling, passing, and a variety of shooting drills to evaluate their complete skill set. He uses uses a 3-on-2 / 2-on-1 drill, free throws, suicides and 3-on-3 play to measure player assertiveness and to discover the "athletes" in the tryout. You'll also learn three qualities you can use to assess potential guards and forwards for the team.

Without having a plan, a tryout can be hectic. Effectively organizing your tryouts will save you time and frustration, ensure each player gets an opportunity to showcase their skills, and allow you to build a balanced team that includes all the basketball skills you need to be successful.

50 minutes. 2012.