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Tryout Tips with Coach Danielle
How do YOU recover from a mistake?
Tryout Tips for Parents
Tryout Tips with Coach Danielle
Hi everyone!
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Welcome to Girls Play Too – Your one-stop resource for all you need to know about playing girls' basketball in Ontario. At any level.
I’m Coach Danielle – Co-Founder. I just came back from practice and I couldn’t wait to introduce you to this new initiative. I want to invite you to visit our website at www.girlsplaytoo.ca and follow us in Instagram. We are here to help you to navigate your way through the world of girls’ basketball to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.
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In the coming days, several thousands of girls will be attending rep tryouts throughout Ontario, and I want to wish everyone much success.
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But before you go, make sure you are prepared for your tryout! Do you need some help getting ready to showcase your talents?
Here are 2 quick and easy tips that coaches appreciate: 1. If you have a reversible – wear it! It makes things easier for the coaches when they create teams for a scrimmage. And… 2. Wear something that will help you stand out – for example a unique pair of shorts, a bright coloured shirt, a particular colour of socks, or a headband. It’s not mandatory, but it will make it easier for the coach to spot you on the court. This way they spend less time looking for you and more time evaluating your skill and potential for the team. You are there to showcase your talents, so do what you do best!
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These two tips might seem like no-brainers, but you would be surprised how many girls don’t do them and how much more work that creates for the coaches.
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We have so many more tips, so visit our website at www.girlsplaytoo.ca. Click on the Rep Prep button for tips that can help to make your tryout a success.
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Good luck! And remember – Girls Play Too!
How do YOU Recover From a Mistake?
Tuesday Tips #2 – September 12, 2023
Hi everyone I’m Coach Danielle with Girls Play Too and I’m back with another tip to help you through the tryout process.
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It’s amazing how many players are afraid to make a mistake. Many players think that if they make a mistake they will be automatically cut from the team. Well….No one is perfect…even coaches make mistakes – we all do!
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Tryouts can be really stressful for players, and understandably so. You may be in a new gym, with coaches and players you don’t know, and you want to perform really well and showcase your talents. Or you may be in a situation where there may be limited spots available on the team and you really want to do your best.
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So if you make a mistake or something doesn’t go the way you’d like it to – think about how you can recover. For example – make note of your body language. Do you sulk on the court and feel sorry for yourself, or do you move on to the next play, the next pass, the next shot?
Honestly, as a coach, I’m focused on the potential of the athlete. We all miss shots, make a bad pass, or get the ball stollen, but a coach wants to know how you respond.
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And, if a coach gives you feedback or some type of instruction, do you get back in there and try to implement what the coach just spoke with you about?
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Just remember….we all make mistakes, even coaches. Do what you do best and if something doesn’t go the way you want it to, move on and stay positive.
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I wish you all the best with your tryouts and remember….Girls Play Too!
Tryout Tips for Parents
Hi Everyone – Coach Danielle here again with another tryout tip. And this one is for parents and guardians.
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I’m a parent myself, and I know how difficult it is to stand back and watch a tryout. You think your kid deserves to make the team. Unfortunately, every parent feels this way. No matter what level the tryout is.
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The most important piece of advice I can give you is to trust the process. If your child is trying out for a team, chances are they have been working at their skills either over the summer, in clinics or at camps, or they already played competitively last season. The work has been done. It is time to let them showcase their skills. And it is really hard for them to do that if you are coaching them from the sidelines or they overhear you trying to influence the coaches.
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Parents and guardians can have a tremendous influence on the sport experience of their child – good or bad. There are so many wonderful benefits that youth experience from being involved in sport, but those benefits can quickly change by how we as parents and guardians conduct ourselves.
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As coaches, we have a short period of time to evaluate each athlete in a tryout. Obviously, skill, team play and coachability are dominant factors. But we also consider compatibility- is this player a good fit for the team or is the team the right environment for the player? Not only does this include athletes but it also includes their families. We need the athletes to get along because that improves team performance. But we also need the families and coaches to get along as we all spend a fair amount of time together at games and tournaments.
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Going into a tryout, coaches have an idea of who and what they are looking for. And this is different for every team, every season. If your child doesn’t make the team this season, there is likely a legitimate reason. Instead of fighting to get a spot after the team has been chosen, look around at other teams that might still be looking to fill rosters.
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If you respect and trust the process, your athlete will most likely end up where she belongs for the season. Help her to understand that and make it part of her basketball journey. And remember, girls play too.