It is no secret that tryouts can create stress. You are competing against other athletes for a limited number of spots on a team. During tryouts, you feel the watchful eye of the coaches as they pick apart your game and decide whether you would be valuable to their team.

While the stress deriving from tryouts is a normal part of being an athlete, it is not something that should get into your head.

How do you keep stress from getting to you during tryouts? People have different methods for avoiding stress, it all depends on how you think and what type of ball player you are.

One of the most successful methods, based off of experience, is to first stop and ask yourself a few questions.

Do you enjoy playing softball? Do you look forward to your time at practice and games? Is softball an “escape” from your stress caused by school and the activities you do?

If you answered yes to those questions then realize this, if softball is something you enjoy, you are good at, and you look forward to, then you should not feel the need to stress. Softball is not a test that you dread for days on end, instead, it is a sport that you love.

After you come to the realization that tryouts do not symbolize a horrible nightmare but rather a chance to play the sport you are passionate about, there is one more step to beating tryout stress.

Instead of looking at tryouts as a competition where you are trying to beat the other kids out, try to view it as a practice. Now, this is a mental activity because you cannot allow yourself to form the idea that you are definitely on the team. At the same time though, visualizing tryouts as a practice and taking each turn one at a time allows you to feel more secure with yourself.

Remember, if you are stressed about tryouts, it is nothing to feel ashamed about. Being an athlete and having stress is completely normal. However, you do not want it to affect your capabilities. By taking a moment to realize that softball is something you love, it is much easier to beat the nerves and the ability to show the coaches your skills.