Summer is the time to showcase your abilities at travel baseball, all star and USA Baseball tryouts. It is also the time of year high school players show off their talents in search of exposure at College Showcases and Camps.
As they say - "the two things you can control on the field are your attitude and effort." These two things are key ingredients to a successful tryout. The Hard 90 staff starts evaluating these two things from the moment they meet you.
On the attitude front, coaches look for players that have an open/growth mindset. These players listen intently to the coach when they are speaking and do their best to apply information.
Additionally, coaches look for players that have grit - these players do not dwell on bad hops or other miscues on the field - these players immediately move on to the next pitch in search of the solution.
Coaches look for players that are a good teammate. At tryouts, these players display this trait by encouraging other players even though they might not know them well.
Finally, coaches look for players that have fun on the baseball field. When coaches evaluate players for their team - they are looking for players that they want to spend time with on the field.
On the effort front, coaches look for players that are hustlers! These players are the first ones at the tryout and the last ones to leave.
Hustlers run out every hit on the field, the sprint to an from their position and they always are moving on the field.
When hustlers are not on the field, they are chasing foul balls or filling any need that the coach has at the tryout without being asked.
So remember, at your next tryout showcase - take these tips and give your best attitiude and effort.