How to Make the Baseball Team: 5 Important Tryout Tips

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Jack Perconte Hitting Instructor & former MLB Player

Of course, there is no substitute for ballplayers, who are trying out for a team, to display good baseball skills in order to make the team. Good baseball skills and knowledge of the game are the things that baseball coaches are looking for during tryouts. However, often players have equal abilities and who makes the team can be based on some intangibles that coaches observe during tryouts. Sometimes, just a little action or look by a player can help a coach choose a player.

Following are 5 tips that can make the difference at baseball tryouts.

Players Should:

1. Make eye contact when coaches are talking. Even if kids are daydreaming, eye contact with the coach will give the impression that a player is paying attention. Of course, it is always best that players concentrate on what coaches are saying so that they follow the coach’s instructions. Doing exactly what the coach asks can make the difference.
2. Display a “coachable” attitude. Along the same lines as the previous point, coaches do not look favorably on players who give the attitude that they already know it all and/or are un-coachable.
3. Display leadership and/or social skills. Coaches like players who are sociable with other players and who want to be part of the group. They are leery of kids who appear to be loners. Being shy is OK and normal, but these type players do not have as good a chance of making memorable impression on the coaches. Players can make a favorable impression by showing leadership skills by “high-fiving” other players and by saying “Good job” to others, when appropriate.
4. Be helpful. Players who pick up gear and perform other little tasks that coaches may not expect will enhance their chances of standing out and making a good impression.
5. Hustle and work hard. This goes without saying, of course, but little things like taking warm-up time serious and fielding balls during batting practice as if in a game is important, too. Players should not give coaches an excuse for cutting them because they are fooling around at tryouts or goofing off too much.

Finally, parents can also help their kids make the team by getting kids to the tryouts on time, being grateful to the coaches for committing their time and effort into coaching and by being encouraging with their own son or daughter. On the contrary, parents, who seem to be overbearing with their child by attempting to coach them during tryouts, will usually hurt their child’s chances of making the team.