4 Key Areas of Basketball Tryouts

 

The four key areas during basketball tryouts that coaches look for are skills, athleticism, action, and details. Each area is important by itself but their importance is magnified when these areas are put together to make a complete player.  

Skills

A player's skill level is going to be the first thing most coaches look at during tryouts. They'll be evaluating players on their ability to dribble, shoot, pass, and play defense. If a player is lacking in any one of these key areas, they likely to go the bottom of the list fairly quickly.

A coach can evaluate a player’s skill by having them do drills or by playing small-sided games. Both will be covered in more detail below.

Athleticism

If skills are #1, athleticism is a very, very close #2. Successful basketball teams are built on athleticism. And while the most athletic team does not always win, teams who are not very athletic tend to struggle when it comes to winning consistently. For this reason, athleticism becomes a big factor when evaluating players in tryouts. 

A player's ability to run fast and jump high isn't the only aspect though. More importantly, is how the player uses their athleticism and skills together. If a player is lightning quick but has no control of the ball when they dribble then the athleticism won't be enough to make your team competitive every time they step on the floor. 

Basketball IQ

Basketball IQ shows how well a player understands the game. A coach wants to see if a player can take their skills and athleticism and apply them when the game is live. This can be done through small-sided games - 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 play. Players need to be able to transfer the skills they've learned and used those skills successfully in game situations. This means games will be a part of your tryout, otherwise, a coach will never know a player’s basketball IQ.

Attention To Detail

The final area to look at is how a player pays attention to the details. The two details that I pay attention to are their ability to be coached and how they treat their teammates. When a player is coachable they listen to your directions, ask questions, and try even if they aren't very good at something right away. The second detail is being a good teammate. No one wants to be on a team with someone who is selfish and isn't nice.

As mentioned above, when these four areas - skills, athleticism, game action, and attention to detail come together you have a clear picture of who will make your team better on and off the court.