TRYOUT SEASON: PARENTS, THIS MATTERS 🥎
Your athlete is being evaluated.
But coaches are noticing parents too.
Tryouts can be stressful. Everyone wants their athlete to make the team, but how you approach a coach can make a big difference in how your athlete is perceived.
This is a moment where emotions run high—but clarity, patience, and trust go a long way.
âś… DO:
â—ŹÂ Introduce yourself briefly and respectfully.
â—ŹÂ Let your athlete speak for themselves.
â—ŹÂ Ask when and how feedback will be provided.
â—ŹÂ Be supportive and positive from the sidelines.
● Trust the evaluation process, even when it’s uncomfortable.
🚫 DON’T:
â—ŹÂ Corner a coach during drills or active evaluations.
● Ask, “What does my daughter need to do to make the team?”
● Compare your athlete to others or explain why they are “better.”
â—ŹÂ Question every decision, position, or evaluation in real time.
â—ŹÂ Coach your athlete from the fence during tryouts.
â—ŹÂ Approach coaches while they are actively evaluating players.
â—ŹÂ Send multiple messages asking for updates or decisions.
A SIMPLE TRUTH
Coaches are evaluating athletes—not negotiating with parents.
Tryouts are designed to show how athletes perform under pressure, how they respond to instruction, and how they compete alongside others.
Interference—no matter how well-intentioned—can cloud that evaluation.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The strongest thing you can do as a parent is give your athlete space.
Space to compete.
Space to communicate.
Space to make mistakes.
Space to show who they really are.
That’s where growth happens—and that’s what coaches are looking for.
YOUR ROLE MATTERS
Your job isn’t to get your athlete picked.
Your job is to help them become the athlete coaches want to pick.
That means supporting them without steering the process, encouraging them without controlling the outcome, and trusting that development takes time.
ATHLIVIUM
Building better athletes. Better coaches. Better sport systems.
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