Once the season ends and the school year commences, many student athletes begin attending preseason practices to prepare for tryouts. With Miami Palmetto Senior High’s spring sports tryouts in progress, this marks the start of the season for the tennis, lacrosse, baseball and various other sports teams. 

Preseason for sports allows student-athletes to learn and become comfortable in their skills and technique as players. Throughout the girl’s lacrosse team preseason, players run through numerous drills to adapt to future tryouts and games within the regular season.

“All throughout preseason we looked [at] a lot of the girls who have been dedicated to coming to practice, even when there was other schoolwork and obligations. So we already have those girls in our minds and then during tryouts, we see how they do with agility, their stick work and how they perform and game-like situations in terms of communicating with each other and playing,”  Palmetto senior and Girls’ Lacrosse Team Captain Chelsea Nicastri said.

In addition to practicing before the season commences, players are expected to remain active and keep a healthy, nutritious diet in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

In order to determine the formation of a successful team, captains must analyze each individual player’s skill and commitment, and determine the right position for each player. Choosing the roster of players for the upcoming season is one of the most crucial steps to having great success for the duration of the season.

“We typically look for someone who is on time, puts in effort on the field and has a positive attitude. It doesn’t matter as much about someone’s skill level more of their attitude as a player and if they’re working hard,” Nicastri said.

Tryouts serve as a way for new players to show off their skills in their respective sport—and most importantly—have fun and make friends on and off the field. The social aspect of playing a sport can provide an atmosphere that allows students to form long-lasting bonds and new friendships.

By creating a welcoming environment for student athletes, the team as a whole can strive for greatness and continue growing.

“Everyone is always watching each other’s games and always are supporting each other and cheering everyone on; even if they’ve lost, they are still there to support the team,” Palmetto senior and Tennis team player Brighton Brown said.

For some, tryouts can cause nervousness and anxiety, making many young athletes feel pressure mentally and physically to perform well. This anxiety can hamper an athlete’s performance and mentality; however, overcoming these setbacks can help an athlete have a better experience during tryouts. 

“The first year trying out was really nerve-wracking, but each year it has gotten easier since I know the process of it and it’s become less stressful,” Brown said.