Tips for Baseball Tryouts: What Coaches Look For

These tips for baseball tryouts work at every level, from Little League to travel ball to high school. The best prep is boring: show up rested and early, warm up on your own, hustle between every drill and treat the coaches' instructions like they matter. Coaches mostly want to see how a kid throws, catches, moves and responds to coaching. A great swing in the cage matters less than people think if the same kid jogs to his spot and ignores the coach. Below is what changes by age, what coaches look for, what to bring and what to do once it's over.

The format depends on the level. Ask the organizer ahead of time how long it runs, which positions get looked at and whether there's a second session or callback. That one question settles most of the nerves.

Many leagues run a short evaluation so managers can draft balanced teams, not to cut kids. Expect a few ground balls, a few fly balls, some throws and a handful of swings. For this age, the goal is simple: let him have fun and try hard. Nobody is deciding his baseball future at a 9U evaluation.

Travel tryouts are usually about filling a roster, and coaches are often picking for specific spots like a catcher, a lefty arm or a middle infielder. Your kid can play well and still not get picked because the team needed something else. If you're still deciding whether travel ball makes sense, read what age to start travel baseball and how to choose a travel baseball team first. You can also browse travel teams near you and check which ones list tryout dates.

High school tryouts tend to be more structured and can include timed running, throwing from position and live at-bats. Many programs make cuts, especially at the varsity level. Your son should know the school's eligibility paperwork and physical requirements well before day one. Our guide to travel baseball vs. high school baseball covers how the two seasons fit together.

Most tryouts look at the same handful of fundamentals, weighted differently by age.

Coaches watch arm action and accuracy before arm strength, especially with younger players. A kid who catches the ball cleanly and throws it to the right spot will stand out over a kid who throws hard and wild.

On ground balls, coaches look for a kid who moves his feet to the ball instead of reaching with his glove. In the outfield, they watch his first step and whether he gets behind the ball.

Expect a few rounds of batting practice or live pitching. Coaches care more about a balanced, repeatable swing and hard contact than about how far one ball goes. One bad round won't sink him if the rest of the day is solid.

Some tryouts time a run, often a 60-yard dash for older players or home to first for younger ones. Speed matters, but so does running hard through the bag every time.

This is the part every player controls. Coaches notice who sprints between drills, who listens the first time and who makes the adjustment after being told. If a coach tells him to get lower on ground balls, the next one should look different. For more on what evaluators weigh at older ages, see what college coaches and scouts look for.

• Play catch with a parent a few times the week before so throwing feels normal.
• Practice running to first and running through the bag.
• Say hi to the coach and look at him when he talks.
• Have fun. Coaches at this age want kids who want to be there.

• Get a few reps at more than one position. A kid who can play two spots gives a coach options.
• Work on throws from your main position, not just long toss.
• Expect the jump to bigger fields around 13U. If you're moving up, try to get on a bigger field once before tryouts.
• Hustle between every drill, even when nobody seems to be watching.

• Know your best position and be ready to show your skills there first.
• Warm up your arm fully on your own before the throwing portion.
• Take every rep at full effort but stay in control. A wild throw trying to impress hurts more than a good throw at normal speed.
• Talk to the coach afterward if it's appropriate and thank him for the look.

• Know the requirements ahead of time: start time, location, how long it runs, what to wear, any forms and whether there's a fee.
• Get him there early. Arriving 20 to 30 minutes ahead gives him time to warm up without rushing.
• Stay out of the way. Sit where the coaches want parents, and don't coach from the fence.
• Keep the car ride short on analysis. Ask if he had fun and what he thought went well. Our guide on what to say after a bad game works just as well after a tough tryout.
• Ask questions about the team, not just your kid. What does it cost, how much does he play and who's coaching? How much does travel baseball cost gives you a sense of what to expect.

Pack the night before so nothing gets forgotten in the morning rush.

• Glove, broken in. A brand-new stiff glove at a tryout is a problem. If he needs one, buy it a few weeks ahead and use our guide on how to break in a baseball glove. For options, see the best youth baseball gloves.
• Bat that's legal for the league. Check the stamp rule (USA Baseball, USSSA or BBCOR) before tryouts. Our youth bat guide explains the differences.
• Batting helmet, if the organizer doesn't provide them.
• Cleats he's already worn. New cleats on tryout day mean blisters. See the best baseball cleats if he's outgrown his.
• Catcher's gear if he wants to be looked at behind the plate.
• Water, a small snack and sunscreen.
• Baseball pants or the clothing the organizer asked for, plus a hat.
• Any forms the team or school requires, such as a registration form or physical.
• A bag that holds all of it. The best baseball bags has options if you need one.

• Eat a normal breakfast or lunch he's used to.
• Check in at the registration table and get his number or pinny.
• Warm up: light jog, stretching, then play catch to get the arm loose.
• Know where to be for each station.
• Sprint between drills and stay ready during downtime.
• Keep the phone in the bag.
• Do the little things: help pick up balls, and thank the coaches before leaving.

In the days before, get plenty of sleep, eat normally and stay hydrated. Nerves are normal too. Every kid at the tryout has them, including the ones who look calm.

He can't control who else shows up or how many spots are open. He can control his effort, how he listens and how he reacts to a mistake. Give him that list the night before.

He's going to boot a ground ball or swing through a pitch. Coaches watch what happens next. A kid who gets right back in his ready position looks a lot better than one who hangs his head.

One tryout is one day. Plenty of players who don't make a team one year make it the next after getting better.

Teams usually contact families by phone, email or text within a few days to a couple of weeks. Ask when and how you'll hear before you leave.

Read the commitment carefully before you sign anything: the total cost, practice schedule, travel and how playing time works. If something's unclear, ask now, not in June.

It's fine to ask the coach, politely, what he needs to work on. Then make a plan. He can try out for another team, play rec or high school ball and get better for next season. How to find travel baseball teams can help you find other options, and when to leave a travel baseball team is worth a read if you're weighing a move.

If you're on the other side and running a tryout, see how to run baseball tryouts. Older players thinking about college should also read questions to ask college coaches before committing and how to make a baseball recruiting video.

Get rest, arrive early, warm up on your own and hustle between drills. Focus on fundamentals like clean catching and accurate throws, and be coachable when a coach gives you an adjustment.

Plan on 20 to 30 minutes early. That gives time to check in, find the right field and warm up without rushing.

Baseball pants, a t-shirt or athletic top, a hat and cleats he's already broken in. Follow anything specific the organizer asks for.

It depends on the team's needs, but most coaches look at the whole player. Effort, coachability and clean throwing and catching often matter as much as one great round in the cage.

One bad day doesn't define a player. Ask the coach what to work on, and look for other teams or a later tryout.

A quick thank you is fine. Save questions about his status until the team contacts you, unless the coach invites them.

Usually, yes. Just be honest with coaches, and know each team's deadline for accepting a spot so you don't lose one while waiting on another.