Making a tennis team, whether a school or USTA league team, requires playing the field and showing your best skills in a short, high-pressure period of time. You will play a wide range of skilled players with each match affecting not just what spot on the team you might get, but whether you will actually make the team. Dealing with the stress is paramount during tennis tryouts.
Set Realistic Goals
Take an honest assessment of your talent, experience and fitness level. If you haven't practiced or trained all summer and expect to have the stamina to get through two weeks of grueling tryouts, you might be disappointed. If you play doubled better than singles, expecting to play the top singles slot is unrealistic. If you are unsure what you goals should be, sit down with your coach and talk about what his expectations are for you. Knowing this can greatly reduce some of the pressure of team tryouts.
Be a Team Player
Tennis players easily fall into a selfish frame of mind. After all, singles players must not only play on their own, but are not permitted coaching during a match in tournament play. Traditionally, tennis is very much a solo sport, but the team concept must be embraced when trying out for any tennis team. Be the person who helps motivate others. Even though you want the best spot possible, you also want to be someone everyone enjoys playing, practicing and traveling with. Take your performance seriously and give everything you have to succeed in each match, but also be supportive and encouraging to other players.
Dealing With Pressure
During tryouts, the coach will establish either a tournament or a series of matches playing you against other team members. In some cases, you will play everyone trying out at least once. One bad day cannot just affect your ranking on the team but can shake your confidence for the next day's schedule. If you know your teammates, you probably know enough about their games to create a solid game plan. Do so and focus on execution. It might be your best friend, but today is the day to go for the win. Stick to a routine you know works for you, from what you eat before you play to what you do between each point. Find the areas you can control to provide comfort in a very uncomfortable setting. Focus on each point, one at a time.
Scheduling Peak Performance
Don't wait for tryouts to come around before preparing for them. Spend time months in advance to make sure you are in solid physical shape and can handle the week or two of practices and matches. Eat well and get enough rest. Plan your practice schedule to physically and mentally peak during tryouts. Play some tournaments in the month before tryouts, but give yourself enough time off for recovery and tweaking your game. Being match tough is important, but you don't want to be tired or burned out. Having that balance helps give you the edge to peak performance as tryouts begin.
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