As I noted in Part I and Part II of this four-part series on the Psychology of Tryouts, my focus is on what athletes can do to make their tryout experiences as successful and enjoyable as possible. At the same time, the athletes themselves aren’t the only ones who impact their tryout efforts. This article, Part III in my series, focuses on the role that coaches play in whether athletes view their tryout as positive experiences that propel them forward in their sports participation or negative experiences that cause them to lose interest in sports, regardless of whether they achieve their goal of “making it.”

There are two groups of coaches who impact the attitudes that athletes bring with them to the their tryouts. First, the current coaches of the athletes who want to move up to a more competitive team or league. Second, the coaches who run the tryouts. I’ll address each group of coaches directly below.

To learn more, read the complete article here.

Note: This series of articles was commissioned by YSPN360.com (please visit for more great youth sports information).