Hoop Mom: Tryouts at 10

Teresa dished out some guidelines for what coaches look for from 10-year-olds at tryouts.

My daughter is trying out for AAU basketball. She is 10 years old, 5-foot-4 and this is her second year playing. What do the coaches look for at tryouts? Can you give any advice in preparing her?

PB

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Dear PB:

Basically, here's what coaches notice during tryouts for this age group:

Attitude/hustle. Is she coachable, does she take direction well, enjoy the game and stay focused (as much as any 10-year-old can be expected to stay focused)? Does she hustle on and off the basketball court? (It drives coaches crazy to see kids moving slowly, even in practice.) Is she a team leader and/or have a positive attitude toward her potential teammates, complimenting them on a good shot, offering encouraging words?

Basic basketball skills. Can she run the floor, dribble and shoot? Participate in drills and plays? Does she understand the basic rules of the game?

Height/size/athleticism. This varies so much at age 10. Some kids grow very tall early and stop, then everyone else catches up; others appear more average but have tall parents, for example, and get their growth later. And then there are those girls who are always tall for their age and end up very tall. The bottom line: Height helps and is impressive at this age, but so is athleticism. Some kids are really athletic early; the majority, however, are a bit uncoordinated young but grow into their bodies.

Attitude of the parents. Are they committed to having their daughter at every practice/game, even if it means sacrificing family time for game time? (Select basketball is very different in this regard – you play a lot of games.) Are they willing/able to travel, fork out money for uniforms, travel, registration, etc.? (The financial issues are not usually a deal-breaker – coaches will always find a way to help out a kid who doesn't have the means if she is otherwise a good fit for the team.) Are the parents willing to let the coach do his/her job without micromanaging?

Good luck and, most important, have fun!

Hoop Mom

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Teresa Wippel is team manager of the Warriors Basketball Club, a 7th Grade girls' team from the Seattle area, and mom to Warriors post player Amanda Waldron. In her other life, she is a freelance writer and editor. To ask Teresa a question, email her at

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