Tryout season is right around the corner!

When I was in high school, I played softball from the time the snow cleared in early March until the summer season died down. I always wished we lived somewhere warm, so I didn't have to stop for the cold and wet winters. In the spring I played for my high school's varsity team and all summer, I played for the equivalent of What we now refer to as a select, or tournament team. I loved travelling with my teammates. I didn't care where we were playing, i just loved it all. and Living in Connecticut, it really did feel like we were legit travelling. We got to play in New York, new jersey, Massachusetts, and rhode island. Mind you, most of those fields only took an hour to get to, maybe 90-minutes, but crossing state lines to play the sport you loved with girls who were like your sisters, was a thrill! Now that i live in texas, we can travel an hour for a tournament and still be in the greater Houston area, but i still feel the same excitement from the girls. It's all an adventure!

When it's your time, when you think you are ready to make the jump from rec to select, you will have to tryout to play for a more elite level team. My daughter and her softball besties are wanting to make this transition so i shared the following tips to help them prepare, physically and mentally, for this next phase of their softball journey.

1. be early! Arrive 20 min before the start of any open practice or tryout. Nothing more to say here!

2. introduce yourself to the coaches! Yes, you...Not your mom or dad! This can be scary when you are only 9 or 10 and you haven't found your voice yet, but trust me, this is one of the most important things you can do to stand out from the other players. I promise i will always remember you if you walk right up to me to say Hi and tell me your name. No matter how well you perform that day, I will remember the respect you showed me. That says a great deal about the kind of person you are and that is exactly the kind of person i want on my team.

3. warm up! Don't wait for a coach to direct you. Show everyone you are serious! Grab a ball, introduce yourself to another player, and ask her to start warming up with you. you will never get in trouble for warming up without being told!

4. first in + first out! make it your mission to be the first person back to the dugout when a drill ends and the first person out of the dugout, ready for the next drill to begin. Don't be crazy or rude, trampling over other players, just get in quickly, get your water, change your gear if necessary, and scoot yourself right back out.

5. hustle! I feel like i say this so much i must mumble it in my sleep. do not walk anywhere! hustle to the drill spot! hustle to the ball! hustle to take your spot-on deck! and for the love of all things holy, hustle down that base path when you hit the ball! If you hit a single, run through first base like your life depends on it, break down, and look to your right for the overthrow. Just because you aren't playing a "real" game doesn't mean what you must do is any less real! ladies, tryouts, at any level, are about as real as it gets for you at that moment in time!

6. practice how you play! don't phone it in at an open practice, regular practice, or tryouts! Practice excellent form, make good throws, make clean catches, and swing like you mean it. This is it girls! If you don't give it your all, you have no chance. You can show up and give 100% or not, but that is up to you and you alone!

7. speak up! if the coach asks a question, raise your hand because you should have the answer! If you don't understand the coach's instructions, raise your hand! Don't be afraid to speak up. If you know what you are supposed to do, guess what? You will be able to do it! If you didn't hear or understand something and you don't ask for clarification, you are going to be the one looking confused, throwing off the flow of the drill, or standing in all the wrong places. Don't be that girl!

8. positive attitude! I know we have all heard this 1,000 times, but very few phrases mean as much as this: "attitude is everything!" I will invite a player with mid-level skills and a great attitude to join my team over a high performing player with a "bad" attitude every chance I get!

9. Be Elsa and let it go! if you make a mistake, and you will, keep your wits about you. don't pout or get angry. give yourself 3 seconds to acknowledge what went wrong then get over it! Don't cry unless you are hurt! never, ever, ever, never throw your gear! (Free tip: I will send you home if you throw any piece of your equipment for any reason!) Whatever happens, take it in stride, move on to the next play or drill, and try to do better. How you handle your failures on the field is often as important as the good plays you make.

10. have fun! Even if you are super nervous, try to have fun! Be aware not to let your nerves come out as silliness, but otherwise smile, and try to enjoy the experience. Whatever happens, you will be further along on your journey to exactly where you are supposed to be!

Good Luck, divas! Your grit will make you great!