The Day After Tryouts: What Nobody Tells You (But Everyone Feels)
Yesterday, we talked about being in the middle of tryouts — the nerves, the pressure, the constant feeling of being evaluated.
But today?
Today is different.
Today is where it gets real.
The Quiet After the Storm
Tryouts end in a strange way.
No buzzer.
No final whistle.
No clear moment where you think, “That’s it. I made it.”
Instead, there’s just… silence.
You replay everything.
- That drop you should have caught
- That deep cut you almost got to
- That one point where you finally felt like yourself
And you wonder:
Was it enough?
The Waiting Game
This is the hardest part — and nobody prepares you for it.
Waiting.
Checking your phone.
Refreshing your email.
Reading into every conversation.
Did the coach look at you differently?
Did your teammates say something meaningful — or just polite?
Your brain starts building stories… most of them not helpful.
Here’s the truth:
👉 At this point, there is nothing more you can do.
And that’s exactly why it feels so uncomfortable.
If You Make It
First — take it in.
Seriously.
You earned that moment.
Not just yesterday — but every practice, every lift, every throw in the rain when nobody was watching.
But also remember:
👉 Making the team isn’t the finish line.
👉 It’s the starting line.
Now the real work begins:
Because making a team is one thing.
Becoming part of it is something else entirely.
If You Don’t
This part matters just as much.
Maybe more.
Because this is where a lot of players quietly walk away.
And that would be a mistake.
Not making a team doesn’t mean:
- You’re not good enough
- You don’t belong
- You’ve hit your ceiling
It means:
👉 You’re not there yet.
Every elite player you look up to has been cut.
Most of them more than once.
The difference?
They didn’t let one decision define them.
What To Do Next (No Matter What Happens)
Whether you made it or not, ask yourself:
“What did I learn?”
Not in a vague way — be specific.
- Was your conditioning exposed?
- Were your throws inconsistent under pressure?
- Did nerves affect your decision-making?
This is where growth actually starts.
Not during tryouts.
After.
The Bigger Picture
Tryouts feel huge in the moment.
And they are.
But they’re also just one chapter.
The players who last in this sport — the ones who keep improving year after year — aren’t the ones who always succeed.
They’re the ones who keep showing up anyway.
Final Thought
Right now, you might be:
- Excited
- Relieved
- Disappointed
- Unsure
All of that is normal.
Just don’t let this moment — whatever it is — be the thing that decides whether you continue.
Because your story in ultimate?
It’s still being written.
