Tryouts ended Saturday afternoon. The list posts Monday, and your 11- or 12-year-old has two full days with nothing to do but think about it.
For plenty of kids, that gap is harder than the tryout itself. Here’s what’s going on in their head, and what helps.
What’s going on in their head
They’re replaying the misses. Not the good reps, but the dropped ball in the third drill and the moment a coach turned away.
Confident kids do it too, even after a tryout that went well.
They might act like they don’t care. A quiet kid during the wait isn’t indifferent, and the silence is protection more than anything else.
They’re reading you. If you look anxious, they’ll assume you’ve heard something, and if you look relaxed, they settle a little.
What helps during the wait
Keep the schedule normal. Extra training “just in case” tells them you’re worried.
Skip the recap. You should have run harder in that third drill changes nothing now and keeps the replay going.
Offer an easy distraction, like a movie, a meal out, or a bike ride. Not a bribe. Just something to fill hours that would otherwise turn into another lap around the same mistakes.
Don’t chase news. Texting other parents to see who heard what pulls the whole team’s nerves into your kitchen.
If you’re tempted to read coach signals, how to tell if your kid is on the bubble sorts the few that matter from the many that don’t.
Have both reactions ready
The good-news reaction is easy. The other one deserves some thought now, so you aren’t inventing the first sentence when the email lands.
Use the first 90 seconds to reconnect before anything else. If the name isn’t on the list, the 24-hour rule keeps everyone from making big decisions that night.
When the news comes, be in the same room for it.