Getting Ready for Fall Sports Tryouts: The Last 4 Weeks | Starke Industries

Fall tryouts and the first official practices arrive fast. For many high school sports, that window falls in mid-to-late summer depending on the association calendar.

The last few weeks before tryouts are not the time to start an entirely new program. They're the time to sharpen what's already built, adapt to the heat, and show up fresh.

Rule 1: Don't try to make up for a lost summer

If an athlete didn't train much over the summer, the temptation is to cram: double sessions, daily max conditioning, and new lifts all at once. That usually produces sore, tired athletes on day one.

The NSCA's long-term athletic development position statement notes that young athletes are often physically underprepared and at risk of overuse injury because of high volumes of competition without preparatory conditioning [1]. The answer to underpreparation is a sensible build, not a crash course.

Three to four weeks out, a better approach is:

• Moderate, progressive conditioning

• Two to three strength and power sessions a week, at loads the athlete can handle with good technique

• Enough sleep to recover from all of it

Rule 2: Get used to the heat before practice starts

August practices are usually hot. Heat acclimatization takes repeated exposure over days. NATA's heat-acclimatization guidelines for secondary school athletics recommend a gradual progression at the start of preseason, including limits on practice duration and equipment during the first days [2].

Athletes can help themselves by training outdoors, sensibly, in the weeks before tryouts so the first practice isn't their first time working hard in the heat. Start with shorter sessions and build. Watch for warning signs such as dizziness, confusion, or nausea, and stop if they appear [3].

Rule 3: Build conditioning gradually

Most tryouts include some kind of conditioning test. Athletes who haven't run all summer sometimes try to get "in shape" in a week. That's a big, sudden jump in workload.

A steady progression over three or four weeks works better:

• Week 1: Shorter intervals, longer rest

• Week 2: Add a few more reps

• Week 3: Shorten rest or lengthen intervals

• Week 4: Hold steady or back off slightly so you arrive fresh

Rule 4: Sharpen, don't exhaust

The final week before tryouts should feel lighter. Keep some sprints and jumps in to stay sharp, but cut overall volume. Athletes should arrive at the first practice feeling quick and recovered, not sore.

Rule 5: Sleep and eat like it matters

Recovery is part of training. Late nights in August and early alarms for practice don't mix well. Regular sleep and consistent meals help athletes handle the workload. Our rest and nutrition posts go deeper on both.

Should you test before tryouts?

A quick re-test at the end of summer can show where an athlete stands going into the season. It's also a useful baseline to compare against later in the year. Keep it short so it doesn't add fatigue in the final week. A test about two weeks before tryouts leaves room for a lighter final week.

A sample four-week lead-in

General example only, not individualized:

| Week | Strength/power | Conditioning | Other | |---|---|---|---| | 4 weeks out | 3 sessions | 2–3 sessions, moderate | Outdoor exposure begins | | 3 weeks out | 3 sessions | 3 sessions, building | Mobility work | | 2 weeks out | 2–3 sessions | 3 sessions, highest week | Optional re-test | | Final week | 2 short sessions | 1–2 short sessions | Prioritize sleep |

Questions parents ask

My athlete is nervous about the conditioning test. What helps most? A gradual build over several weeks, plus practicing the actual test format once or twice beforehand so it isn't unfamiliar.

Should my athlete take a day off before tryouts? A light day or rest day before the first practice is reasonable. Hard training the day before doesn't help.

What to pack for the first practice

It sounds basic, but it matters: a large water bottle, a change of socks, any required paperwork and physicals, and a snack for after. Athletes who show up prepared spend less energy on logistics and more on performance.

A note on soreness

Some soreness in the first week of practice is normal. Severe soreness that limits movement, or pain in one specific spot, is worth telling a coach or athletic trainer about. Don't hide it to make a team.

The bottom line

The last month before tryouts isn't about becoming a different athlete. It's about adapting to the heat, building conditioning gradually, and arriving fresh. Small, consistent steps beat cramming.

Related reading

• Summer Off-Season Training for High School Athletes: How to Plan the Break
• Training in the Heat: Heat Illness Basics for Summer Workouts
• Squat Jump vs. Countermovement Jump: What the Difference Tells You
• Single-Leg vs. Double-Leg Jumps: Why Test Both
• Sprint Testing 101: 10 m, 20 m, and the 40-Yard Dash
• rest
• re-test

References

• Lloyd RS, et al. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement on long-term athletic development. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(6):1491–1509. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001387 (published Jun 2016)
• Casa DJ, et al. Preseason heat-acclimatization guidelines for secondary school athletics. J Athl Train. 2009;44(3):332–333. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-44.3.332 (published May 2009)
• Casa DJ, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: exertional heat illnesses. J Athl Train. 2015;50(9):986–1000. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.07 (published Sep 2015)
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