Tryouts, Nerves & Showing Up: What My 10-Year-Old Reminded Me About Belief

As tryouts for the higher team approach, I’ve been watching my 10-year-old (soon to be 11) struggle with a different kind of challenge. It’s not that he doesn’t have the skill, but he’s fighting for a spot among players who are also extremely talented. And the pressure he’s putting on himself? It's all about being the best at everything, always.

Lately, he’s been grappling with the fear of making mistakes—not because he’s afraid of failing in a general sense, but because he feels like a mistake could make him lose his chance to be the best. It’s not just about the game for him—it’s about constantly being the best version of himself, the one who never stumbles. The one who never makes mistakes.

But here’s the thing: Being the best doesn’t mean you’re perfect. It means you keep pushing forward, you keep trying, even when you mess up. Mistakes are the building blocks of improvement.

I’ve been reminding him that mistakes aren’t failures—they’re part of the journey. If you’re scared to make a mistake, you won’t take chances. And if you don’t take chances, you won’t grow. Every time he steps on the field, it’s an opportunity to learn something new. And, I told him, that’s the beauty of it—if you make a mistake, it’s not the end. It’s the beginning of your next move, your next improvement.

I also shared this with him: If someone’s faster than you, that’s the one you want to race against. If someone shoots harder, that’s the challenge you need. Because the only way to get better is by playing against people who push you, who make you work harder.

You won’t always be the best at everything, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to keep striving for better, to challenge yourself every day, to never stop pushing to improve.

Tryouts might be a moment where he feels the pressure, but it’s also a chance to show what he’s made of. And for me, as a parent, that’s where the real win lies—not in being the best today, but in the effort, the attitude, and the determination to keep going.

No matter what happens in the tryouts, I want him to know this: The only thing that matters is that you show up, you give it your all, and you believe in yourself. 

You don’t need to be perfect—you just need to keep believing that you can get better.

I’m proud of him, no matter the outcome, because this lesson? It will last way beyond the tryouts.