Tryout Day
Feed smaller and earlier than you would on a game day, because nerves close a stomach and the schedule will run long. Send twice as much in the bag as you expect to need, keep everything familiar, and plan for the day to overrun by an hour.
Why tryout day is not a game day
Game day has a known start, a known length, and a familiar routine. A tryout has none of those, and it usually comes with more nerves than a match against a team your kid has played twice.
Plan for uncertainty rather than for performance.
Plan for
- A start that slips by thirty to sixty minutes.
- A session that runs longer than advertised.
- A kid who cannot face a full meal beforehand.
- Standing around in whatever weather turns up.
Do not plan for
- A published timetable that holds.
- Food being available on site.
- A normal appetite at the normal time.
- Getting home when you expected to.
Eating when your kid is nervous
Nerves suppress appetite and speed the stomach up. That combination is why a normal pre-game meal sometimes comes back up on a tryout morning.
Smaller, earlier, blander, and familiar is the whole strategy.
How is your kid this morning?
Nervous but eating
Too nervous to eat much
Cannot face food at all
Planning around a schedule nobody published
Tryouts are where families discover that the stated finish time was optimistic. Assume an extra hour and pack for it.
The practical consequence is that the food in the bag matters more than the meal at home.
What to bring in the bag
Pack as though you will be there twice as long as the email said, because you probably will be.
- Two bottles of water, filled before you leave.
- Something dry and familiar for the wait before it starts.
- Something with a bit of protein for immediately afterwards.
- A jumper and something to sit on, which affect the day more than the snack does.
After the tryout, whatever the result
The drive home after a tryout is not the moment for a debrief, and it is often not a moment for food either. Offer something, do not press, and keep dinner easy and familiar.
A kid who has just had a hard day and does not want to eat is normal. If food refusal after high-pressure events becomes a pattern, it is worth raising with your clinician.
Questions about tryout day
My kid always feels sick before tryouts. What should they eat?
Something small, bland, and familiar, eaten earlier than usual. Liquid works when solid food will not, and a smoothie or milk delivers carbohydrate and protein without chewing.
Should I make a special meal for tryout day?
No. A high-stakes day is the worst possible day to introduce a new food, which is the one point every clinic source agrees on.
How much food should I pack?
More than you think, and more variety than volume. Tryouts run long and the wait is where the food actually gets eaten.
- How to Help If Your Athlete Has No Appetite After Training, USA Cheer, usacheer.org.
- Feeding Your Child Athlete, Nemours KidsHealth, kidshealth.org.