YouTube video advice from Ethan Khoza explaining how freshmen can stand out and earn a varsity basketball roster spot despite older, more experienced competitors. Key advice: be measurably better than many older players, double down on and master your strengths, be unselfish and a supportive teammate, and demonstrate quick learning—able to pick up instructions after one explanation.
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Hey, bro, love watching your vids. Appreciate that. About Trout from our high school varsity team as a freshman, how do I separate myself in the court when surrounded by older, more talented players? If you're trying out for your varsity team as a freshman, sophomore, and a lot of older guys, the simple fact of the matter is that you just have to be better than a lot of guys because there's certain things you're not going to have over those guys. You're not going to have an understanding of the offense or defense. You're not going to have the same sort of familiarity with the coaches where they know you, they know what you are, they know whether or not they can trust you. They. You don't. You're already coming from a position of having to catch up in that. In that sense. So you have to just be better than a lot of guys. And it's simple as that. If you're more talented. Like when I think about, you know, the teams I've been a part of where freshmen, sophomores get moved up to varsity, it's because they're better than the older guys and they help. They can help us win games. That's ultimately what it comes down to. So from now until then, focus on getting as good as you possibly can, double down on what you do well, and get really good at it. So you can go there and feel confident in doing those things. That's the number one thing. But then all the other stuff that, you know, people talk about being super vocal, right? Whether it's vocal on defense, calling things out, just supportive of your teammates. Be a good teammate. First of all, be unselfish. Show that. Let's say you're going through something and coaches are explaining stuff to you or walking you through stuff. Show that you can pick things up quickly. Don't be a player who has to be told something three times before they figure it out, but be able to hear something one time and be able to do it. So that, to me, is another big thing, because again, as a. As a younger guy who's trying to earn a spot over an older guy, they're already going to have an understanding of what they're doing. So if you can't pick things up quickly, why would they. Why would they bring you up? Why would they do that? Because you're just going to be. It's just going to be a struggle for them unless you're way better than everybody else. So first thing is be better than other players. Second thing is be somebody who can hear something one time and be able to do it.
