Nic Hill is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Paradise Valley High School for AZPreps365.com                                                                                                        

When Coach Mark Schumaker forms the Paradise Valley Trojans boys’ basketball team for the next season, he said he will look for more than just skills like shooting, ball-handling and defense. He will look for intangibles.

“Things like being coachable, working hard, being punctual, consistent attendance, good grades,” Schumaker said. “The other skills are achievable, but you have to have a good foundation first.”

He also looks for players who have strong basketball IQ and overall decision-making.

This past year, the team ended with a record of 7-5 in their region, 9-7 in their conference and 12-7 overall this past season. They were also ranked #181 in Arizona.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in U.S. high schools, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The association found that in 2023-2024, a total of 18,587 schools had boy basketball programs, that was 1,313 more programs than outdoor track and field and 2,441 more than baseball, which were the two most popular sports that followed.

This coming season, like most years, Paradise Valley will hold tryouts over three days Schumaker said. 

To make the team, both new players and those who have already made the team in previous seasons will need to try out again, even though they have already proven themselves.

“If you are a returning player, you definitely have a much better chance, but you still have to try out,” Schumaker said. “If you are new, you have to keep up and figure it out. The freshman tryouts are a little slower paced because freshmen sometimes are still new and haven’t been around a lot.”

Senior Tanner Ericson, who has been part of the team since his sophomore year, said he felt calm and played through the nerves during his tryout last season.  

“Nerves are always a part,” Ericson said. “No matter what you are doing in the sport, it is very common to feel nerves while you are playing, but during a tryout, it is very likely that they could be at an all time high.”

Devonte Jackson, another player on the team, had similar views to his teammate Ericson.

“I was nervous going into my games, but once the ball touched my hands, I was relaxed,” Jackson said. 

Jackson said he took action to help himself relax before tryouts last year. 

“I prepare for basketball tryouts by stretching and listening to calm music,” Jackson said.

Ericson said he also has a routine to relax and prepare before games. 

“I do a bunch of stretching, and I relax my muscles with ice,” Ericson said.

Regardless, rosters are limited, and not everyone who tries out can make the team. In those cases, Schumaker said giving the news in person is a must. 

“On Day 3 we make cuts, and we do it face to face,” Schumaker said. “If you are going to be brave enough to come tryout, even for one to two days, you deserve the respect of a conversation about whether you made the team or not.”

To better help players prepare for tryouts and the season ahead, Schumaker said that the school offers a summer practice camp called the PV Trojans Basketball Camp. It is held at the school and starts the first Tuesday after Memorial Day weekend and runs through June.

Researchers Chamberlin, Fry and Iwasaki, in their study titled “High School Athletes’ Perceptions of the Motivational Climate in Their Off-Season Training Programs,” said that athletes gain real advantages from putting in strong effort during off-season training because it helps them prevent injuries and reach peak performance when the season begins.

But, according to these researchers, off-season training is only part of what helps. They also found that because these programs are usually not required, coaches would gain by structuring off-season training programs in a way that makes athletes feel motivated and rewarded. This feeling then translates to athletes having positive experiences with the training, which helps them stay committed.  

“Results from this study suggest that if coaches are intentional about creating a climate where athletes’ effort and improvement is valued and rewarded, and where every individual feels welcome and is treated with kindness and respect, many desirable outcomes may follow. Specifically, athletes will be more inclined to have fun, try hard, report greater intrinsic motivation, and participate more regularly in OST programs.”

Schumaker taking the time to be present in the summer camp is a clear indicator of his investment in the program and in the team as a whole. 

“All of my assistant coaches and myself run our camp and leagues during the month of June,” Schumaker said.  

Schumaker also said the camp is open to any PV student, as long as they are genuinely interested in trying out and joining the team. 

“Anyone that wants to play can play in the summer,” Schumaker said. “They sign up for camp, and they can play. It isn’t recreational. The kids that sign up should be interested in trying out for the basketball team.”

According to Schumaker, the camp is a good way for upcoming players to become familiar with the coaching staff and show them their skills early on. It also gives players a time and place to practice before tryouts.

Dr. Craig Miller, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, has a recommendation on when players should start preparing for tryouts.

“Generally, I tell athletes that they should start to focus their training for their particular sport at least six weeks prior to the start of their season,” Miller said. This is sufficient time to prepare their minds and bodies for the tryouts and the prolonged strain of the season.”

According to Miller, high school coaches see their players only for a limited amount of time during the playing season, which can be hard on them.

“They have their athletes for only a few hours a day, a few hours a week,” Miller said. “They are typically going to want to hit the ground running and push their athletes from Day One. They will try to get the most out of their best, most competitive athletes, in the shortest amount of time possible.”

Miller said that this intense training can cause injuries in young players. 

“If the athletes come in and are not prepared well, then injuries are certain to occur,” Miller said. “These injuries may be repetitive strain injuries - muscle soreness, growth plate injuries in younger athletes and stress fractures. Even worse, the physical and mental fatigue that comes from a sudden increase in intensity and volume is more likely to lead to traumatic injuries.”

Schumaker wants his players for the upcoming season to be well-prepared physically and mentally. 

“The best way for kids to prepare for the upcoming season is to come in the summer and be around in the offseason,” Schumaker said. “The more we as coaches get to see kids that want to play, the more we can help them and get to know them.”

Jackson, who said he has been playing basketball since 8th grade, said that he plans to attend the summer camp.

“I will participate in the PV summer program to keep me in extra shape,” Jackson said. 

He also expressed the importance of standing out to coaches.

“What helped me stand out from others was having the hustle and being hard working mentally to push through all my obstacles,” Jackson said. 

Ericson reflected on what he thought made him stand out to the coaches during the tryout. 

“I stood out because I wanted to play basketball more than anyone,” Ericson said.