By the Char Sports Performance team
New Jersey's high school winter sports season starts this month. If your athlete is trying out for basketball, wrestling, winter track or ice hockey, the next few weeks are the best time to get strong, fast and in shape, so tryouts feel like a chance to show off instead of a fitness test. Here's what's coming up and how to use the time well.
NJ winter sports tryout and first practice dates
These are the NJSIAA's statewide dates for the 2026–27 season. Each school sets its own tryout times, so check with your athlete's coach or athletic office too.
- Ice hockey, swimming and bowling: first practice Monday, November 16.
- Basketball, wrestling, winter track and fencing: an optional tryout period on Monday through Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 23–25. First practice is Monday, November 30.
- Games and meets: basketball, wrestling, winter track and fencing can start competing on December 7. Ice hockey and swimming can start November 30.
The NJSIAA says all dates are tentative and can change. See the official winter sports quick chart and the NJSIAA basketball page for the latest.
What winter tryouts usually test
Coaches want to see skill, but in a short tryout window they also notice who still has energy late in the session, who's quick off the first step, and who moves well when tired. Most of that comes down to three things an athlete can build in a few weeks:
- Conditioning: holding your speed and effort through drill after drill, not just the first few.
- Speed and quickness: a fast first step, sharp changes of direction and good acceleration.
- Strength: legs and hips for jumping, driving and skating, plus a strong core and upper body for contact and balance.
Strength also helps athletes handle the jump from fall or off-season to daily practice, when sore legs and tired bodies are common in the first couple of weeks.
How to prep for tryouts in the next few weeks
- Train two to four times a week. That's what we recommend for most athletes, depending on whether they're in or out of season. Athletes finishing a fall sport should lean toward the lower end.
- Build up, then back off. Do the hardest work in the weeks before tryouts, then go lighter in the last few days so legs are fresh.
- Don't cram. Doing too much in the final week usually leads to sore, slow legs on tryout day.
- Keep playing your sport. Shooting, mat work, skating or running still matter. Strength and speed training make that work count for more.
- Sleep and eat well. It sounds simple, but it's where a lot of athletes lose ground during a busy school week.
Preseason training at Char Sports Performance in Montclair
Every high school and college athlete starts with an evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. Our High School + College group sessions run 80 minutes: 40 minutes of strength work, then 40 minutes of speed and conditioning on our 6,000 sq ft indoor turf. Athletes train alongside male and female athletes from many sports, with sport-specific drills for each one.
Want more on your athlete's sport? Read our guides to basketball training, wrestling training, track training and ice hockey training. Younger athletes can start in our Junior High program, and athletes with college goals can look at our college pathway.
Close to Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Verona and West Orange
We're at 180 Bloomfield Ave in Montclair, with street parking on Hartley St and Bloomfield Ave. That's an easy trip for families in Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Nutley and West Orange looking for preseason training nearby.
- What to wear: athletic shoes or turfs. No cleats, please.
- Can parents watch? Yes. We have a waiting room where you can watch your athlete train.
- When are sessions? Times can change, so check the schedule for the latest.
Get ready for tryouts: try a free group session
New to Char Sports Performance? Book a free group session and see what training here feels like. Want a full week before tryouts? Turkey Week is 7 days of unlimited training for $49, and you can use it anytime in November.
