Boys soccer at Jackson Rees

[Anonymous]

Any insight on how tough it would be to make the team as a new junior to the school? I assume it’s competitive given how big the school is. My son is good but not necessarily a standout.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

^ oops. Jackson-Reed!

[Anonymous]

I think very hard.

[Anonymous]

Thanks that’s what I suspected. Would reaching out to the coach make sense to at least establish some sort of connection?

[Anonymous]

Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

He does play travel/competitive soccer, yes. I want him to play something else if soccer doesn't pan out, not sure that he would though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

He does play travel/competitive soccer, yes. I want him to play something else if soccer doesn't pan out, not sure that he would though.

Any cut sports are going to be virtually impossible to join as a junior at J-R who has never played before. It's just the reality. I think XC may be no cut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

He does play travel/competitive soccer, yes. I want him to play something else if soccer doesn't pan out, not sure that he would though.

XC is no-cut (but is a strong team overall, so I assume there’s a clear division between the top/elite runners and everyone else); same with indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) track.

Ultimate is no-cut; anyone can play JV, but varsity is very competitive. There’s a more casual fall season where there isn’t a JV/varsity split and a more formal spring season with varsity tryouts; if your kid is interested, coming out in the fall is a great way to see if they like it.

Lacrosse is decent and getting better, I think? But I believe it’s open to all comers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

He does play travel/competitive soccer, yes. I want him to play something else if soccer doesn't pan out, not sure that he would though.

XC is no-cut (but is a strong team overall, so I assume there’s a clear division between the top/elite runners and everyone else); same with indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) track.

Ultimate is no-cut; anyone can play JV, but varsity is very competitive. There’s a more casual fall season where there isn’t a JV/varsity split and a more formal spring season with varsity tryouts; if your kid is interested, coming out in the fall is a great way to see if they like it.

Lacrosse is decent and getting better, I think? But I believe it’s open to all comers.

Jackson-Reed football will take anyone and everyone. It's not "no-cut" but they can barely field a team, so assuming your kid is decently athletic they won't be cut. It's the one DCPS sport where Jackson-Reed is terrible.

[Anonymous]

The thing with soccer is that tryouts are the last week or two weeks of summer--no exceptions. So if you kid wants to try out (and yes, if he's good enough, he can make the team even as a junior), make sure you don't have anything planned for the very end of summer. There is no getting around the tryout/workouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing with soccer is that tryouts are the last week or two weeks of summer--no exceptions. So if you kid wants to try out (and yes, if he's good enough, he can make the team even as a junior), make sure you don't have anything planned for the very end of summer. There is no getting around the tryout/workouts.

Thank you and yes I had noticed that. Are tryouts really at 6am?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid already play selective, competitive travel soccer? If not, he’s almost certainly not making the team. There are many other teams that are easier to join, if he’s athletic and wants to play a sport.

He does play travel/competitive soccer, yes. I want him to play something else if soccer doesn't pan out, not sure that he would though.

XC is no-cut (but is a strong team overall, so I assume there’s a clear division between the top/elite runners and everyone else); same with indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) track.

Ultimate is no-cut; anyone can play JV, but varsity is very competitive. There’s a more casual fall season where there isn’t a JV/varsity split and a more formal spring season with varsity tryouts; if your kid is interested, coming out in the fall is a great way to see if they like it.

Lacrosse is decent and getting better, I think? But I believe it’s open to all comers.

Agree-- he should consider ultimate frisbee. Fun sport with transferable skills from soccer. The JR boys and girls teams are both among the best in the DMV and have gone to nationals the past few years. Since the frisbee season starts when school starts, he could always try out for soccer and if he doesn't make the team, try frisbee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing with soccer is that tryouts are the last week or two weeks of summer--no exceptions. So if you kid wants to try out (and yes, if he's good enough, he can make the team even as a junior), make sure you don't have anything planned for the very end of summer. There is no getting around the tryout/workouts.

I have no insight to JR. I did play division 1 in college. This was back before clubs banned kids from playing for their high school, which mine did while I was there but I got grandfathered in…

A lot of top high school teams have some sort of informal spring soccer where new kids can get on the radar. PP’s son should absolutely find out if it happens, who runs it, and what it looks like.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I forget- hopefully they have some kind of summer conditioning program. The coach should have one, and he or her should not mind an incoming kid asking for it. Some schools will have a fitness test as well with some clear cutoffs, and it gives you a target to hit (some colleges do too, but that’s a different story)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing with soccer is that tryouts are the last week or two weeks of summer--no exceptions. So if you kid wants to try out (and yes, if he's good enough, he can make the team even as a junior), make sure you don't have anything planned for the very end of summer. There is no getting around the tryout/workouts.

I have no insight to JR. I did play division 1 in college. This was back before clubs banned kids from playing for their high school, which mine did while I was there but I got grandfathered in…

A lot of top high school teams have some sort of informal spring soccer where new kids can get on the radar. PP’s son should absolutely find out if it happens, who runs it, and what it looks like.

Most leagues have reversed that rule now. FWIW.