Good luck to the APS 8th graders trying out for the JV teams this week.

[Anonymous]

Lacrosse and baseball that I know of.

[Anonymous]

So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

[Anonymous]

Our cross country and crew teams have some awesome 8th graders. Those teams have enough spots for everyone who puts in the work. My daughter did XC as an 8th grader and it was a great experience.

It's not for every sport, just the sports without a team at the middle school level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

+1. It's also not fair to schools in the same league (Fairfax) who do not have this rule. Having the experience of an entire HS season before 9th grade is a huge leg up on other teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

+1. It's also not fair to schools in the same league (Fairfax) who do not have this rule. Having the experience of an entire HS season before 9th grade is a huge leg up on other teams.

is Fairfax not allowed to for some reason?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

+1. It's also not fair to schools in the same league (Fairfax) who do not have this rule. Having the experience of an entire HS season before 9th grade is a huge leg up on other teams.

is Fairfax not allowed to for some reason?

Choose not to.

Quite probably has something to do with middle school getting out so much earlier and the county being so much bigger with bus constraints already. And split feeder middle schools. And all the rest of the complexity. Fairfax can't figure out much simpler things than this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our cross country and crew teams have some awesome 8th graders. Those teams have enough spots for everyone who puts in the work. My daughter did XC as an 8th grader and it was a great experience.

It's not for every sport, just the sports without a team at the middle school level.

This. It’s not fair that the middle schools don’t have all of the sports.

[Anonymous]

Are you expecting these 8th graders to read DCUM and see your good luck wishes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

+1. It's also not fair to schools in the same league (Fairfax) who do not have this rule. Having the experience of an entire HS season before 9th grade is a huge leg up on other teams.

is Fairfax not allowed to for some reason?

Choose not to.

Quite probably has something to do with middle school getting out so much earlier and the county being so much bigger with bus constraints already. And split feeder middle schools. And all the rest of the complexity. Fairfax can't figure out much simpler things than this.

APS middle schools get out earlier than HS too. 8th graders who try out are responsible for their own transportation. They are not bussed to the HS.

Fairfax chooses not to allow middle schoolers to try out. That's their choice. I don't think having 8th graders on a team gives APS an advantage. There's also a disadvantage because 9th graders are competing against a larger pool for a roster spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our cross country and crew teams have some awesome 8th graders. Those teams have enough spots for everyone who puts in the work. My daughter did XC as an 8th grader and it was a great experience.

It's not for every sport, just the sports without a team at the middle school level.

Yes, but that’s not what the thread is about… This is about super competitive sports where winning matters more than anything else. This isn’t about eighth graders, running on a cross country team and taking the spot of other high school student students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our cross country and crew teams have some awesome 8th graders. Those teams have enough spots for everyone who puts in the work. My daughter did XC as an 8th grader and it was a great experience.

It's not for every sport, just the sports without a team at the middle school level.

This. It’s not fair that the middle schools don’t have all of the sports.

Feel free to fund more coaches and Field space – seriously go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So strange that this is allowed. High school extracurriculars should be for high school students.

+1

It was originally allowed because rural high schools did not have enough kids to field an entire team. Its mean to make sure high school kids can have a team, not for middle school kids to take a HS kids spot. The rule is being abused.

+1. It's also not fair to schools in the same league (Fairfax) who do not have this rule. Having the experience of an entire HS season before 9th grade is a huge leg up on other teams.

is Fairfax not allowed to for some reason?

Choose not to.

Quite probably has something to do with middle school getting out so much earlier and the county being so much bigger with bus constraints already. And split feeder middle schools. And all the rest of the complexity. Fairfax can't figure out much simpler things than this.

APS middle schools get out earlier than HS too. 8th graders who try out are responsible for their own transportation. They are not bussed to the HS.

Fairfax chooses not to allow middle schoolers to try out. That's their choice. I don't think having 8th graders on a team gives APS an advantage. There's also a disadvantage because 9th graders are competing against a larger pool for a roster spot.

My kid is trying out for Yorktown baseball this week. Tryouts last night were in South Arlington, and the school did not provide buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our cross country and crew teams have some awesome 8th graders. Those teams have enough spots for everyone who puts in the work. My daughter did XC as an 8th grader and it was a great experience.

It's not for every sport, just the sports without a team at the middle school level.

This. It’s not fair that the middle schools don’t have all of the sports.

Feel free to fund more coaches and Field space – seriously go ahead.

The schools have plenty of money, they just waste it on admin. Why should there be like 75 soccer teams and no baseball or lacrosse?

[Anonymous]

Eighth grade parents, just so you know the high school parents are not rooting your students on. If it’s already a full team, your kid does not belong there.