How many boys to expect trying out for freshman team?

[Anonymous]

There are 14 slots. My son has been one of about 8-12 kids consistently showing up for pre-season “green days” and has bern getting compliments from the coach on shooting and passing, but is by far not one of the star players. We would like to believe he has a shot but there is an unknown group of kids who could just walk in and perform well in try-outs; just don’t know how many. Does anyone out here have any real experience in how many kids show up?

[Anonymous]

If this is a large public high school, you would be right to manage expectations, although playing well on green days certainly helps.

Depends on the coach, but there will certainly be kids who are playing fall sports who have not yet joined green days but may be impressive in the tryout. Numbers will be high at the tryouts, but many have little chance. It also helps that, even at large schools, some freshmen can make JV and even varsity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are 14 slots. My son has been one of about 8-12 kids consistently showing up for pre-season “green days” and has bern getting compliments from the coach on shooting and passing, but is by far not one of the star players. We would like to believe he has a shot but there is an unknown group of kids who could just walk in and perform well in try-outs; just don’t know how many. Does anyone out here have any real experience in how many kids show up?

Your son should have a fairly good idea where he stacks up against other kids. Depending on the HS (especially the size), you usually see anywhere from 40-80 kids tryout for the freshman team. Your son should also know which kids in his class have the chance to get moved up. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Second the 40-80 number (at DS’s school freshman and JV tryouts were combined, and 100 kids showed up). Very many of those kids have no shot and just don’t understand basketball at all.

You see the same in AAU — a ton of kids showed up to tryouts for DS’s team, and coaches started sending kids home 10 minutes in. After 45 minutes, half the group was gone.

[Anonymous]

Which specific school? Some are way more competitive than others.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the school! Which school? There's a huge difference in difficulty on making the basketball team somewhere like Westfield vs. somewhere like Annandale.

If its a school where a lot of boys play freshman football, those kids aren't allowed to participate in the green days. So they will show up the first day of tryouts and your son won't have seen them before. Some schools do a bad job communicating about the green days and kids don't know about them, and those kids also show up for tryouts.

If he's not one of the best players with only 8-12 kids showing up for fall workouts, he's on the bubble. Since he's a "show up" kid, he should work that angle for the tryouts First one in line for the drills, 100% focused, doing all the stuff coaches like right (always boxing out, communicating on the court, playing hard defense). Even the biggest schools will have one spot on the freshman bench for a really likable, coachable kid with some skill.

[Anonymous]

Our son is in middle school but we heard from parents whose kids tried out last year for MCPS HS team. Like 70 kids were at try outs. Half the kids cut first round , then down from there. Team ended up keeping 15 but a lot of kids were known to the coach. It really depends on the school. Other schools had less trying out.
Anything that can be done to stand out and be "known" before try outs definitely helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anything that can be done to stand out and be "known" before try outs definitely helps.

Yes, many high school coaches track local players over the years. being “known” to the coach assuming your DS has built great skills, team experience, and athleticism and can stand out and set himself apart during tryouts. Playing basketball year round on an AAU or solid travel team is also very important.

My DS is known to a large public school coach because he’s attended the coach’s camps since he was 9. This coach started “recruiting “ DS last summer, suggesting DS transfer into an option program at that school to play ball there. DS is seriously considering it. Why risk having to try out at our very large zoned school (to play for a coach who’s known to stack his team with his friends’ kids.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which specific school? Some are way more competitive than others.

I don’t want to out myself 🤣 as I’m sure others from our school are on this site. Will narrow it down by saying it’s one of the north-eastern FCPS HS’s starting with “M”.

[Anonymous]

I'm honestly surprised so few freshman have been showing up at any of the M schools. That seems like a really low number.

My kid is at a school like Westfield/Chantilly/South Lakes and they have had 25+ freshman for green day workouts. With all the football players, they will have 50+ at tryouts I think.

[Anonymous]

My kid is at at large FCPS and there are 60+ freshman signed up for tryouts on their online form.