Arlington travel tryouts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[google]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talking with other Arlington parents we know, it appears as if some grades added a few new players--very few. Team rosters are set to private now, but when they open up I will try to report back on team movement from grade to grade, fyi.

Two of my son's friends who had never played for ATB but AAU teams made a B team so that's good news. But I agree with prior posts assuming the baseball players have a significant advantage to make an ATB team. I doubt many of the baseball players have time to play for AAU teams during spring/summer season so not sure how they would gain so much basketball experience to make a division 1 travel team or even keep up their skills in off seasons.

Your 2nd paragraph is absolutely true. Dont be confused many (but not all) are good to great athletes but most don't play basketball all year around. As they age up, the lack of year around becomes apparent. ATB is fine with those results

The girls side is a different matter because it is intertwined with an AAU basketball program (though just an okay one) it provides some additional development.

A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Ah. Thanks for clearing rhat up, Arlington Storm mom. Sure, there are one offs. There is also many low end AAU programs out there. You also don't watch enough youth basketball.to understand the importance of playing basketball for guards (those tend to be your shorter player)

The higher end AAU kids, you know the ones that should be filing out your local select town team roster are better and just as big as the kids your are talking about. Historical, ATB, on the boys side, tends to struggle as kids age up and guard play and development start to become more important. The ATB Storm players not playing a ton of basketball becomes fairly evident in the guard play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:usually coaches with something to hide are the ones who don't let parents stay

Somewhat but Arlington doesnt allow for tryouts in HS gyms or more likely ATB doesn't want to pay for the HS gym time. So they hold tryouts in MS gyms. Most are tiny so having a bunch of parents hanging around would cause issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

Everyone knows that the most athletic boys play baseball. It's impressive that a baseball team has managed to so completely capture a county basketball team

[Anonymous]

Some of you are just delusional, sour grapes parents. If your kid isn’t an absolute standout then you should consider the possibility that they’re being pushed to the bottom of the heap of kids that are mostly indistinguishable in terms of talent or athleticism because the coach doesn’t want to deal with YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

I mean, yes that could very well be enough. This area is indeed competitive, but there comes a point in athletics where putting in the work simply doesn’t matter when you’re starting to compete with the truly gifted athletes. Many boys hit their personal ceiling around middle school/early high school, and many parents struggle to accept reality.

[Anonymous]

Sure, there is some truth to that. But I think the issue is more that we all know one or two players that made ATB that made it based on who they know (or a baseball team) rather than athleticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

I mean, yes that could very well be enough. This area is indeed competitive, but there comes a point in athletics where putting in the work simply doesn’t matter when you’re starting to compete with the truly gifted athletes. Many boys hit their personal ceiling around middle school/early high school, and many parents struggle to accept reality.

Of course, that's not really how it works. If you don't have athletic ability, you are making travel teams (Storm, ATB, whatever) no matter how much you work. Correct. But, many of these kids are great athletes and as you age up, it becomes very evident who is putting in time playing basketball all year around (and I am not talking in the backyard or 3 on 3 with your friends). What happens as you age up is the competition becomes tighter as kids become better, go through puberty, grow, etc. If you are not playing basketball year around at 8th grade, then you are falling behind. And that is okay because your kid might be focused on something else...and that is sort of how it should be. I don't like specialization but that's the world we live in.

The athlete you are talking about is a rare commodity in this day and age given how much specialization goes on. Looking at the 8th grade ATB teams there is probably 1 kid that really fits that mold. He's on the B team and he isn't a baseball player - though I know he's played some AAU basketball but not a ton. Having watched a ton of youth basketball - rec, CYO, FFX league, and AAU, I can tell you there are a ton of Arlington kids that don't even bother going out for ATB and are better basketball players than what ATB rosters. It is why ATB boys 7th or 8th grade teams last FFX championship win was back before COVID and it was a Division 3 win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

I mean, yes that could very well be enough. This area is indeed competitive, but there comes a point in athletics where putting in the work simply doesn’t matter when you’re starting to compete with the truly gifted athletes. Many boys hit their personal ceiling around middle school/early high school, and many parents struggle to accept reality.

Of course, that's not really how it works. If you don't have athletic ability, you are making travel teams (Storm, ATB, whatever) no matter how much you work. Correct. But, many of these kids are great athletes and as you age up, it becomes very evident who is putting in time playing basketball all year around (and I am not talking in the backyard or 3 on 3 with your friends). What happens as you age up is the competition becomes tighter as kids become better, go through puberty, grow, etc. If you are not playing basketball year around at 8th grade, then you are falling behind. And that is okay because your kid might be focused on something else...and that is sort of how it should be. I don't like specialization but that's the world we live in.

The athlete you are talking about is a rare commodity in this day and age given how much specialization goes on. Looking at the 8th grade ATB teams there is probably 1 kid that really fits that mold. He's on the B team and he isn't a baseball player - though I know he's played some AAU basketball but not a ton. Having watched a ton of youth basketball - rec, CYO, FFX league, and AAU, I can tell you there are a ton of Arlington kids that don't even bother going out for ATB and are better basketball players than what ATB rosters. It is why ATB boys 7th or 8th grade teams last FFX championship win was back before COVID and it was a Division 3 win.

Look at your bolded statements and think about it. All the basketball specialization, playing year-round, developing your skills, etc. goes out the window around late middle school/early high school if you didn’t win the puberty lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

I mean, yes that could very well be enough. This area is indeed competitive, but there comes a point in athletics where putting in the work simply doesn’t matter when you’re starting to compete with the truly gifted athletes. Many boys hit their personal ceiling around middle school/early high school, and many parents struggle to accept reality.

Of course, that's not really how it works. If you don't have athletic ability, you are making travel teams (Storm, ATB, whatever) no matter how much you work. Correct. But, many of these kids are great athletes and as you age up, it becomes very evident who is putting in time playing basketball all year around (and I am not talking in the backyard or 3 on 3 with your friends). What happens as you age up is the competition becomes tighter as kids become better, go through puberty, grow, etc. If you are not playing basketball year around at 8th grade, then you are falling behind. And that is okay because your kid might be focused on something else...and that is sort of how it should be. I don't like specialization but that's the world we live in.

The athlete you are talking about is a rare commodity in this day and age given how much specialization goes on. Looking at the 8th grade ATB teams there is probably 1 kid that really fits that mold. He's on the B team and he isn't a baseball player - though I know he's played some AAU basketball but not a ton. Having watched a ton of youth basketball - rec, CYO, FFX league, and AAU, I can tell you there are a ton of Arlington kids that don't even bother going out for ATB and are better basketball players than what ATB rosters. It is why ATB boys 7th or 8th grade teams last FFX championship win was back before COVID and it was a Division 3 win.

Look at your bolded statements and think about it. All the basketball specialization, playing year-round, developing your skills, etc. goes out the window around late middle school/early high school if you didn’t win the puberty lottery.

That doesn't explain why baseball players- i.e. the least athletic of any boys sport- dominate Arlington. Given how large a pool they have to draw on, Arlington should be near the top of D1 every year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A kid doesn’t necessarily have to play basketball year round to be, for lack of a better word, better at basketball than many of the kids who DO play all year. Often playing basketball in season, combined with being a great athlete, combined with size is enough. It’s sad for the kids who are super dedicated but sometimes that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Oh OK. Playing pickup and shooting 3s in their large N. Arlington driveway provides enough experience for the Storm "great athlete" to make ATB over the "super dedicated" year-round AAU kid. Add in a couple weeks of Wootten summer camp for the Storm kid to be "better at basketball" to make an ATB A team! Got it.

But, you should know basketball season is almost year-round in this very competitive area.

I mean, yes that could very well be enough. This area is indeed competitive, but there comes a point in athletics where putting in the work simply doesn’t matter when you’re starting to compete with the truly gifted athletes. Many boys hit their personal ceiling around middle school/early high school, and many parents struggle to accept reality.

Of course, that's not really how it works. If you don't have athletic ability, you are making travel teams (Storm, ATB, whatever) no matter how much you work. Correct. But, many of these kids are great athletes and as you age up, it becomes very evident who is putting in time playing basketball all year around (and I am not talking in the backyard or 3 on 3 with your friends). What happens as you age up is the competition becomes tighter as kids become better, go through puberty, grow, etc. If you are not playing basketball year around at 8th grade, then you are falling behind. And that is okay because your kid might be focused on something else...and that is sort of how it should be. I don't like specialization but that's the world we live in.

The athlete you are talking about is a rare commodity in this day and age given how much specialization goes on. Looking at the 8th grade ATB teams there is probably 1 kid that really fits that mold. He's on the B team and he isn't a baseball player - though I know he's played some AAU basketball but not a ton. Having watched a ton of youth basketball - rec, CYO, FFX league, and AAU, I can tell you there are a ton of Arlington kids that don't even bother going out for ATB and are better basketball players than what ATB rosters. It is why ATB boys 7th or 8th grade teams last FFX championship win was back before COVID and it was a Division 3 win.

Look at your bolded statements and think about it. All the basketball specialization, playing year-round, developing your skills, etc. goes out the window around late middle school/early high school if you didn’t win the puberty lottery.

That doesn't explain why baseball players- i.e. the least athletic of any boys sport- dominate Arlington. Given how large a pool they have to draw on, Arlington should be near the top of D1 every year

Hasn’t this already been answered, though? For the dozens of kids who are essentially indistinguishable from each other, coaches are likely to go with known quantities.

I also don’t agree that baseball is the least athletic sport, and I could easily see how excellent hand-eye coordination and the ability to throw a ball accurately could translate from baseball to basketball.

[Anonymous]

The point is that Baseball and ATB are intertwined and it's due to politics and not skill.

FCYBL is the same. It's a who you know game.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately Basketball is not an equal sports opportunity. Some coaches will hold tryouts hoping a 6ft+kid will come or some super talented one. Coaches will pick who they know or a kid that really stands out from the rest.
You don’t go to try outs and expect to get pick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately Basketball is not an equal sports opportunity. Some coaches will hold tryouts hoping a 6ft+kid will come or some super talented one. Coaches will pick who they know or a kid that really stands out from the rest.
You don’t go to try outs and expect to get pick

It's so true but so unfortunate for most of us. With HS tryouts coming up, I am not expecting much as we don't have an "in"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately Basketball is not an equal sports opportunity. Some coaches will hold tryouts hoping a 6ft+kid will come or some super talented one. Coaches will pick who they know or a kid that really stands out from the rest.
You don’t go to try outs and expect to get pick

It's so true but so unfortunate for most of us. With HS tryouts coming up, I am not expecting much as we don't have an "in"

Do Arlington public high school coaches follow Arlington Travel teams or players, or do they follow any local AAU teams (Nova Cavs or Nova94) to evaluate players year(s) in advance of tryouts? I've read that some Fairfax high school coaches "recruit" their players in advance from across the county but I don't suppose Arlington coaches can recruit with rigid set school boundaries.

I am aware of private middle and high school coaches who follow top AAU teams in Maryland to recruit future players.

Does playing for an Arlington Travel team even matter for my son aspiring to make a high school team? With the BS described in this post, we are more inclined to put him on an AAU team that practices year round or on a competitive DC or MD rec team, if that exists.