I’m an APS parent. That’s not how these option schools work. At HB, at least, your diploma is from your home school and you can participate in activities and sports at your home school. These buildings don’t have the facilities to support sports teams, and their home schools do. My APS kids have played on HS sports teams with 8th graders, HB kids, and Tech kids. I think the VHSL rule is great and helps far more kids and teams than it harms. I’m sorry a couple of kids got cut from one or two HS teams, but there are other options for fall activities. |
If there are no available facilities, I could understand players from those schools being able to play with their home school. However, if you believe that there are "other options" for students displaced by 8th graders on a HS team, couldn't the same argument be made for the 8th graders? There is no shortage of opportunities for 8th graders to play volleyball. |
Not in Arlington Middle School. If you look at Williamsburg MS, there is no volleyball: https://williamsburg.apsva.us/sports/ |
| What does DCUM think about 8th graders taking spots from 9th graders on the freshman Field Hockey team. Lots of 9th graders were cut this year. |
I don't think there should be any 8th graders added on high school teams that cut until after all try outs. If there's still not a full team then, add them in. |
They did not earn those spots fairly because high school sports teams should not recruit outside of the high school student body. Even if those middle schoolers are zoned for that high school, they are not students there. This is as unfair as, say, the varsity coach recruiting some recent graduates of the high school. 8th graders who are that good are already on club teams and doing private clinics. What do they need to take spots from some average ability sophomore girls whose parents can't afford all that athletic enrichment? The 8th graders will get their chance to play on a high school team soon enough. |
| There's a social aspect. A very important social aspect and 8th graders should not be part of high school activities |
Really have no dog in this fight, but I think that the way coaches think of it is that jv is for 8-10 and varsity is juniors and seniors. So if you aren’t good enough to make varsity your junior year, you should be cut. That’s how it was explained to my daughter when she did crew as an eighth grader (a “no cut” sport, unless you are a junior/senior and don’t qualify for varsity). |
Try harder 9th graders. Stop whining. |
Then why are there always 9/10th graders on Varsity? They coaches do whatever it takes to win, on period. |
I say good for those 8th graders if they are better than those 9th graders. |
No dog in this fight either but its a shame. Freshman sports are meant to be for freshman- and a learning experience. FH is an entry sport for many 9th graders. No way will these kids who weren't able to play on the freshman team make JV with no experience the next year. There's virually no entry in rec for 9th graders in FH. All around crappy. |
That's not the point of Freshman teams. |
| Anyone have stats in which club teams these kids play on? Did the 8th graders come from various opposing teams or just one? |
I say that those 8th graders should play for the Arlington Youth Field Hockey Club. They will have their chance to play high school ball when they become freshman. There is a reason it is called the "Freshman" team. |