Why are youth and high school sports so competitive to get into now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

What about girls cross country, ultimate frisbee (APS), or pickleball (MCPS)? In the winter there’s no cut swim and dive and indoor track. In the spring there’s no cut track, rowing (crew), etc. It seems like the number of no cut varsity sports keeps increasing every year due to parent pressure.

Which is a good thing. A busy teen is a good thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess the problem I see is that sports have basically become all or nothing. Either you're doing travel teams and shelling out money for private lessons, or you're out of luck.

I grew up playing rec league sports in Toronto. Anyone who wanted to could sign up for a hockey team in winter and a soccer or baseball team during summer, which were run by Toronto's parks and rec, and have very modest signup calls. This provided a middle ground of giving kids the benefits of physical activity without having to devote your family's life to it. Whether you played a sport or not was irrelevant to college admissions, since college sports aren't much of a thing in Canada.

I'm ready to go from "all" to "nothing" with my kid's sport. For years, we've let him play on a club team that has involved significant travel costs and private lessons to keep up at the highest level. The kid is now a teenager complaining about wanting more time with friends. The thing is, I know that when we shift gears, starting with no more private lessons, this is going downhill fast. He'll go from the lower middle of the pack to cut from the team in one year. He doesn't get it, but we see the writing on the wall. The passion and drive are gone, and he's giving lip service to wanting to play at a high level. He'll still make the high school team, and that has to be enough. But, wow, what an expensive, time-sucking journey to play a high school sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

Flag football at our school is also wildly popular. It looks really fun and boy football players are helping out, with a really nice coach. All really positive. Uniforms are really cool.

One criticism - they took girls who also play other sports (soccer) who can never play or practice because the other sport (soccer) has to be the first priority. Meanwhile other girls were cut. That’s just not right.

Oh, that's not fair. At all.

Plus, its bad coaching, imo. I'm involved in our local youth girls flag league (up through MS), and while the soccer girls are usually the quickest/most agile, they have no hand eye coordination. The first few weeks is full of black eyes and jammed fingers because these girls can barely clap their hands, forget about catching a ball.

The softball girls have the best hands for sure.

You want the point guards and the CFers to tryout for your flag team. I'll hand the ball off to a soccer player, but it takes a while for them to learn how to catch a ball

I bet the soccer girls are good at defense though? Grabbing the little flags is just like grabbing a Jersey when the offense is running by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I don’t understand the point the Canadian PP was making, but to all of those who think the Canadians somehow do youth sports better than the US… no.

Youth ice hockey in Canada is the most competitive, taken-extremely-serious youth sport with the most outrageously insane parents I have ever seen.

And they dominate US pro hockey.

And?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

1000%. I went to an end-of-year awards ceremony for my kid's baseball team (now sophomore, so end of freshman year) and they recognized all the seniors from the varsity team. I mentioned to him that I had never heard the names of 1/2 the seniors and he responded that they were never starters and their entire playing time was relegated to getting to pinch run in a game on "senior day".

My kid will likely be a starter as a senior...I hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

Flag football at our school is also wildly popular. It looks really fun and boy football players are helping out, with a really nice coach. All really positive. Uniforms are really cool.

One criticism - they took girls who also play other sports (soccer) who can never play or practice because the other sport (soccer) has to be the first priority. Meanwhile other girls were cut. That’s just not right.

Oh, that's not fair. At all.

Plus, its bad coaching, imo. I'm involved in our local youth girls flag league (up through MS), and while the soccer girls are usually the quickest/most agile, they have no hand eye coordination. The first few weeks is full of black eyes and jammed fingers because these girls can barely clap their hands, forget about catching a ball.

The softball girls have the best hands for sure.

You want the point guards and the CFers to tryout for your flag team. I'll hand the ball off to a soccer player, but it takes a while for them to learn how to catch a ball

I bet the soccer girls are good at defense though? Grabbing the little flags is just like grabbing a Jersey when the offense is running by.

That's a good point. I've seen less of a correlation from other sports to flag defense.

The funniest is when you see a coach that took ALL soccer players and then they run an offense where the QB can't throw it more than 5 yards. You need to go out and get at least one softball player for that.

As with many sports, you need a wide array of skills on the team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

That I find hard to believe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

Flag football at our school is also wildly popular. It looks really fun and boy football players are helping out, with a really nice coach. All really positive. Uniforms are really cool.

One criticism - they took girls who also play other sports (soccer) who can never play or practice because the other sport (soccer) has to be the first priority. Meanwhile other girls were cut. That’s just not right.

Oh, that's not fair. At all.

Plus, its bad coaching, imo. I'm involved in our local youth girls flag league (up through MS), and while the soccer girls are usually the quickest/most agile, they have no hand eye coordination. The first few weeks is full of black eyes and jammed fingers because these girls can barely clap their hands, forget about catching a ball.

The softball girls have the best hands for sure.

You want the point guards and the CFers to tryout for your flag team. I'll hand the ball off to a soccer player, but it takes a while for them to learn how to catch a ball

I bet the soccer girls are good at defense though? Grabbing the little flags is just like grabbing a Jersey when the offense is running by.

Actually legal to do this in flag football - soccer girls won’t even have to be subtle about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

That I find hard to believe

How so? Do you think a kid with no athletic background can catch up in four years of high school cross-country running to a kid who played quality club soccer since u6 before starting cross-country? If so, I've got a bridge to sell you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

That I find hard to believe

DP. A lot of lacrosse players run cross country in the fall for training. A lot of football players do track and field. There are still multi sport athletes today. Although your basketball/tennis/football phenom is harder to come by today. Other combos make more sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

That I find hard to believe

DP. A lot of lacrosse players run cross country in the fall for training. A lot of football players do track and field. There are still multi sport athletes today. Although your basketball/tennis/football phenom is harder to come by today. Other combos make more sense.

It's so hard to play multiple ball sports (no using "team" to not trigger people). So many sports now require a year-round or close commitment, and if you're not all in, you don't get playing time. However, the best athletes are still the best athletes, and you see that more in track and cross country than anything because those sports are a little easier to combine with a ball sport. Lacrosse, soccer, football players, and gymnasts will all have a massive advantage over kids who aren't already athletes. I have a middle schooler who plays a team sport that requires 2-3 days a week in the gym in addition to team practices, and this started around age 10 with calisthenics. Runners are not made overnight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has played sports all his life because that’s what he loves to do. He has played one sport at the travel/club level for quite awhile and is a very solid athlete but like PP, he’ll be lucky to make his HS team because the number of kids trying out makes it’s insanely competitive. Yes in theory he could pivot to football but we’d like his brain to be in tack for college and beyond and have purposely avoided this and other high concussion potential sports for this reason so don’t see that as a viable option. The biggest issue is that more and more kids are playing sports at a higher level than ever before and if you attend a big school or a school that recruits for your sport, there’s a high chance your kid will not make the team despite being a really strong player. It just sucks that you have that many kids who are strong who are getting cut.

And yes, of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t make the team and some girls’ sports are wildly competitive. I think the comparison with girls having more luck in HS sports wise has to do with the numbers and there are more boys than girls who don’t land on a team. I am a product of title IX and I have a daughter who has benefitted from it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that there’s a downside for my son (who is a far better athlete than my daughter but she’s the one playing HS sports and his future there is uncertain).

Football is no cut at our school. There are zero girls team sports that are no cut. Any boy who wants to play a team sport can play football. Even field hockey has cuts at our school, so not every girl who wants to play a team sport can play.

Really? None at atll? Not XC or track? Bc it seems like its so different by school; we have a lot of options for girls. We are in MD, in a school of around 2,200 kids.

In the fall:

Football was no cut.
Field Hockey was no cut.
Girls Flag Football had the MOST cuts (but that may be because this is such a new sport & some kids just know enough about themselves to not even try out for the soccer teams?)
XC was no cut.

In the spring
Baseball made approximately 50 cuts
Lax was cut for both girls and boys
Softball only cut 2-3 girls
Track is no cut

So, at at our school, we have at least 3-4 options for girls that are no cut (they could join the wrestling team as well, which is also no cut, even if you don't get any matches). A girl could tie up her sneaks and make a XC team, or grab a stick and join the FH team

And essentially the same number of no cut teams for boys.

Meanwhile, the competitive sports have to cut a TON of kids. Basically, your kid has to be open-minded to trying new sports if they want to play a HS sport but there is an option for them

You listed one team sport with no cuts. At our school field hockey has cuts leave no team sports for girls that are no cut.

I understand what you're suggesting, but I disagree that XC, Track & Field, and Wrestling are not team sports. They may not pass a ball, or they may be more invidually focused, but you are still a part of a team

The individual nature of these sports really only comes into play at meets and that's a relatively small amount of your time. In any of these sports you will train as a team, race or compete with and against each other in practice, etc. You get most of the benefits of teamwork and social aspects as you would if you played basketball or volleyball or soccer. And actually even with team sports you always have starters and people who spend more time on the bench and for the people who spend a lot of games on the bench their experience is actually inferior to what it would be on a no-cut track or CC team because in those sports generally even the worst people on the team still get to compete. You might not make an event final or you might go out early in an elimination tournament for wrestling but you will have an opportunity to put your skills to the test whereas that is not always true for kids in team sports especially if they are underclassmen on a varsity squad or they play a position where they are just the alternate.

I'm in total agreement. The poster that says XC and track are not team sports is honestly just coming off a little obnoxious. As if their DD didn't make the soccer team, and doesnt want to accept the alternate options as viable. That they are not "team" sports bc the nature of the game is different.

In fact, the experience for the 50th member of the jv football team is WAY worse than the slowest kid on the XC team. The football player will never even get close to seeing the field. And in fact, in practice, they'll probably stand around on the sidelines most of the time too. They'll be third team defense and watch the first and second team defense get all the reps.

Meanwhile, the slow kid that joins XC will get all the same workouts, same coaching, and even changes to run in a race.

PP that doesnt think they are team sports is just being cranky and wants to complain

They just want to complain

I agree that cross-country and track are team sports, but as a side note, the kids who make varsity in cross-country and track come from doing other highly competitive sports when they were younger. The distance runners are former club soccer players, and the jumpers are former gymnasts. The sprinters play(ed) football or were gymnasts. I can't think of one kid on our varsity track or cross-country team who just started running in 9th grade with no athletic background.

That I find hard to believe

DP. A lot of lacrosse players run cross country in the fall for training. A lot of football players do track and field. There are still multi sport athletes today. Although your basketball/tennis/football phenom is harder to come by today. Other combos make more sense.

It's so hard to play multiple ball sports (no using "team" to not trigger people). So many sports now require a year-round or close commitment, and if you're not all in, you don't get playing time. However, the best athletes are still the best athletes, and you see that more in track and cross country than anything because those sports are a little easier to combine with a ball sport. Lacrosse, soccer, football players, and gymnasts will all have a massive advantage over kids who aren't already athletes. I have a middle schooler who plays a team sport that requires 2-3 days a week in the gym in addition to team practices, and this started around age 10 with calisthenics. Runners are not made overnight.

The majority of the basketball team at DD's high school play a fall sport. Volleyball is a very natural fit