What options do high school kids have if they aren't good enough to make it onto a high school team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It comes down to four things: 1- Your kid's physicality; 2- How much are you willing to spend; 3- How much time are your kid willing to put in? 4- Where does your kid go to school?

If your child is small and/or short, avoid sports like football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, swimming, or any sports that size/strength is an advantage. Choose sports like golf, tennis, or soccer (if your kid is fast). That's why you see many Asians at golf, tennis, and soccer at high school level. Height matters in tennis at college and pro level, not so much at high school level. Golf is where everyone can excel, regardless of size. Colin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele are not tall people, under 5"10, and they both won multiple golf grand slams. At the same time, golf and tennis are expensive sports, and your kid is likely to compete with other Asian kids if your kid wants to make the varsity team. Soccer also requires a lot of money, but much less than golf or tennis. Where your children attend school also matters a lot. The more expensive the pyramid, whether public or private, the percentage of your child makes the team also decreases because everyone there has as much resource, if not more, than you do.

+1

This is a great summary and I agree with all of it.

The main thing I see parents/incoming athletes blindsided by in our district (huge UMC suburban public) is the “physicality” piece. In many sports, not all. Often nearly ALL the kids trying out have had extensive private training, played for top clubs for years etc. There usually are not enough spots on the roster for all of the them, talented as they all may be. The coaches will usually err on the side of taking kids who have the desired “physical profile” for the sport in question, given the limited number of spots.

Not in individual sports that have performances/metrics. The coach can't take a +10 golfer over a +5 golfer, unless the school wants to invite lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s a consequence of the overcrowded mega high schools in this area. It’s also a failure of local government to adequately set aside more land for playing fields.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you go to high school and how big was our school? Were there really activities that literally the entire school could show up to want to participate in in the same semester, and they could accomodate everyone? Most US public schools - whether giant or moderately-sized - have limits to how many kids can do any 1 thing in any one semester, because there are staffing and space issues. So not sure how many extracurriculars are accessible for ALL students, but there are plenty in most schools that can accomodate all the students who show up wanting to do it. But when you can only have a limited # of players on a field in a competition at any given time, it's never been "accessible for all students". Not even when you were in school, wherever you were, although maybe games were less structured and there could be endless rotation of players so everyone played?

+1 If you want accessible to all, pay 40K$ for some private school that is small and lets everyone participate. Public schools are bigger and more resource challenged, so there's more competition.

>=40K private schools also have MANY cut-sports. As a matter of fact, there is even more competition in private than in public schools for sports that kids actually want to participate in. Many of these kids have been trained at a very young age. There are no-cut sports at private schools, but many kids do not want them.

Again, that depends on the school. You can absolutely find a rigorous high school that lets all kids play most if not all sports.

100% False. My oldest child attended Sidwell and it was brutal to compete for a spot on the tennis team. My 2nd child attended STA, and he didn't the make the varsity golf team. My 3rd child is going to try out for the varsity tennis team at Potomac in a few weeks, and it is very likely he will NOT make the team. You must be delusional that there is a rigorous academic school out there that let all kids play most if not all sports. They just do not exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like there aren't many options if you aren't good enough to play JV. There isn't a rec league for lacrosse or football. Your options are so limited in your teenage years, so basically you are forced out of sports.

Plenty of options to play club for any sport you want, even football (Maplewood) and I'm sure it exists for lacrosse as well. It's just more $$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you go to high school and how big was our school? Were there really activities that literally the entire school could show up to want to participate in in the same semester, and they could accomodate everyone? Most US public schools - whether giant or moderately-sized - have limits to how many kids can do any 1 thing in any one semester, because there are staffing and space issues. So not sure how many extracurriculars are accessible for ALL students, but there are plenty in most schools that can accomodate all the students who show up wanting to do it. But when you can only have a limited # of players on a field in a competition at any given time, it's never been "accessible for all students". Not even when you were in school, wherever you were, although maybe games were less structured and there could be endless rotation of players so everyone played?

+1 If you want accessible to all, pay 40K$ for some private school that is small and lets everyone participate. Public schools are bigger and more resource challenged, so there's more competition.

>=40K private schools also have MANY cut-sports. As a matter of fact, there is even more competition in private than in public schools for sports that kids actually want to participate in. Many of these kids have been trained at a very young age. There are no-cut sports at private schools, but many kids do not want them.

Again, that depends on the school. You can absolutely find a rigorous high school that lets all kids play most if not all sports.

100% False. My oldest child attended Sidwell and it was brutal to compete for a spot on the tennis team. My 2nd child attended STA, and he didn't the make the varsity golf team. My 3rd child is going to try out for the varsity tennis team at Potomac in a few weeks, and it is very likely he will NOT make the team. You must be delusional that there is a rigorous academic school out there that let all kids play most if not all sports. They just do not exist.

You picked the wrong sports to compete in then

[Anonymous]

Vienna has rec basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, rugby, and more through high school age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you go to high school and how big was our school? Were there really activities that literally the entire school could show up to want to participate in in the same semester, and they could accomodate everyone? Most US public schools - whether giant or moderately-sized - have limits to how many kids can do any 1 thing in any one semester, because there are staffing and space issues. So not sure how many extracurriculars are accessible for ALL students, but there are plenty in most schools that can accomodate all the students who show up wanting to do it. But when you can only have a limited # of players on a field in a competition at any given time, it's never been "accessible for all students". Not even when you were in school, wherever you were, although maybe games were less structured and there could be endless rotation of players so everyone played?

+1 If you want accessible to all, pay 40K$ for some private school that is small and lets everyone participate. Public schools are bigger and more resource challenged, so there's more competition.

>=40K private schools also have MANY cut-sports. As a matter of fact, there is even more competition in private than in public schools for sports that kids actually want to participate in. Many of these kids have been trained at a very young age. There are no-cut sports at private schools, but many kids do not want them.

Again, that depends on the school. You can absolutely find a rigorous high school that lets all kids play most if not all sports.

100% False. My oldest child attended Sidwell and it was brutal to compete for a spot on the tennis team. My 2nd child attended STA, and he didn't the make the varsity golf team. My 3rd child is going to try out for the varsity tennis team at Potomac in a few weeks, and it is very likely he will NOT make the team. You must be delusional that there is a rigorous academic school out there that let all kids play most if not all sports. They just do not exist.

You picked the wrong sports to compete in then

which sport(s) at Sidwell, STA, or Potomac that let ALL kids play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you go to high school and how big was our school? Were there really activities that literally the entire school could show up to want to participate in in the same semester, and they could accomodate everyone? Most US public schools - whether giant or moderately-sized - have limits to how many kids can do any 1 thing in any one semester, because there are staffing and space issues. So not sure how many extracurriculars are accessible for ALL students, but there are plenty in most schools that can accomodate all the students who show up wanting to do it. But when you can only have a limited # of players on a field in a competition at any given time, it's never been "accessible for all students". Not even when you were in school, wherever you were, although maybe games were less structured and there could be endless rotation of players so everyone played?

+1 If you want accessible to all, pay 40K$ for some private school that is small and lets everyone participate. Public schools are bigger and more resource challenged, so there's more competition.

>=40K private schools also have MANY cut-sports. As a matter of fact, there is even more competition in private than in public schools for sports that kids actually want to participate in. Many of these kids have been trained at a very young age. There are no-cut sports at private schools, but many kids do not want them.

Again, that depends on the school. You can absolutely find a rigorous high school that lets all kids play most if not all sports.

100% False. My oldest child attended Sidwell and it was brutal to compete for a spot on the tennis team. My 2nd child attended STA, and he didn't the make the varsity golf team. My 3rd child is going to try out for the varsity tennis team at Potomac in a few weeks, and it is very likely he will NOT make the team. You must be delusional that there is a rigorous academic school out there that let all kids play most if not all sports. They just do not exist.

You picked the wrong sports to compete in then

which sport(s) at Sidwell, STA, or Potomac that let ALL kids play?

DP but your real mistake is your obvious assumption that the three (!) schools you listed are the ONLY rigorous high schools…

[Anonymous]

I agree there should be more options but of coures resources...

but if you are really into a sport I suggest asking to be a team manager.

I know a few students who did this and continued to do it in college and received scholarships to be team managers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but it’s not hard to find other activities for your child to participate in!

I just don't understand why sports have to be more selective than other activites

I don't understand your comment at all. What do you mean "I don't understand why sports have to be more selective than other activities"? Sports are literally "competitive" by nature, and there are only so many teams and spots on teams for the most popular sports. What part of needing to choose who is on teams surprises you or feels bizarre given the competitive nature of sports?

Robotics and debate are generally more accessible than sports, so I don't see why sports have to be super selective when schools should be about academics.

I think there's a phenomenon of self-selection that's taking place that essentially acts as competition.

[Anonymous]

We don't play rich people sports - plenty of rec leagues for soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis.

[Anonymous]

My kid was told he wouldn’t make the cut junior year- playing on a top area team. So much politics and nepotism and cliques at the school. Focused just on club. Playing D1 this year.

Fk ‘em

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was told he wouldn’t make the cut junior year- playing on a top area team. So much politics and nepotism and cliques at the school. Focused just on club. Playing D1 this year.

Fk ‘em

Kewl story

[Anonymous]

Mine joined one of the few no-cut sports. It's an unusual one, and just barely a sport, but at least he's on a team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you go to high school and how big was our school? Were there really activities that literally the entire school could show up to want to participate in in the same semester, and they could accomodate everyone? Most US public schools - whether giant or moderately-sized - have limits to how many kids can do any 1 thing in any one semester, because there are staffing and space issues. So not sure how many extracurriculars are accessible for ALL students, but there are plenty in most schools that can accomodate all the students who show up wanting to do it. But when you can only have a limited # of players on a field in a competition at any given time, it's never been "accessible for all students". Not even when you were in school, wherever you were, although maybe games were less structured and there could be endless rotation of players so everyone played?

+1 If you want accessible to all, pay 40K$ for some private school that is small and lets everyone participate. Public schools are bigger and more resource challenged, so there's more competition.

>=40K private schools also have MANY cut-sports. As a matter of fact, there is even more competition in private than in public schools for sports that kids actually want to participate in. Many of these kids have been trained at a very young age. There are no-cut sports at private schools, but many kids do not want them.

Again, that depends on the school. You can absolutely find a rigorous high school that lets all kids play most if not all sports.

100% False. My oldest child attended Sidwell and it was brutal to compete for a spot on the tennis team. My 2nd child attended STA, and he didn't the make the varsity golf team. My 3rd child is going to try out for the varsity tennis team at Potomac in a few weeks, and it is very likely he will NOT make the team. You must be delusional that there is a rigorous academic school out there that let all kids play most if not all sports. They just do not exist.

You picked the wrong sports to compete in then

which sport(s) at Sidwell, STA, or Potomac that let ALL kids play?

DP but your real mistake is your obvious assumption that the three (!) schools you listed are the ONLY rigorous high schools…

Please name those rigorous high schools that are NOT Sidwell, STA, Potomac, NCS that let ALL kids play most if not all sports, and name those sports.