Athletic groups at Deal

[Anonymous]

Just moved into the area and my twin sons are excited about going to Deal. Both just started playing baseball and basketball last year and would like to join the teams. Can someone tell me about how easy or hard would it be to try out and make each team in 7th grade.

[Anonymous]

If they just started playing last year they won't make the teams. Baseball games are kind of a joke (there is no competition to play against as many/most of the other middle schools in DC can barely field a team). However, there were a ton of kids who tried out for the team this past year and even kids
who are year-round travel players (for years and years) did not make the team.
Basketball is similar if not more competitive to make the Deal team except there IS competition from other middle schools as most can field a competitive team.

Most if not all of the kids playing either sport use the Deal team as their 3rd or 4th team of the season (meaning they are simultaneously playing on a ton of other teams). So it makes it really hard to make the teams but the whole experience is kind of haphazard and clearly a sort of recreational fun thing to do and nothing serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they just started playing last year they won't make the teams. Baseball games are kind of a joke (there is no competition to play against as many/most of the other middle schools in DC can barely field a team). However, there were a ton of kids who tried out for the team this past year and even kids
who are year-round travel players (for years and years) did not make the team.
Basketball is similar if not more competitive to make the Deal team except there IS competition from other middle schools as most can field a competitive team.

Most if not all of the kids playing either sport use the Deal team as their 3rd or 4th team of the season (meaning they are simultaneously playing on a ton of other teams). So it makes it really hard to make the teams but the whole experience is kind of haphazard and clearly a sort of recreational fun thing to do and nothing serious.

This assessment is right on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they just started playing last year they won't make the teams. Baseball games are kind of a joke (there is no competition to play against as many/most of the other middle schools in DC can barely field a team). However, there were a ton of kids who tried out for the team this past year and even kids
who are year-round travel players (for years and years) did not make the team.
Basketball is similar if not more competitive to make the Deal team except there IS competition from other middle schools as most can field a competitive team.

Most if not all of the kids playing either sport use the Deal team as their 3rd or 4th team of the season (meaning they are simultaneously playing on a ton of other teams). So it makes it really hard to make the teams but the whole experience is kind of haphazard and clearly a sort of recreational fun thing to do and nothing serious.

This assessment is right on.

Agreed.

Deal is just too damn big. I think 100 or so boys tried out for baseball for 28 spots.

It would be nice if the school would come up with some sort of intra-mural after school program - using baseball as an example the kids who were cut could constitute 5-6 teams and I bet there are 7th and 8th grade kids who didn't even try out because they knew they had no shot.

Meanwhile other under enrolled MS and HS can barely field teams because the schools are so small and the Council hems and haws while trying to pluck up the courage to take on charters and fix school boundaries in DC.

[Anonymous]

When my kid’s school played Deal basketball, it was the first time I’d seen a fast break dunk in a middle school game. My kid thought he was cool dunking in layup lines. Little did he know...

[Anonymous]

Yes, Deal baseball and basketball are incredibly competitive and the kids are all travel-level athletes.
Baseball this past year had 100+ kids for 25 or so spots and as you know, only 9 play kids actually play at any one time. So most of the 25 rarely or ever played.
My kid is on his Little League summer All-star team and has played travel ball since U9 and didn't make the team as a 6th grader (they had a mixed 6-8 grade team).
Also, tryouts were crazy because there was one person evaluating 100+ kids. So there were a number of top kids who just didn't even get seen.
The games (as mentioned above) are a joke and all the kids are playing on several other teams outside of school.

Basketball is also crazy competitive. The kids I know on it the type of players who are spending this summer at sleep-away basketball training camps at Division 1 colleges. Lol.
In case that gives you an idea of how seriously they take basketball.

All of the above are a function of Deal being a really large school. It's hard to stand out.

That said, there are plenty of sports opportunities for kids who aren't prodigy level athletes: cross country, track, ultimate frisbee, archery. Even things like soccer and volleyball.
If your boys want to play a sport at Deal they can find a way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, Deal baseball and basketball are incredibly competitive and the kids are all travel-level athletes.
Baseball this past year had 100+ kids for 25 or so spots and as you know, only 9 play kids actually play at any one time. So most of the 25 rarely or ever played.
My kid is on his Little League summer All-star team and has played travel ball since U9 and didn't make the team as a 6th grader (they had a mixed 6-8 grade team).
Also, tryouts were crazy because there was one person evaluating 100+ kids. So there were a number of top kids who just didn't even get seen.
The games (as mentioned above) are a joke and all the kids are playing on several other teams outside of school.

Basketball is also crazy competitive. The kids I know on it the type of players who are spending this summer at sleep-away basketball training camps at Division 1 colleges. Lol.
In case that gives you an idea of how seriously they take basketball.

All of the above are a function of Deal being a really large school. It's hard to stand out.

That said, there are plenty of sports opportunities for kids who aren't prodigy level athletes: cross country, track, ultimate frisbee, archery. Even things like soccer and volleyball.
If your boys want to play a sport at Deal they can find a way!

To be fair, even if Deal size were to be cut in half, it would still be similarly competitive, just 60 kids trying out for 15-20 spots. It’s more nature of the type of parents/kids that are IB for Deal. Perret’s that have no problem paying $200/hour for private b-ball training. Hardy is becoming the same. A friend who plays two AAU competitive teams didn’t make the 6th grade b-ball team at Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Why are these travel team kids on multiple teams even allowed to try out for Deal's teams? Do they really need to play on a 3rd or 4th team?

[Anonymous]

OP if your kids want to make friends and keep learning and playing, they should join a rec team outside of school - and request to be put with other Deal kids. There are a ton of clubs and lots and lots of Deal kids play on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are these travel team kids on multiple teams even allowed to try out for Deal's teams? Do they really need to play on a 3rd or 4th team?

Why wouldn't they? They want to play on their school team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are these travel team kids on multiple teams even allowed to try out for Deal's teams? Do they really need to play on a 3rd or 4th team?

Is this a serious question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are these travel team kids on multiple teams even allowed to try out for Deal's teams? Do they really need to play on a 3rd or 4th team?

The Deal baseball coach is actually also a coach at one of the DC travel baseball programs. So those kids actually preferentially made the team (pretty much the opposite of not being able to try out). All the kids on the team were travel athletes in one program or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are these travel team kids on multiple teams even allowed to try out for Deal's teams? Do they really need to play on a 3rd or 4th team?

The Deal baseball coach is actually also a coach at one of the DC travel baseball programs. So those kids actually preferentially made the team (pretty much the opposite of not being able to try out). All the kids on the team were travel athletes in one program or another.

The school team should have the best kids period. Most likely that will be kids who play year round via travel. If kids want to play baseball recreationally, there are other avenues for that. I also know the Deal coach (not through travel) and I’m sure he selected the best kids. I know what organization he coaches for in travel (not Deal aged kids) and know they’re probably the best in DC, so it would make sense that the team would be represented well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they just started playing last year they won't make the teams. Baseball games are kind of a joke (there is no competition to play against as many/most of the other middle schools in DC can barely field a team). However, there were a ton of kids who tried out for the team this past year and even kids
who are year-round travel players (for years and years) did not make the team.
Basketball is similar if not more competitive to make the Deal team except there IS competition from other middle schools as most can field a competitive team.

Most if not all of the kids playing either sport use the Deal team as their 3rd or 4th team of the season (meaning they are simultaneously playing on a ton of other teams). So it makes it really hard to make the teams but the whole experience is kind of haphazard and clearly a sort of recreational fun thing to do and nothing serious.

This assessment is right on.

Agreed.

Deal is just too damn big. I think 100 or so boys tried out for baseball for 28 spots.

It would be nice if the school would come up with some sort of intra-mural after school program - using baseball as an example the kids who were cut could constitute 5-6 teams and I bet there are 7th and 8th grade kids who didn't even try out because they knew they had no shot.

Meanwhile other under enrolled MS and HS can barely field teams because the schools are so small and the Council hems and haws while trying to pluck up the courage to take on charters and fix school boundaries in DC.

IIRC Deal has been asking DCPS to allow multiple Deal teams for a long time, but it is perceived as "unfair" to give one school more coaches and the chance to take first, second and third place. But IMHO, if you are going to put 25% of middle schoolers in one school, you have to give them equal chances to play as kids in the other schools.

[Anonymous]

Deal families could support redistricting so that fewer kids were IB for the school. If Lafayette and Coolidge went to Wells and Coolidge and Bancroft (and Oyster) went to MacFarland and Roosevelt, there would be more opportunity to play sports, along with many other advantages.