Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 19:51     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How competitive are softball tryouts? I thought they were basically no cut for JV. Just curious.


Entirely dependent on school. In a close drive to my house we have one school where travel players get put on JV and rec players get cut and another where kids who've never played before make JV.


Even many travel players won’t make JV at DDs school. But 5 miles away rec players will make it. Kinda sucks.


Same
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 16:49     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering how much that hurts kids who the coaches don’t know. For instance, DD is trying out for softball and has been to a bunch of preseason “practices” so the coaches have seen her. And other kids will be known because they play for the same travel team as the coaches daughter. So the coaches know a lot about them already. That shouldn’t matter and everyone should start equally- but especially with a condensed, indoor tryout…i bet it does.


I'm going to be honest with you, the coaches have their varsity squads for softball already chosen. At least one school I'm aware of had its roster of 11 players up on GameChanger two weeks ago. That means there are maybe four or five spots, max, still available. And the freshman class is going to take those because it has at least four or five players playing at elite level travel ball including one girl who is on the USA Women's National Team. So, really, the tryouts are for JV.


This is true in baseball too. If there are any freshman who would make V baseball, I can guarantee everyone would already know about them.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 15:44     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering how much that hurts kids who the coaches don’t know. For instance, DD is trying out for softball and has been to a bunch of preseason “practices” so the coaches have seen her. And other kids will be known because they play for the same travel team as the coaches daughter. So the coaches know a lot about them already. That shouldn’t matter and everyone should start equally- but especially with a condensed, indoor tryout…i bet it does.


I'm going to be honest with you, the coaches have their varsity squads for softball already chosen. At least one school I'm aware of had its roster of 11 players up on GameChanger two weeks ago. That means there are maybe four or five spots, max, still available. And the freshman class is going to take those because it has at least four or five players playing at elite level travel ball including one girl who is on the USA Women's National Team. So, really, the tryouts are for JV.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 15:26     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
At our HS, they are extending them a day, using turf fields, and indoors. I'm a mess. I want my kid to make it so badly for them. There will be more than a few travel players who are cut and no rec players will make it.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 15:24     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
FWIW, this very much varies by school and sport.

Can only speak to soccer, but per my kid, some schools only had 3 days of tryouts scheduled originally. Our school had 5, looks like it will now be 4.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 15:01     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How competitive are softball tryouts? I thought they were basically no cut for JV. Just curious.


Entirely dependent on school. In a close drive to my house we have one school where travel players get put on JV and rec players get cut and another where kids who've never played before make JV.


Even many travel players won’t make JV at DDs school. But 5 miles away rec players will make it. Kinda sucks.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 14:38     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:They will be condensed into fewer days.

I don't see how baseball or softball could reasonably try out indoors.


I grew up in the Midwest and we often moved tryouts indoors. Lots of batting cage work in the gym and when we did have to go outside to catch and throw we’d go to a plowed parking lot and get a “no cleats” warning in advance.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 12:12     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:How competitive are softball tryouts? I thought they were basically no cut for JV. Just curious.


Entirely dependent on school. In a close drive to my house we have one school where travel players get put on JV and rec players get cut and another where kids who've never played before make JV.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 12:09     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
How competitive are softball tryouts? I thought they were basically no cut for JV. Just curious.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 12:07     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering how much that hurts kids who the coaches don’t know. For instance, DD is trying out for softball and has been to a bunch of preseason “practices” so the coaches have seen her. And other kids will be known because they play for the same travel team as the coaches daughter. So the coaches know a lot about them already. That shouldn’t matter and everyone should start equally- but especially with a condensed, indoor tryout…i bet it does.


That's rough! Good luck to your daughter!

-mom of HS softball player
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 11:32     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
It looks like in Fairfax County different schools are doing different things. Some indoors, some scrabbling to find usable fields (turf or I even saw one school was at least initially going to be using an elementary school field that must drain better - but now that it snowed I bet that changed).
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 09:14     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
I’m wondering how much that hurts kids who the coaches don’t know. For instance, DD is trying out for softball and has been to a bunch of preseason “practices” so the coaches have seen her. And other kids will be known because they play for the same travel team as the coaches daughter. So the coaches know a lot about them already. That shouldn’t matter and everyone should start equally- but especially with a condensed, indoor tryout…i bet it does.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 08:37     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Ours don't start until Saturday anyway
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 08:36     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
They will be condensed into fewer days.

I don't see how baseball or softball could reasonably try out indoors.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2026 07:00     Subject: Snow day and first day of tryouts
Will this week’s HS tryouts be condensed into fewer days or just start later and run their full four days?

Field conditions won’t be good all week. Will tryouts be on turf or inside for sports like baseball and softball?