It is just the way it is, in any competitive area or very large HS.

I’m a mom of 3 in a HS like this. All of my kids enjoy sports and played a lot as kids (including some travel etc) but are/were not particularly talented at any. Same is true for most of their friends. The largest problem is that many parents do not realize this. 🤣

Most kids quit sports before they even get to HS. Others are cut freshman year. Still more are cut sophomore or junior year as they don’t make varsity or JV. Lots make teams but quit or don’t try out again the following year, due to time spent on other interests or lack of playing time.

Kids find other things to do. Some join no-cut sports like wrestling, cross country, track. Many are very busy with other school activities. A few get jobs. A lot of them (especially the boys) spend a lot of free time working out at the gym or playing pickup basketball.

I have two Seniors this year (twins), and the percentage of kids (Seniors) still playing “cut” sports is actually surprisingly low, as a percentage of students. Due to all the above factors. Kids adjust. It isn’t a huge deal, and is just part of life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You don’t need to only use the formal basketball court.

For PE we used hoops on wheels on the all purpose playgrounds and fields.

We are talking about casual rec level playing. kids play pick up games in parking lots all over the word. Use your imagination and creativity, it’s not rocket science.

Are you familiar with winter? JFC.

We had to run cross country during the winter. There this great invention called a tracksuit that keeps you warm in cold weather and exercise warms you up.

We’re talking about basketball right now, genius.

You have never played pick up in the winter in DC? You are missing out.

The mental gymnastics you are engaging in just to avoid having to admit you were simply wrong is truly amazing to behold.

Sorry, I’m a different poster. But equally puzzled why you think a teenager can’t play basketball outside in DC in the winter. It’s simply not that cold.

It’s not about the cold, dummy. It’s the snow and the ice and the dark that is a problem. (But also, have you experimented with how a nearly freezing basketball bounces? I’m guessing not.)

It’s also not about random teens playing random pickup games. The genius upthread seems to think high school basketball is a perfectly valid outdoor winter sport for the plethora of organized teams and tournaments she is envisioning.

Spoiler alert: it’s not. But please push this dumbass plan to have a bunch of kids break, tear, sprain, and twist various parts of their bodies because you’re too dumb (and too stubborn, and too entitled) to understand how dangerous this would be…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

In the rest of the world by 13-14 only the top 5% are playing. By 16 they have cut down to the top 2%. In the states because of pay to play and college system in the US this number is 30-45%.

I do believe these cuts are hard on kids. Travel sports like soccer consume all their free time from u9 to whenever it stops. When they get cut they feel they have nothing left and are embarrassed and humiliated in front of their peers.

Also I think many parents talk about the kid’s friends, playing with teammates, etc. The truth is if your kid is getting cut they most likely are not enjoying the experience. The “friends” on the team will move on without your kid- ie they really are not friends. They were just on the same team and forced to socialize.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing for so many kids to be in competitive sports. Just set expectations that they probably won’t end up playing in high school or college. For my kids I would rather take them to a tournament where they will socialize in person rather than let them sit at home doing video games. If more kids were running around playing outside then it might be different.

Anonymous wrote:The need for public schools to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) is directly undermined by these cruel “cut” policies for athletics.

That makes no sense at all.

One example of an activity where travel is a negative for most kids is competitive dance. The kids have a great time running around hotels and restaurants, the mothers get together and gossip. But they are not being trained as dancers. It’s 95% travel, hotel, restaurants, hanging around for your turn and 5% learning a dance / acro number, performing it and waiting for judges to hand out awards at 10 pm.

Works for a lot of people but there is less incentive to train dancers. Unless you’re near a ballet company with a school there are fewer schools than there were 15 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:The need for public schools to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) is directly undermined by these cruel “cut” policies for athletics.

There you go! Time to start the initiative to make "mediocre athlete" a suspect class!

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Except is a for profit business. They take paying customers. The kids who play club have better knowledge of the game than kids who only play one or two times a week. There are players who play just as much as club sports also.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Go ahead and make your plan happen.

The only way for it to happen is for parents to collectively resist the pressure to join travel sports. Don't try out "just to see what will happen." Don't accept an offer unless your kid is getting on a top team. Encourage your kid to try different sports- resist the pressure to 'specialize' into one travel sport at age 9. Let your kid spend time playing outside rather than driving to out of town tournaments.

Rec won't happen either unless schools continue to allow outside organizations to use their facilities- it's not just high school-aged kids who use school gyms and fields- it's younger kids too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Go ahead and make your plan happen.

The only way for it to happen is for parents to collectively resist the pressure to join travel sports. Don't try out "just to see what will happen." Don't accept an offer unless your kid is getting on a top team. Encourage your kid to try different sports- resist the pressure to 'specialize' into one travel sport at age 9. Let your kid spend time playing outside rather than driving to out of town tournaments.

Ha. No. Sorry. It’s better for my child to play a sport he loves with his friends than to support a political campaign that won’t work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Go ahead and make your plan happen.

The only way for it to happen is for parents to collectively resist the pressure to join travel sports. Don't try out "just to see what will happen." Don't accept an offer unless your kid is getting on a top team. Encourage your kid to try different sports- resist the pressure to 'specialize' into one travel sport at age 9. Let your kid spend time playing outside rather than driving to out of town tournaments.

The need for public schools to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) is directly undermined by these cruel “cut” policies for athletics.

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

In the rest of the world by 13-14 only the top 5% are playing. By 16 they have cut down to the top 2%. In the states because of pay to play and college system in the US this number is 30-45%.

I do believe these cuts are hard on kids. Travel sports like soccer consume all their free time from u9 to whenever it stops. When they get cut they feel they have nothing left and are embarrassed and humiliated in front of their peers.

Also I think many parents talk about the kid’s friends, playing with teammates, etc. The truth is if your kid is getting cut they most likely are not enjoying the experience. The “friends” on the team will move on without your kid- ie they really are not friends. They were just on the same team and forced to socialize.

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Play rec!?! The horror! Not my little Cameron!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You don’t need to only use the formal basketball court.

For PE we used hoops on wheels on the all purpose playgrounds and fields.

We are talking about casual rec level playing. kids play pick up games in parking lots all over the word. Use your imagination and creativity, it’s not rocket science.

Are you familiar with winter? JFC.

We had to run cross country during the winter. There this great invention called a tracksuit that keeps you warm in cold weather and exercise warms you up.

We’re talking about basketball right now, genius.

You have never played pick up in the winter in DC? You are missing out.

The mental gymnastics you are engaging in just to avoid having to admit you were simply wrong is truly amazing to behold.

Sorry, I’m a different poster. But equally puzzled why you think a teenager can’t play basketball outside in DC in the winter. It’s simply not that cold.

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.

Go ahead and make your plan happen.

Part of the problem here is the pay to play travel sports industrial complex. Kid plays ‘travel’ soccer. Kid is really not that good but parent and kid have spent huge amounts of time driving to out of town tournaments etc. kid tries out in high school, doesn’t make team and doesn’t know how to deal. Kid assumes he is vastly better than rec. probably he’s not but rec teams are somewhat decimated by the move to travel. If travel sports were actually limited to the absolute top players, and more kids stuck with rec, not making the hs team would be less of a shock and there would be more rec options.