Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't cut but we're also by far the smallest in the area (875) Meridian HS

This is not true. There are definitely teams that cut at Meridian. For example, baseball.

Do they cut or do they just have to play JV instead of varsity?

They cut. For every sport, it depends how many show up to tryouts. If there are more kids than spots then some get cut. I know kids in multiple sports who have been cut over the years. There are no freshman teams. Since it is a small school, this changes year to year based on numbers. It’s also why sometimes they have to drive very far to play games and why some seasons have been so rough for certain teams.

DS and friend didn’t make a freshman team for his preferred sport. They both started a sport new to them and are loving it. Friend likely to get scholarships $.

Anonymous wrote:Reason #134 why mega high schools are a terrible for kids.

Gee, if only the BOE and MCPS would actually listen to those who say just that testifying before them. And if only the community wouldn't throw a hissy fit about tax increases to pay for just that.

Anonymous wrote:They play rec sports, sometimes travel sometimes house league, and have a lot more fun than HS teams. I've even known a kid or two who could have made their HS team but chose rec ball instead for this reason. Some kids play just for the fun rather than for the drive to achieve and possibly get a scholarship.

My kid, barely missed the school team, was cut and was devastated. But he pulled it together and played rec, which he hadn’t done in years. It honestly gave him back his love of the game. He has a bit of anxiety and would get anxious or replay mistakes etc. And it would not have been fun to be a benchwarmer on the school team after putting in so much time.

He didn’t worry about playing time in rec, just went out and played. I guess in a previous generation it would be the equivalent of going to your neighborhood court and playing regularly. It has been such a positive experience for our family. He has been able to try other extracurriculars he didn’t have time for. Win win for our family after the initial sadness of not making the team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay to play travel teams
Rec
Pay to play at private schools. No joke some DC families do this.

Why would it be a joke? One reason we are sending our kids to private is because after-school sports are mandatory and several teams are no-cut. I would like my kids to continue being active in HS even if they aren’t super talented.

Our private is the opposite. Way more competitive than public. But they have ma y alum in professional leagues—nba, nfl and always a hood showing in March Madness. Even really good players get cut.

That’s not more competitive than a public school like Whitman where there are several thousand kids

Umm. Yes it is. We are talking 6’7” HS Freshmen, kids going first round draft pick, 7 alum in the Final Four, etc. it’s not possible for your average good athlete on a top travel team to make the HS teams.

Okay so you picked the dumb jock private. We are talking about the top privates here.

What, 25 kids go out and the bottom half don’t make it in your school? And the top half were recruited to play so they’re very talented? Big publics can have 90 kids try out for a freshman team that doesn’t even end up being very good, despite the competition to get chosen, compared to other similar schools with better teams. It is really crazy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay to play travel teams
Rec
Pay to play at private schools. No joke some DC families do this.

Why would it be a joke? One reason we are sending our kids to private is because after-school sports are mandatory and several teams are no-cut. I would like my kids to continue being active in HS even if they aren’t super talented.

Our private is the opposite. Way more competitive than public. But they have ma y alum in professional leagues—nba, nfl and always a hood showing in March Madness. Even really good players get cut.

That’s not more competitive than a public school like Whitman where there are several thousand kids

Umm. Yes it is. We are talking 6’7” HS Freshmen, kids going first round draft pick, 7 alum in the Final Four, etc. it’s not possible for your average good athlete on a top travel team to make the HS teams.

Okay so you picked the dumb jock private. We are talking about the top privates here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't cut but we're also by far the smallest in the area (875) Meridian HS

This is not true. There are definitely teams that cut at Meridian. For example, baseball.

Do they cut or do they just have to play JV instead of varsity?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay to play travel teams
Rec
Pay to play at private schools. No joke some DC families do this.

Why would it be a joke? One reason we are sending our kids to private is because after-school sports are mandatory and several teams are no-cut. I would like my kids to continue being active in HS even if they aren’t super talented.

Our private is the opposite. Way more competitive than public. But they have ma y alum in professional leagues—nba, nfl and always a hood showing in March Madness. Even really good players get cut.

That’s not more competitive than a public school like Whitman where there are several thousand kids

Umm. Yes it is. We are talking 6’7” HS Freshmen, kids going first round draft pick, 7 alum in the Final Four, etc. it’s not possible for your average good athlete on a top travel team to make the HS teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay to play travel teams
Rec
Pay to play at private schools. No joke some DC families do this.

Why would it be a joke? One reason we are sending our kids to private is because after-school sports are mandatory and several teams are no-cut. I would like my kids to continue being active in HS even if they aren’t super talented.

Our private is the opposite. Way more competitive than public. But they have ma y alum in professional leagues—nba, nfl and always a hood showing in March Madness. Even really good players get cut.

That’s not more competitive than a public school like Whitman where there are several thousand kids

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't cut but we're also by far the smallest in the area (875) Meridian HS

This is not true. There are definitely teams that cut at Meridian. For example, baseball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they just stop playing?

America is such a sports obsessed country. All these kids who have played soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis for years end up not making teams. I know so many boys who have played soccer their whole lives and then get cut from high school soccer. Same for baseball. Just heard of a boy who got cut from freshmen basketball. Basketball was his whole life and he didn’t make it. I have a middle school son who also loves basketball. I’m 99% certain he won’t make the basketball team in 9th grade either.

America is sports obsessed yet so fat

I think this is linked

“Making the team” is so central to activity levels


Whereas in Switzerland, Austria, Italy there is less stress in youth sports and people stay more active throughout their lives

Ah, the Europeans are so much more virtuous canard.

Look into how skiing works there and report back.

Skiing is way cheaper in Europe than it is in the us

Anonymous wrote:My DS did not make the basketball team in 9th grade. We knew he had no chance. He plays rec league and loves it. He also decided to be the manager for the high school team because he loves being around sports.

If he’s smart and gets into a t20, this is the type of dude that ends up joining a coaching staff or nba front office and grinding up to being gm one day

And being involved in ball long after kids who make their hs team stop playing

Reason #134 why mega high schools are a terrible for kids.

My DS did not make the basketball team in 9th grade. We knew he had no chance. He plays rec league and loves it. He also decided to be the manager for the high school team because he loves being around sports.

Anonymous wrote:They focus on other things, just like the kids who burn out or can't afford it, or have to stop due to injuries, etc.

You say this is a sports obsessed country but there are plenty of places where sports are not a big focus at all. I never did a team sport in middle or high school and was active, had friends and was happy as a clam.

When it happened to me (soccer) I turned to a less competitive sport (cycling) and it changed my life for the better.