HS Tryout Process

[Unregistered]

This may not be "medals for everyone" but the comments in this article (which don't appear to be satire) come close enough.

Soccer without a ball so everyone can imagine they are good (not inferior to anyone else) is really, really ****ed up. Imagine for a minute that more than a sliver of the most insane people in our society bought into this view? We could kiss athletics good-bye.

Fortunately the reality is that it's fringe and not mainstream.

http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/20...cer/index.html

LOL. They got you.

The following is from the This is That wiki article:

"This is That is a news satire program broadcast on CBC Radio, which airs comedic news stories presented in the style of a real CBC Radio public affairs program."

[Unregistered]

The "everyone gets a medal" movement started in the late 80s / early 90s as a way to raise self esteem, btw. I earned two trophies in my life, both for championship wins. It never affected my self esteem.

I got my first trophy at age 8 in 1968 for my first year in minor little league. It was stained wooden block perhaps 3" x 3" with a small 4 inch total faux metal batter screwed into it. I received this "honor" as recognition that I completed my first full season of organzied baseball. Everybody got the same trophy. It was presented by Bob Gibson who was one of the catchers for the Boston Red Sox. I also got his autograph on a scrap of paper that still sits in a box on my dresser. Dusty but still a nice memory.

The trophy went up onto a mantle in our family room. It was followed by all-star trophies, championship trophies, 2nd place medals, and probably another 20 trophies obtained up to the age of 17 when I stopped playing organized ball. The first one really didn't mean any more or less to me than the other trophies. It didn't even have my name on it. Just the league name and year.

I can certainly say that any dysfunction that I have as an adult is not related in any way to receiving this 79 cent (retail cost) chunk of wood and plastic that didn't really mark any real achievement. I would attribute those dysfunctions to a myriad of other experiencies I had during infancy, early childhood and most certainly during the awkwardly miserable years in high school. I also most likely had unresolved issues related to sibling competition and a lack of attention from my mother.

So in retrospect I am glad I received that little trophy and perhaps there are posters in this forum who will claim that all of my inadequacies and neuroses as an adult stem from being given something that was not earned. That being said I think it really did not affect my life one way or another.

[Unregistered]

LOL. They got you.

The following is from the This is That wiki article:

"This is That is a news satire program broadcast on CBC Radio, which airs comedic news stories presented in the style of a real CBC Radio public affairs program."

Hooking a conservative onto a cast line and sinker for satire or plain old run of the mill internet BS is about as difficult as catching a kiver in a shallow pond.

[Unregistered]

I'm not aware of a school where this isn't the policy. And I see nothing wrong with it presuming the basis for selection was sound leading up to that point which were based on merit (juniors who can play, make it, juniors who can't get cut).

This doesn't really relate to the OP's issue really, at least in terms of the claim that the policy exists preventing from freshmen from making varsity (whether there are lesser seniors carried or not).

Until that OP has the balls to name the school, I call bull**** on the claim that the policy exists, written or unwritten, and instead see it simply as another whacko parent who can't set bias aside in favor of objectivity.

Former HS coach here. I coached at two schools. Neither one had any kind of a policy for freshmen or seniors. I could do what I wanted with the roster. The only thing the AD cared about was no scandals and consistent delivery of victories and tournament berth.

[Unregistered]

Former HS coach here. I coached at two schools. Neither one had any kind of a policy for freshmen or seniors. I could do what I wanted with the roster. The only thing the AD cared about was no scandals and consistent delivery of victories and tournament berth.

Key word is "FORMER". Different world today.

[Unregistered]

Key word is "FORMER". Different world today.

Our high school does not put freshmen on varsity, period. It's not written formally anywhere, but it's the way it's been for as long as the current coach was there, about a decade. Instead really talented freshmen are placed on JV and eventually get moved up to varsity for a few minutes of play during the last few games.

What are the odds that any school can go 10 years without having a single freshman who wasn't clearly more talented than one or more of the sophomores or upperclassmen? If the next Mia Hamm showed up at his tryouts, we really do wonder if he'd make an exception for her. It's become a joke in our town and no kids or parents get angry about it anymore because at least it's an across-the-board policy and every freshman knows JV is the best she can hope for. And if she becomes one of the top 2 or 3 players on JV, she'll get a chance to work with the varsity team and maybe get some minutes in the last few games of the season.

So to those who say it never happens, I promise you are wrong. I think it happens very rarely because most coaches have really competitive natures and want to get the best players possible on varsity, but there are exceptions.

[Unregistered]

Freshman are still little boys. That is all that you need to focus on.

[Unregistered]

Key word is "FORMER". Different world today.

Different how? I'd say however rare it might be, where it does exist, it represents someone stuck in their ways. So if anything, I would see a more progressive thinker and competitive minded coach as one who would be willing to simply take the best players regardless of age.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist as a matter of practice, as the prior post lays out, maybe jv for time reading the player into varsity training and end of season games, but I would be shocked if there's a coach that would go on record saying freshmen just won't make it, period, because they're freshmen even if they're better. Every HS I'm familiar with, let's call them district contenders, takes a freshman or two on a regular basis.

[Unregistered]

Our high school does not put freshmen on varsity, period. It's not written formally anywhere, but it's the way it's been for as long as the current coach was there, about a decade. Instead really talented freshmen are placed on JV and eventually get moved up to varsity for a few minutes of play during the last few games.

What are the odds that any school can go 10 years without having a single freshman who wasn't clearly more talented than one or more of the sophomores or upperclassmen? If the next Mia Hamm showed up at his tryouts, we really do wonder if he'd make an exception for her. It's become a joke in our town and no kids or parents get angry about it anymore because at least it's an across-the-board policy and every freshman knows JV is the best she can hope for. And if she becomes one of the top 2 or 3 players on JV, she'll get a chance to work with the varsity team and maybe get some minutes in the last few games of the season.

So to those who say it never happens, I promise you are wrong. I think it happens very rarely because most coaches have really competitive natures and want to get the best players possible on varsity, but there are exceptions.

Dinosaur

[Unregistered]

Our high school does not put freshmen on varsity, period. It's not written formally anywhere, but it's the way it's been for as long as the current coach was there, about a decade. Instead really talented freshmen are placed on JV and eventually get moved up to varsity for a few minutes of play during the last few games.

What are the odds that any school can go 10 years without having a single freshman who wasn't clearly more talented than one or more of the sophomores or upperclassmen? If the next Mia Hamm showed up at his tryouts, we really do wonder if he'd make an exception for her. It's become a joke in our town and no kids or parents get angry about it anymore because at least it's an across-the-board policy and every freshman knows JV is the best she can hope for. And if she becomes one of the top 2 or 3 players on JV, she'll get a chance to work with the varsity team and maybe get some minutes in the last few games of the season.

So to those who say it never happens, I promise you are wrong. I think it happens very rarely because most coaches have really competitive natures and want to get the best players possible on varsity, but there are exceptions.

I do not agree with it as a policy (written or unwritten) but if you have a successful program this is probably ideal. The physical nature of HS soccer is real. Play tends to be dirtier (tackles and trips from behind) and meaner. My kids played for a losing program and as a result played as Freshman. Physically they were different people when they were sophs, JRs and Seniors and much more able to sort out the physical nature of HS Soccer.

Be careful what you wish for. HS is an ugly and physical brand of soccer. It does not resemble the elite level of club soccer.

[Unregistered]

Dinosaur

That's right. Coach is middle aged and high school teacher. No other soccer coaching experience as far as we can tell. Talks to freshmen about "earning" a varsity spot. It seems it's not enough to show up at tryouts very fit, working hard and performing really well, even better than some upperclassmen in some cases. If you're at top end of freshmen candidates, then you get a spot on the JV team, and then from there you continue working hard and performing well throughout the season and then you get a shot at moving up to varsity.

In almost every other town, a freshman has an opportunity to earn a varsity spot immediately after tryouts. Almost everyone thinks this guy's philosophy is flawed, and the really competitive kids/parents think it's totally f--ed up and unfair. But the no-freshmen-on-varsity policy will remain in effect as long as he is coach.

[Unregistered]

Our high school does not put freshmen on varsity, period. It's not written formally anywhere, but it's the way it's been for as long as the current coach was there, about a decade. Instead really talented freshmen are placed on JV and eventually get moved up to varsity for a few minutes of play during the last few games.

What are the odds that any school can go 10 years without having a single freshman who wasn't clearly more talented than one or more of the sophomores or upperclassmen? If the next Mia Hamm showed up at his tryouts, we really do wonder if he'd make an exception for her. It's become a joke in our town and no kids or parents get angry about it anymore because at least it's an across-the-board policy and every freshman knows JV is the best she can hope for. And if she becomes one of the top 2 or 3 players on JV, she'll get a chance to work with the varsity team and maybe get some minutes in the last few games of the season.

So to those who say it never happens, I promise you are wrong. I think it happens very rarely because most coaches have really competitive natures and want to get the best players possible on varsity, but there are exceptions.

On girls teams a freshman girl playing is not unusual. boys may have freshman on roster but rare for them to start...the difference between freshman and junior boys is amazing.

[Unregistered]

Ignorant "rules" like what are cited here is the reason college coaches pay no mind to high school soccer. Let's face it, high school soccer is town travel soccer for teenagers.

[Unregistered]

That's right. Coach is middle aged and high school teacher. No other soccer coaching experience as far as we can tell. Talks to freshmen about "earning" a varsity spot. It seems it's not enough to show up at tryouts very fit, working hard and performing really well, even better than some upperclassmen in some cases. If you're at top end of freshmen candidates, then you get a spot on the JV team, and then from there you continue working hard and performing well throughout the season and then you get a shot at moving up to varsity.

In almost every other town, a freshman has an opportunity to earn a varsity spot immediately after tryouts. Almost everyone thinks this guy's philosophy is flawed, and the really competitive kids/parents think it's totally f--ed up and unfair. But the no-freshmen-on-varsity policy will remain in effect as long as he is coach.

Could've guessed teacher/coach. It is a flawed philosophy. That has a lot to do with being a teacher hired to coach because he's a teacher at the school. I've seen coaches not get jobs because of that inside track and I've seen coaches eventually lose jobs because of that hiring preference.

[Unregistered]

Ignorant "rules" like what are cited here is the reason college coaches pay no mind to high school soccer. Let's face it, high school soccer is town travel soccer for teenagers.

Says the parent from the "losing" program...

So college players didn't play HS soccer? Got it, thanks.