Anyone's kids trying out for high school sports?

[3boysmom]

My oldest ds is in the midst of tryouts for his high school soccer team. They spent all last week doing 2-a-days (2 hours in the morning and 2.5 hours in the afternoon) followed by 3 scrimmages against other schools yesterday. The first round of cuts were posted today (ds made it). Kids that make it through this first cut get another week of the intense schedule before they make yet another final cut. Seems a bit much to expect kids to dedicate 1-2 weeks of their lives (these tryouts are intense - physically and emotionally draining!) before they find out if they make it. I also don't know what kids do whose parents are not available to drive them back and forth to all of this. I guess they are just out of luck?

DS was on the high school swim team last year - again pretty intense tryout procedure. I don't remember it being like this when I was in high school - so darn high-pressure and competitive. It doesn't really seem to bother ds (so far he's made every team he's tried out for) but I really feel for the kids that don't make it, as well as those that don't have the luxury of rides to all of the required tryout activities.

Is it like this where you are?

[Alkenny]

DD is only in 8th grade right now, but it's this way at the junior high here too. She tried out for cheerleading two years in a row, not making it...same kind of rigorous practices even. (She runs cross country now, but there are no tryouts for that...everyone can run.)

[PajamaMama]

My dd is in the 6th grade and has volleyball tryouts this week...but I think everyone who tries out gets to be on the team.

[Catsinthecradle]

DS is in the 10th grade. He has been playing baseball quite seriously since he was in elementary school. I'm not much of a sports person, but fortunately for our son, DH is.

Tryouts are grueling. They last for a couple of weeks each spring, and the coaches don't hold back in the least when it comes to making those cuts. The boys go to conditioning and play on community teams ALL YEAR LONG to prepare for the tryouts. Everyone who tries out is good. I feel sad for the guys who get cut, and I get angry every year, but no one listens to me. Who am am? What do I know? I'm just an old hippie who wants to let everyone play, and who doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

I go to the games and bake cookies for the potlucks, but I just don't quite feel the intense committment that the others seem to possess.

I do have to admit, though. When DS makes the team, he feels a great sense of accomplishment. He is a humble boy, but he walks with his head high for the season. He knows he'll have a nice group of friends to "play" with (if you can call it that.)

When they have games that start at 7:30 on school nights, though, I go into panic mode, but somehow he seems to manage to keep his grades up.

I have to admit, though, I'd rather have him running around the field, lifting weights, and playing baseball than sitting at home in front of the video game machine!