High School Open Or Closed Tryouts Which Do You Prefer?

[emo_wifey]

Even with an open tryout do they really announce the team right there and then? I've only ever known team selection announcements to be done by posting a list or other notification after everyone has left.


**insert sarcasm font here**

When I tried out for MS back in 01 they not only announced it, they had the retiring 8th graders make signs for every girl that made it with their name, and they stood in a line in front of everyone. I didn't make it. Not so fun.

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[cheer25mom]

Our all star gym does open tryouts, but school tryouts are closed. At all star, they know what skills the girls have and have an idea of where they will place them well before tryouts, with the exception of a few new girls every year, and everyone makes a team so tryouts are just a formality and really laid back. School is a whole different ballgame as there are usually 3x as many girls trying out as there are spots on the team. If those tryouts were open I shudder to think about the fallout!!

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

With school, you're dealing with a set number of spots. Everyone is immediately seen as competition once we start talking about "15 girls for 12 spots.

"

Do most school teams have this type of set up?

I never talk about having a set number of spots. We just stop taking people when we run out of kids with legit potential. I feel like saying "we're only taking 20" would limit me if I had 30 kids who I thought could eventually be important to our program. If I cut those kids, I'm afraid they won't come back.

In reverse, "we are definitely taking 20," would force me to take 4 or 5 that don't have the ability if I only had 15 show up with the right talent mix. Then I'm giving false hope, and putting a parent in a position where they have to purchase warm-ups, etc that their child may only get to wear for one year.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

Do most school teams have this type of set up?

I never talk about having a set number of spots. We just stop taking people when we run out of kids with legit potential. I feel like saying "we're only taking 20" would limit me if I had 30 kids who I thought could eventually be important to our program. If I cut those kids, I'm afraid they won't come back.

In reverse, "we are definitely taking 20," would force me to take 4 or 5 that don't have the ability if I only had 15 show up with the right talent mix. Then I'm giving false hope, and putting a parent in a position where they have to purchase warm-ups, etc that their child may only get to wear for one year.

I like schools that have a Freshmen Team, Varsity and JV team or "sideline only" team. This way no one really gets cut during tryouts unless they just show a complete lack of interest or trying to be a good cheerleader

 

[Official OWECheer]

When I tried out for MS back in 01 they not only announced it, they had the retiring 8th graders make signs for every girl that made it with their name, and they stood in a line in front of everyone. I didn't make it. Not so fun.

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Yikes, perfect recipe for some seriously hurt feelings.

I can't imagine the shade that some SMs might try to throw at other kids during an open tryout... especially the kids whom they perceive to be a threat to their own child.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Yikes, perfect recipe for some seriously hurt feelings.

I can't imagine the shade that some SMs might try to throw at other kids during an open tryout... especially the kids whom they perceive to be a threat to their own child.

I had an assistant coaching position 15 years ago before I moved. I'll never forget my first tryout experience. Not only did the outgoing seniors have input into who made the team. They picked one freshman who had never cheered before, who had no skills, over a couple of juniors who were really good because "her flipped out hair is so cute."

 

[Official OWECheer]

I had an assistant coaching position 15 years ago before I moved. I'll never forget my first tryout experience. Not only did the outgoing seniors have input into who made the team. They picked one freshman who had never cheered before, who had no skills, over a couple of juniors who were really good because "her flipped out hair is so cute."

Ugh.... outgoing senior are still TEENAGE GIRLS and thus especially prone to pettiness as well. I can see the other side of this: an incredibly skilled girl NOT making it just because one or more of the outgoing seniors doesn't like her.

 

[cheer25mom]

I like schools that have a Freshmen Team, Varsity and JV team or "sideline only" team. This way no one really gets cut during tryouts unless they just show a complete lack of interest or trying to be a good cheerleader

All of those exist in my area and girls are still cut. Many schools have way too many girls to take everyone. Squads are typically about 16 girls, no more than 20, so freshman ,JV, and Varsity can take a max of 60 total, and 100+ show up to try out. Other schools struggle to get enough to cheer.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Ugh.... outgoing senior are still TEENAGE GIRLS and thus especially prone to pettiness as well. I can see the other side of this: an incredibly skilled girl NOT making it just because one or more of the outgoing seniors doesn't like her.

This is why I don't involve them.

I like schools that have a Freshmen Team, Varsity and JV team or "sideline only" team. This way no one really gets cut during tryouts unless they just show a complete lack of interest or trying to be a good cheerleader

Not a fan of no-cut activities in school.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Do most school teams have this type of set up?

I never talk about having a set number of spots. We just stop taking people when we run out of kids with legit potential. I feel like saying "we're only taking 20" would limit me if I had 30 kids who I thought could eventually be important to our program. If I cut those kids, I'm afraid they won't come back.

In reverse, "we are definitely taking 20," would force me to take 4 or 5 that don't have the ability if I only had 15 show up with the right talent mix. Then I'm giving false hope, and putting a parent in a position where they have to purchase warm-ups, etc that their child may only get to wear for one year.

I don't typically. But it doesn't take a genius to look at a game and see how many I tend to take. It varies a little from year to year but I tend to take the same general number every year. I've never been in a position to have it bite me in the butt, either (I always have plenty of kids.)

What I generally meant was, at all stars, you know that there is a team for every Level 4 kid in your 80 person Level 4 evals. No one is totally turning away a kid, even it means they make a lower level team.


When you walk into your school tryout, you know that there is only one team and that there isn't going to be a 60 person squad. Someone's got to go.

 

[Twinklestars]

Ugh.... outgoing senior are still TEENAGE GIRLS and thus especially prone to pettiness as well. I can see the other side of this: an incredibly skilled girl NOT making it just because one or more of the outgoing seniors doesn't like her.

Our outgoing seniors teach the try-out dance, cheer, and chant. They provide feedback for mock tryouts. They are not involved with the actual tryouts.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

Our outgoing seniors teach the try-out dance, cheer, and chant. They provide feedback for mock tryouts. They are not involved with the actual tryouts.

This is exactly how our school does it. Except only the Senior captain and co-captains are involved, not all of the seniors.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I don't typically. But it doesn't take a genius to look at a game and see how many I tend to take. It varies a little from year to year but I tend to take the same general number every year. I've never been in a position to have it bite me in the butt, either (I always have plenty of kids.)

What I generally meant was, at all stars, you know that there is a team for every Level 4 kid in your 80 person Level 4 evals. No one is totally turning away a kid, even it means they make a lower level team.


When you walk into your school tryout, you know that there is only one team and that there isn't going to be a 60 person squad. Someone's got to go.

If I had 60 kids show up, I would push hard for this school's first ever true freshman squad.

Then after all the freshmen made the cut, I would sort everyone else into however many teams made sense.

I'm just crazy enough to try to coach all three of them.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I wouldn't know what to do with that many! I still get pretty excited over 45ish.

 

[Twinklestars]

This is exactly how our school does it. Except only the Senior captain and co-captains are involved, not all of the seniors.

We only had four seniors!