Opening Day

[TheHillZ]

"You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."

-Joe DiMaggio


Here's hoping for a healthy, fun season for all.

 

[ClayK]

So true. And then the next big day is when tryouts are over and you have your team together for the first time.

When you don't look forward to the start of a new season, it's time to move on.

 

[ankleassassin]

there are still tryouts?

 

[ClayK]

In NCS, the first day of practice was Monday, which means the first day of tryouts was Monday. Most schools go with three days of tryouts, and then teams are determined -- well, except for the kids running cross country or in postseason in volleyball, tennis, golf and water polo. They have to be allowed to try out as well, but can't do so until their season ends.

So a bunch of kids can conceivably show up next Monday, or the Monday after, or even the Monday after that, and get their three days of tryouts.

Usually, the varsity coaches have a good grip on the talent playing other sports, but, for example, I saw some freshman girls for the first time last night, and they are JV candidates I didn't know about. And then I have to wait for the varsity cuts. And then for the girls who will trickle back into basketball after their season ends (I know of two from cross country, but there could be more -- and some of the freshmen could be pretty good.)

Things are never as simple as they seem.

 

[ankleassassin]

ahhh i guess i mean varsity wise... they should already know their team considering they play year round of some sort. my high school didnt even worry about football players joining the team because there was so many basketball players

 

[ClayK]

Even varsity can be tricky, especially in the weaker programs. You want that good freshman you didn't know about to play with the varsity rather than try to deal with being on a really bad JV team. And even if you know the candidates for varsity, there are usually a couple tough choices to be made that are decided during tryouts.

Sure, the 11th and 12th players don't matter that much to team success, but the varsity spot matters to them.

There will be tears ...

 

[ankleassassin]

are there still A and B teams?

 

[510sportsfan]

Even varsity can be tricky, especially in the weaker programs. You want that good freshman you didn't know about to play with the varsity rather than try to deal with being on a really bad JV team. And even if you know the candidates for varsity, there are usually a couple tough choices to be made that are decided during tryouts.

Sure, the 11th and 12th players don't matter that much to team success, but the varsity spot matters to them.

There will be tears ...

Will never understand putting the freshmen on varsity for basketball unless they are a true difference maker (all league type player as a frosh) if you are a mediocre team. If you are a state championship level team its unlikely a 9th grader would be a rotation player but if they would be I guess that would be the other time it would be fine in my book. Otherwise let them play with kids their age and keep them away from the often negative social influences of the older girls. If they are really pretty good then the JV team wont be bad because it only takes one or two players to have a decent jv team. Especially if that freshmen isnt playing 20+ minutes a game it just seems dumb to me for development purposes to put a ninth grader on varsity

 

[GBBall4L]

Will never understand putting the freshmen on varsity for basketball unless they are a true difference maker (all league type player as a frosh) if you are a mediocre team. If you are a state championship level team its unlikely a 9th grader would be a rotation player but if they would be I guess that would be the other time it would be fine in my book. Otherwise let them play with kids their age and keep them away from the often negative social influences of the older girls. If they are really pretty good then the JV team wont be bad because it only takes one or two players to have a decent jv team. Especially if that freshmen isnt playing 20+ minutes a game it just seems dumb to me for development purposes to put a ninth grader on varsity

That depends on whether or not you will need that kid the following year. If you are going to need them the following year you might want to bring them up to varsity. Practicing against against better players trumps playing against weaker players.

 

[ClayK]

It's especially true for taller players, who can dominate at lower levels without having to improve. Guards need game time more because they have to make more decisions, but a tall post who just stands there and scores in a JV game -- and a lot of JV teams aren't very good because of the talent going to volleyball -- doesn't get any better.

In general, though, if a frosh isn't in the rotation, JVs are a better call, though there are a lot of variables -- one of which is the caliber of coaching on the JKV team. JV coaches are hard to find ...