Just Curious - does your Middle School cut?

[soccerdad72]

It depends on the sport and the class at our school. It's a private school, so it's smaller than most (no more than 60 total per grade), but in years when they have a large number of kids come out for a particular sport (like basketball), they might have an 'A' team, a 'B' team and a PE team (meaning, they learn the sport and practice during gym class, but don't participate in games against other schools).

In my older son's grade (he graduated last year), they only had 14 boys in the whole class, so cuts weren't a problem. Actually, they only had 4 boys interested in basketball their 8th grade year, so they had to pull some 7th graders up to play 8th grade basketball that year.

 

[robinb]

Our middle school only had a track team and it did not cut. Some sports at my DD's HS don't cut either (her swim team, for instance).

 

[PlutoPony]

Yes sports makes cuts in middle school. They have to, so many kids go out that it doesn't make sense to carry 100 boys on the basketball team (NOT an exaggeration on the # that try out). But there are a lot of opportunities for recreational sports here starting as young as age 3 (soccer), virtually all of which don't make cuts.

 

[design_mom]

Yes. There are cuts at my kids' middle school. Only 7th and 8th graders are allowed to play. When my son was in 7th he tried out for the basketball team. There were 70 kids trying for 12 spots. He didn't make the team. There are a few sports that don't have cuts (track, cross country, and lacrosse? maybe), so if you want to play on a team, there is a team you can play on... but not necessarily in your preferred sport.

The school I went to for grades 1-8 was small (30 kids per grade). There was no question that you'd get on the team and get playing time. I was a terrible athlete, but heck, they practically begged me to play so there'd be enough girls to field a team.

 

[Vicki926]

Our middle school has soccer, basketball, track and softball. There are cuts. Maybe not for track-they don't cut track at the high school either.

They do football, baseball, and cheering through the town recreation department for kids in grades 1-8.
No cuts, except competition cheering, which is after and separate from football season.
Rec basketball also has a travel team and you can get cut from that.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

At the middle school I went to, there were cuts. I don't think Track & Field was one of them, though. I remember my sister getting cut from 8th grade basketball and crying over it ( she was very athletic and succeeded at most sports, as well as really tall, so she was shocked). I didn't try out for any teams, but I almost certainly would have been cut.

 

[pumpkinmomma]

I agree 100%.

Our middle school (6th thru 8th grades) do cut for sports teams and I find it frustrating. Some of these kids just want to learn to play the game or get better at the game. Then they run into the adults that are sending the "you're not good enough" message. I don't see any reason why they couldn't let all of the kids that try out for the team at least practice with the team. Not everyone has to play in every (or any) game and not everyone has to get a trophy, but I do believe that everyone should at least be able to learn! Especially at this age.

Sometimes it is just not practical to have all the kids that tryout practice with the team. They don't have the time, space, or coaches available to make it productive for anyone.

 

[nugov2]

Yep we have cuts beginning in 5th grade, it just depends on the sport/activity.

 

[Neesy228]

Sometimes it is just not practical to have all the kids that tryout practice with the team. They don't have the time, space, or coaches available to make it productive for anyone.

Agreed.

However, in our district, in the middle schools, those numbers of kids being cut are almost always less than 10. Often 5 or fewer. So at some point it just seems a little mean spirited.

 

[nugov2]

Agreed.

However, in our district, in the middle schools, those numbers of kids being cut are almost always less than 10. Often 5 or fewer. So at some point it just seems a little mean spirited.

Maybe, but in fairness they have to draw a line somewhere and if they let in 5, but the next year it's 10 and they now need to pay another coach or extra bus expenses or whatever now what? I think you just need to draw the line and stick to it to make less headache for the school in the long run. If a kid really wants to learn and play a sport that is what rec leagues are for.

 

[Nettester]

No, our middle school doesn't cut or hold try outs. It's a large school, grades 6-8. My daughter is in 8th grade and plays volleyball. The program probably has about 60+ kids participate. They have an "A" and a "B" team. Nearly all of the 6th graders are on the B team. 7th grade is split. And nearly all of the 8th graders (except those 8th graders brand new to the sport) are on the "A" team. Other city middle schools have A and B teams too, so as many kids as possible get playing time. They do a pretty good job of giving everyone a chance to play. Last year in 7th grade she signed up for track as well (with zero experience) and had a good time.

 

[sk!mom]

My kids went to a Middle School in the 900-1000 range. Yes, sports cut. They do have several teams for each sport A, B, C so that more kids get to play but still cuts occur and C team doesn't have the schedule and travel that A team does.

Even the music programs have try-outs and while they don't cut anyone completely, you are assigned based on audition. Only the best make Marching Band, Concert and Show choir, and the Symphony Orchestra.

As to whether it's "good" or not, I think it's probably unavoidable in a school as big as the one my kids attended. There are smaller school options here where almost everyone needs to go out for a team if they will be able to field a team at all.

 

[declansdad]

Maybe, but in fairness they have to draw a line somewhere and if they let in 5, but the next year it's 10 and they now need to pay another coach or extra bus expenses or whatever now what? I think you just need to draw the line and stick to it to make less headache for the school in the long run. If a kid really wants to learn and play a sport that is what rec leagues are for.

You could make the same argument for middle school sports. The middle school age is when most sport specific skills are learned and the optimal solution would be to have as many kids play as possible. It isn't always possible to not cut but many middle schools around here will run a team at each grade level and possible a tier 2 team for anyone left.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think it depends on the sport, the number of coaches, the availability of other teams, etc. Lets say you have 20 kids try out for a basketball team. Sure, you have enough kids for an A and B team (with a couple kids playing on both), but if the other schools don't have enough kids for a B team, who will they play? Now you have 20 kids for an A team. Should #19 or 20 take playing time away from #2? Yes, it's a shame that #19 won't "learn" the game. But there are other options... YMCA, "rec" leagues, etc.

 

[Tigerlulu]

Our middle school cuts severely. It's the super athletic kids or kids who's parents are important to the coaches in some way that make it. I've seen some very athletic kids get cut--even seen kids be cut when trying out for track even though they beat kids who made it!
So most of us don't worry about middle school sports. They can still play rec at that age. In the high school, the coaches are much more liberal. They want kids who are interested and will try hard and they cut much less. Many of the teams will take whoever wants to participate.

 

[MomofKatie]

DD attended a very large middle school (over 1400 students, 6th-8th grades) and they did cut for all sports. DD tried out for soccer in 7th grade and didn't make it past day 1 of tryouts. It made her really upset, but she asked the coach what she needed to do to be more competitive the next year, made improvements, and made the starting team in 8th grade. She had been playing rec and club since she was 5. Soccer is one of the most competitive and selective teams in middle school.

 

[jen73]

We cut on certain sports, football is usually never cut, the rest usually are. We're in suburbs of dallas

 

[lesliekatya]

Our middle school cuts, but also has a fair number of intramural teams, which I think is nice. Even un-athletic kids should get the chance to play team sports and get some exercise.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

Yes sports makes cuts in middle school. They have to, so many kids go out that it doesn't make sense to carry 100 boys on the basketball team (NOT an exaggeration on the # that try out). But there are a lot of opportunities for recreational sports here starting as young as age 3 (soccer), virtually all of which don't make cuts.

I'm quoting your post, because this is basically what I was going to say. Our middle school is only 7th and 8th grade, and there are roughly 800 students, I think? My son had tried out for basketball both years he was there and didn't make it. My daughter was on the 7th grade basketball team this year. 30 girls tried out, and 15 made it. While not an insane number, I can't even imagine trying to manage 30 kids at a basketball practice, while being able to concentrate on the ones who are actually going to play. Boys had at least double that trying out...can you imagine that practice if they all made it?

I do believe our football team takes all, but everyone else, including track & field, makes cuts. There are just too many in the school to allow for that many to join the team.

Most kids around here, though, have been playing rec sports for a long time. Be it football, basketball, baseball/softball, wrestling or soccer. And those rec teams do continue into the high school ages, so they still have an option to play even if they don't make the school team.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I haven't read all of the replies, but my kids middle school did not cut anybody. They had try-outs and the most talented kids would make the "A team" and everyone else on the "B team". Their high school also did not cut anybody. However, if you did not have much skill you did not play. But everyone has uniforms and were part of the team.

I am 48, and went to Middle High school/High school back 79-85. There were always cuts and teams were small.

Having experienced both between my kids and myself, I really liked my kids school. We are an athletic family, so making a team was never an issue for any of us. What I really liked about my kids school, was that if you wanted to be a part of a team you could be. You may not play in the games or play very little but you can be a part of the group. Of course some kids only want to be a part of a team if they play a lot, but there are a lot of kids out there, that just want to be a part of something. I know my kids school very often had kids with various disabilities on the teams. I remember meeting a Mom at an end of the year high school baseball party. This was a varsity team party. Her son was a senior, who had been included on the JV team. Since he was a senior he was invited to the varsity party. His Mom told me how happy she was when they moved into our district and found out her son, who LOVED baseball could be on the JV team. He rarely played, but loved being on the team.