Tryouts and teams

When school basketball tryouts and AAU practice collide

October stacks school tryouts and AAU. Nobody else will sort that out.

The theater track nobody explains: how to sign up for crew instead of the stage

Getting cut from the cast doesn't mean the show is over.

Youth Tryout Results Emails: Templates + 6 Item Checklist

Templates and short call scripts for youth tryout results emails—made, not selected, waitlist—plus a six item send checklist coaches can drop.

When the cuts list goes up and your kid isn't on it

She tried out hard. The list is up. Her name isn't there.

The cross country time trial that quietly sets your kid's varsity spot

One five-minute run in week one shapes how your kid sees the season.

The night before tryouts

What to Do the Night Before Tryouts at Age 5-7 (Which Is to Say, Almost Nothing)

Pack once, answer one question, and use the normal bedtime.

Tryouts when your kid has a cold

The roster matters. So does keeping a respiratory illness out of the gym.

The All-State Choir Audition Prep Checklist

Scales, sight-reading, and one piece sung cold in front of a judge. Here's the actual prep list, not the vague version.

Landing the lead in college or top community theater: the real odds

The math gets harder at this level, and the reasons a director says no stop having anything to do with talent alone.

Company Placement and Team Tryouts: The Real Odds

One studio, forty dancers, and one small team. Here is what the director is actually scoring.

Drum major and section leader: the real odds

One podium, a handful of section leader spots, and a decision directors make on more than talent.

Making All-State Choir as a Senior: The Real Odds

One state, a few dozen slots per voice part, and a senior who has been building toward this since ninth grade. Read the math before audition week.

Trainee and second-company placement: the real odds

A trainee program is not a company. A second company is not a guarantee. Here is the math nobody says out loud at pointe shoe fittings.

Varsity cheer tryouts: the real odds

Judges aren't scoring school spirit. They're scoring three things, and a smile isn't one of them.

Varsity Crew Boat Selection: The Real Odds and How Seat Racing Works

Eight seats in the fast boat, forty kids in the boathouse, and a system that settles the argument on the water instead of in a meeting.

Varsity Cross Country: The Real Odds and How the Scoring Squad Works

Almost nobody gets cut from this team. Making the scoring seven is a different story.

Varsity Girls Lacrosse Tryouts: The Real Odds and What Gets Cut

Twenty-five jerseys, a program that's grown fast, and a coach deciding who plays and who watches.

Varsity Soccer Tryouts: The Real Odds and How the Starting XI Gets Set

Soccer cuts. That's different from a lot of fall sports, and it changes how tryout week should feel in your house.

Varsity Softball Tryouts: The Real Odds and How the Pitching Circle Works

Fifteen jerseys, one circle, and a coach who already knows which arm she trusts. Read the math before tryout week.

Varsity Swim Team: The Real Odds and How the Lineup Actually Works

Almost nobody gets cut from high school swimming. The real competition starts after the roster is set.

Varsity Tennis: The Real Odds and How the Ladder Actually Works

Six singles spots, three doubles teams, and a coach who already has a rough order before the first challenge match is played.

Varsity Volleyball Tryouts: The Real Odds and How the Starting Six Gets Set

Ten to fourteen jerseys, one tryout week, and a coach who already knows who can pass. Read the roster math before tryout week.

What a STUNT recruiting video should actually show

A coach building a roster from scratch doesn't need a highlight reel. She needs to see exactly what your kid can do, labeled, in under five minutes.