With spring warmth arriving and a long-awaited breeze in the air, the final sports season of the school year is about to begin. Preparations are already underway as tryouts enter their final stages and rosters begin to form. Two teams offer a seat to anyone: Lacrosse and Track & Field. Despite their non-cut policy, they still hold tryouts to finalize varsity lineups.
Tryouts vary across different sports. The tennis team, for example, uses a tournament-style format in which candidates directly compete against each other for the top spots. After an initial round of cuts, the remaining candidates continue to play against one another.
“It’s definitely a difficult process…in terms of getting in. However, it’s a really fun opportunity. You get to hang out with a team–like at team dinners– build a community, and support each other,”Milan Castelino, a junior and member of the varsity tennis team, said.
Despite operating differently, the volleyball team’s tryouts are just as demanding.
“Volleyball tryouts give everyone a fair chance at the start, but then it becomes more obvious who gets in based on who gets fed more plays from the coaches or who the coaches pay attention to,”Tevan Cautela, a junior and member of the varsity volleyball team, said.
The major differences in tryout structures between sports like tennis and volleyball stem from the individualized and team-based natures of each sport
“Volleyball is about communication and trust. You don’t want to get spiked in the face because the guys in front missed a block,” Cautela explained.
“Everyone in the program is together on the same field competing to make varsity. For the team as a whole, the biggest focus is to have a winning season and make the State tournament, but everyone is trying to go as far as possible,” Ethan Wang, a sophomore and member of the varsity lacrosse team, said.
Across all teams, relying on teammates, sharing workouts, and a belief in a common goal can help athletes perform at their best and create competition and community.
“We just wanna get back into the competition and this time win it all, ” a member of the varsity track and field team, said.
