Topic
Tryouts and teams
Making the team, not making it, what to say either way.
16 pieces
-
Mar 23, 2026
The Post-Tryout Family Conversation
Same structure works whether they made it or didn't. Start with curiosity.
-
age 15+ · Mar 16, 2026
Varsity Tryouts at 15+: How to Read the Coach
The coach's behavior during tryouts tells you everything about what the season will be.
-
age 13–14 · Mar 9, 2026
Middle-School Tryouts (13-14): When Not Making It Is the Best Thing
The A team has 12 spots. Your kid is not the worst kid who didn't get one.
-
age 11–12 · Mar 2, 2026
The Travel-Team Tryout at 11-12
This is the first time it gets real. Here's what changes.
-
age 8–10 · Feb 23, 2026
The 8-10 Tryout: What Coaches Actually Evaluate
Not skill. Coachability, effort, commitment, and friendliness.
-
age 5–7 · Feb 16, 2026
What to Do the Night Before Tryouts at Age 5-7 (Which Is to Say, Almost Nothing)
*Normal bedtime* is the only rule.
-
age 8–10 · Feb 13, 2026
The night before tryouts at 8 to 10
He's nervous. The dinner table is tense. The 8-10 version is different from the 5-7 version.
-
Longer read · age 11–12 · Feb 12, 2026
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 next forty-eight hours.
-
Feb 11, 2026
How to read the tryout drill
A parent's eye view. What coaches are actually watching for.
-
age 8–10 · Feb 10, 2026
The kid who refuses to go to tryouts
She loved this sport last week. This morning she will not get out of bed. The fork in the road.
-
Feb 9, 2026
Pre-tryout dinner. What works, what doesn't
The food the night before. The food the morning of. Don't overthink it.
-
age 13–14 · Feb 8, 2026
The second cut that no one warns you about
She made the first cut. The second cut comes a week later. The names you didn't know to brace for.
-
age 11–12 · Feb 7, 2026
Tryouts when your kid has a cold
Saturday. Tryouts. He's congested and tired. The decision.
-
age 11–12 · Feb 6, 2026
How to tell if your kid is on the bubble
They might make the team. They might not. The signs to read before the list goes up.
-
age 15+ · Feb 5, 2026
The 15+ club tryout is a different beast
Higher stakes. Older kids. More money. The differences from rec or travel tryouts.
-
Feb 4, 2026
After the cut. The 24-hour rule
Don't make any decisions in the first 24 hours. The rule that prevents most regrets.