This year’s fall sports tryouts brought a mix of nerves and focus as athletes in boys soccer, boys basketball, and girls wrestling competed for roster spots.
Many students said they could feel the seriousness of the environment as soon as tryouts began. Sophomore wrestler Katerina Pence said the first day stood out the most. She said, “At first it was really hard because we did a lot of running, but once we started doing more, it got easier. The first day is the hardest, so that we get rid of the people who won’t do it.”
Turnout varied across sports, with some groups larger than expected and others noticeably smaller. For Pence, the smaller turnout in girls’ wrestling created mixed feelings. She elaborated, “I was disappointed because I didn’t have any partners. But it just means more attention toward everything.”
For girls wrestling, a sport that typically has fewer athletes and less visibility, the experience remained competitive despite the small group. Pence commented, “We’re very underestimated, and when people try out, like football guys, they’re shocked at what we do.”
Group size also shaped how athletes connected with coaches. In sports with larger tryouts, some athletes said it was difficult for coaches to talk to everyone. Sophomore basketball player Kaleb Harrison explained, “Tryouts were really big, so coaches weren’t able to get to everyone at once. But once tryouts were over, they could focus on everyone individually.” Smaller tryouts brought more of a different atmosphere. Harrison said, “I liked that it was quiet. You could hear everyone and hear the coaches.”
Basketball tryouts drew significantly larger numbers. Harrison described the atmosphere as tense, especially on days when cuts were expected. He said, “Everyone was nervous. We were all trying really hard.” Harrison estimated that around 30 to 35 athletes tried out for the combined JV and freshman group. He explained, “There’s only a certain number of spots and a lot of people. You have to beat out like 15 to 20 people.” For soccer, an estimated 100 students were trying out, barely coming close to the number of people at boys’ basketball tryouts.
The final roster sizes also affected how players viewed their roles. Harrison said, “For my guard position, you have to bring more because we’re not going to have a bunch of rotations.” Despite the pressure, Harrison said the effort shown during tryouts gave him confidence in the season ahead. He elaborated, “We all tried really hard. I think we’ll do the same for the season. I think we’re going to have a good one.”
As teams are finalized, athletes across sports say they plan to use the lessons from tryout week to prepare for the months ahead. Many left with a clearer understanding of expectations and a stronger sense of what the season will require.
