Topic
Tryouts and teams
Making the team, not making it, what to say either way.
31 pieces
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age 13–14 · May 13, 2026
August first. The pre-season week
Tryouts in days. School in two weeks. The week to get the kid right without overdoing any of it.
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Longer read · Ballet · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
The summer intensive audition: what an audition video actually needs
Summer intensives at major schools require an audition video. Here is what they look for and how to film one that does not embarrass your kid.
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Longer read · Ballet · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
The audition season for year-round ballet programs
Some pre-professional kids transition to a year-round residential program in middle or high school. Here is what the audition season looks like and how to decide if it is the right move.
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Longer read · Band · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
Honor band audition season: how to actually prepare
All-county, all-state, all-region. The fall honor band auditions are when the next year's leaders get picked. Here is what the process looks like and how to help your kid through it.
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Longer read · Choir · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
All-state choir audition prep: what the panel actually listens for
An all-state audition is sight-reading, scales, and a prepared piece. The kids who make it learned a few specific things. Here is what they are.
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Softball · age 15+ · Jun 10, 2026
Cut From Varsity Softball as a Junior: Now What
The junior-year cut is the one with no JV safety net. The four real options, and the one move that makes all of them worse.
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Basketball · age 13–14 · Jun 10, 2026
Making the School Basketball Team
The first real tryout of most kids' lives. What coaches actually evaluate, and how to be useful from the bleachers.
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Longer read · May 13, 2026
The night before tryouts when you're also the coach
Your job tonight is parent. Your job tomorrow morning is coach. The seam between the two is the hard part. Here's how to keep them straight.
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age 13–14 · May 13, 2026
The August fitness test
Two weeks before tryouts. Conditioning matters more than skill at this point. The week-by-week to be ready.
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Longer read · Jun 13, 2026
The kid who gets cut every year
Some kids get cut repeatedly. Here's how to think about it without crushing them or yourself.
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Mar 24, 2026
The Post-Tryout Family Conversation
Same structure works whether they made it or didn't. Start with curiosity.
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Longer read · Theater · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
Auditioning for the high school musical as an 8th grader
Some high schools open the musical audition to incoming freshmen. Here is what to expect, what to prepare, and how to think about the longer game.
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Longer read · Theater · age 13–14 · May 12, 2026
When the role is too small (and when it is too big)
Casting decisions feel personal but they are not. Here is how to read the role your kid got and what to do when it is the wrong size for them.
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Basketball · age 15+ · Jun 10, 2026
Varsity Basketball Tryouts: The Real Odds and How the Depth Chart Works
Twelve to fifteen jerseys, sixty kids in the gym, and a coach who knew ten of the names in October. Read the math before tryout week.
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age 15+ · Mar 17, 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.
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age 13–14 · Mar 10, 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.
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age 11–12 · Mar 3, 2026
The Travel-Team Tryout at 11-12
This is the first time it gets real. Here's what changes.
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age 11–12 · May 13, 2026
The post-tryouts wait
What to say (and not say) in the 48 hours between tryouts and the call. The inside of your kid's head while they wait.
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age 8–10 · May 13, 2026
Trying a new sport in the off-season
The kid wants to try something new. The five-week test that tells you whether it sticks, and the parent traps to avoid.
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age 8–10 · Feb 24, 2026
The 8-10 Tryout: What Coaches Actually Evaluate
Not skill. Coachability, effort, commitment, and friendliness.
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age 5–7 · Feb 17, 2026
What to Do the Night Before Tryouts at Age 5-7 (Which Is to Say, Almost Nothing)
*Normal bedtime* is the only rule.
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age 8–10 · Feb 14, 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.
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Longer read · age 11–12 · Feb 13, 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.
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Feb 12, 2026
How to read the tryout drill
A parent's eye view. What coaches are actually watching for.