by Sofia Georgaklis

Tryouts: the daunting, intimidating, nerve wracking and sometimes heart breaking experience almost every athlete has to undergo. Many sports teams at the high school do not have enough spots on their roster for everyone who tries out, inevitably resulting in cuts. However, although cuts are often seen as a negative thing, being cut from a team can have positive outcomes.

Junior Neil Yajnik said he was surprised to be cut from the boys tennis team and although it affected him at first, getting cut was eventually for the better.

“It made me realize that the sport wasn’t for me,” Yajnik said. “I ended up playing lacrosse and having more fun than I would’ve had playing tennis.”

Junior Ellary Anderson also said that not being placed on the volleyball team she hoped to make was beneficial in the long run.

“Right after it happened I was pretty upset but I made new friends on the team I was placed on,” Anderson said. “It made me a better player as a whole because it made me focus on the basics, which I needed to know. The possibility of getting moved up to a higher team also motivated me to work harder.”

Junior Alan Karchmer said the boys soccer tryout process is fair despite the many cuts made from the program every year.

“Making cuts is necessary because so many people try out and the number of players exceeds the team limit,” Karchmer said. “Making cuts also pushes people to work and prepare over the summer which benefits the team.”

Several teams at the high school, such as track and field and lacrosse, have a no cut policy. According to Yajnik, the no cut policy has its pros and cons.

“I think it is a good thing because it helps kids who are discovering sports play and learn,” Yajnik said. “The only real con is that the team will have some players who aren’t up to equal skill.”

Sophomore Sophia Maclean, who participates in track and field at the high school, also said that there is often a skill imbalance on teams that follow the no cuts policy.

“There’s a wide range of talent present because of no cuts so the people that are really good and committed to doing well put in a lot of effort, whereas people that aren’t as committed don’t really try,” Maclean said.

Yajnik said that although the result can be disappointing, the process of making cuts is fair and necessary.

“All sports teams have the same goal of generating the best roster possible. Coaches cut players because of player skill not because of opinion,” Yajnik said. “I wouldn’t change the process, as there is no perfect tryout.”