Sports tryouts are a rite of passage. Every season, hundreds of students compete for roster spots, many experiencing the sting of high athletic standards for the first time. Behind the cuts, participation is at record highs, financial aid has nearly doubled and teams continue to succeed at the state and national levels.
According to data provided by the athletics department, a decade ago, participation in athletics looked very different. In 2013, about 1,300 roster spots were filled across three seasons. Today, that number is closer to 1,900.
In other words, more kids are finding their way into sports, and more roster spots are being created to meet the demand, according to Athletic Director Kyle Williams.
The athletic department added new programs like sailing, expanded others like Nordic skiing and built junior varsity and freshman levels when interest has surged. Financial barriers have also shifted. In 2022, the athletic department reimbursed 116 athlete season fees through financial aid. While the athletic fee has also grown, that number nearly doubled, showing a deliberate push to bring students into sports.
“We want kids to have the experience of being part of a team: traveling together, competing and belonging,” Williams said. “That sense of community is just as important as wins and losses.”
Varsity cross country runner Elodie Wallace said she made a lot of friends on the team and really enjoys the community.
Despite the push to expand access, the athletic department hasn’t eliminated cuts. Head coach of boys cross country Michael Glennon said his team has seen a consistent size increase throughout his career, quadrupling over the course of his tenure as coach. According to Glennon, the size of the team allows athletes of different levels to push each other but can also come with challenges.
For the first time, both boys and girls cross country had a time standard to meet in order to earn a roster spot. While Glennon originally advocated for a team-wide standard, he said he ultimately decided it would be too difficult to set.
“Everybody thinks running is easy, but it’s hard, day in and day out,” Glennon said. “If a student can’t really keep up, they can get hurt, and they won’t have a group to train with. As much as I want everyone to belong, you also have to be able to actually do the sport.”
Girls varsity head soccer coach Ben Peters said that while cuts are difficult, they are crucial across all levels.
“Most of our varsity players are already at the highest level in club soccer,” Peters said. “For others, it can be tough. Cuts are stressful, but if you keep everyone, no one gets enough practice, reps or playing time. That waters down the whole program for everybody.”
Williams said it’s inevitable that cuts have a huge emotional impact on kids, especially freshmen being cut in the fall before they even begin high school.
“Their first experience of high school for some kids is being told ‘You’re not good enough,’” Williams said. “It kills me.”
Because of this, Williams said he and the rest of the athletic department work to redirect students to other opportunities. Each season, between 15 and 30 students who don’t make one team end up registering for another.
Wallace was cut from girls volleyball as a freshman, she then signed up for cross country. After two seasons of JV, she is now a top-five runner on the team.
“Now I’m glad that I was cut from volleyball because I realized that running was my thing early on,” said Wallace. “I run all three seasons and just keep improving.”
With the numerous cuts that do occur, Williams said a common question is, why not just add more teams? Williams said the barriers are real, and the school is limited in their resources.
“It’s not about being mean or chasing championships,” Williams said. “It’s about making sure that the kids we keep get practices and games that are organized, safe and developmentally appropriate.”
With more students playing sports today than ever before, cuts are part of the experience, but so is growth, access and community, said Williams.
“If a student wants to be part of something at Brookline, there should be a place for them,” Williams said. “And we’ll keep working to make sure there is.”
