For most athletes, the judgment from coaches during the tryout process arouses stress. For the girl’s basketball tryouts, when self-evaluation is added in, stress can, even though the coaches use this tool to try to create a more productive process.

The girls basketball team has one tryout for the freshmen and junior varsity quads, and another tryout for varsity. Players are allowed to attend one or both tryouts, but they are encouraged to go to the tryout for the team they think will be the best fit for them.

“You go to which one interests you as far as ability and skill level,” girls varsity basketball coach Allyson Toney said.

The decision of which one to attend was not easy for sophomore Nina Levine.

“It’s very nerve-wracking,” Levine said. “It was a difficult thing, because they didn’t tell us where to go, you kind of had to grade yourself.”

According to junior Sophie Poole, there is a possibility of players overrating or underrating themselves, which is why players have to make their choice of tryout carefully. In spite of that, Poole said that coaches have the ability to prevent that from happening.

“Some people are going to self-select out and some people are going to self-select in, and it partially becomes your own thoughts,” Poole said. “But at the same time, if you were to underrate yourself, they would see you and invite you to the varsity tryouts. It’s not definitive. You don’t have to be given your original placement.”

Toney also feels that incorrect placement is unlikely to happen.

“As coaches, if we see someone who we feel is in the wrong place, it’s our job as the adults and teachers to move them in the right place, to talk to that person and guide them in the direction where we feel they would best be suited,” Toney said.

Toney believes that a large advantage of self-selected tryouts is that each individual only joins the team they truly want to be a part of, which can help create a more motivated group.

“I’m not going to force someone to be on a team that they don’t want to be on, even though I think they should be on it,” Toney said. “It’s their choice.”

Players who go to both tryouts can also gain valuable experience from seeing how they compare to others and where they stand in terms of skill.

“Generally, you kind of know what team you’re going to be on,” Levine said. “Some people knew they weren’t going to get in, but they wanted to go to varsity to just get exercise and see how it was.”

Both Poole and Levine felt nervous about their tryouts, but were ultimately satisfied with their decisions.

Toney has always used the same system for her tryouts, and she views it as the best way to not only grant individual choice but also to have an organized and safe tryout.

“I know that when we had 60 or 70 kids sign up to try out, it would be a 3-ring circus to have them in the gym all at once,” Toney said. “We want to be able to see everybody and give somebody a good look, and help put them in a place that would allow them to be successful.

Mairin Quillen can be contacted at [email protected].