<p>I read recently that there is "pre-season varsity" practice where the applicable kids go back a few days early to begin practice. </p>
<p>So how does this work for freshman (third form, prep, etc)? </p>
<p>I am assuming they would not be invited to that as they have not made a team yet. BUT, does this mean that varsity spots are full and that an incoming student has little chance of making the varsity team? How do tryouts work, if the varsity is all set and has already been practicing together?</p>
<p>I realize this can be different from school to school, but am curious what the possibilities are.....</p>
<p>My understanding is that there’s virtually zero chance of making varsity as a freshman unless you were recruited for that sport. If you were recruited and they think you might make varsity, then they’d invite you to come back early for pre-season practice. If you weren’t recruited and don’t already know the coach, just try out for JV. I suppose it’s possible that a non-recruited freshman could show up at the regular time, try out for JV, and so blow everyone away that they are asked to join varsity, but it’s pretty darn unlikely.</p>
<p>The way it works at the schools I am familiar with is that they invite certain kids to come back to school early. They might call this pre-season practice or they might call it tryouts, but either way, the result is the same – these are the kids that they are likely to be on varsity, but it’s not exactly set in stone. By the time practices or tryouts or whatever they call it start for the rest of the kids (i.e., the ones not invited back early), they’ve probably already determined the composition of the varsity team. It certainly could be the case that someone invited back early then ends up playing on JV instead (maybe just not quite ready for varsity or they have too many players at that position). But no, I’m not aware of schools that just take all, let’s say 50 boys who want to play soccer, run them around in drills together for a few days and then announce who made varsity and who made JV. Not saying it doesn’t happen that way somewhere, it could, but certainly not at the schools where they have some kids back early. And even at my son’s current small private day school, you try out for one or the other (often with some input from the coach ahead of time).</p>