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At the beginning of the sports season. Check out the mclean activities website for more info

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No, but they're a great way to make friends and de-stress after school. There are a wide variety of sports to choose from, You might actually really enjoy your sport!

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Most sports have tryouts, but some are walk on (such as cross country and freshman football); it depends on the team you're trying out for and how many people are interested.

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Are there Gala Days? Like days when we get of school to do athletics or swimming etc?

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Are there Gala Days? Like days when we get of school to do athletics or swimming etc?

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Sometimes competitions are during the school week (especially districts/regionals/states) so you may skip a day.

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Yes, both Langley and McLean have a JV and Varsity soccer team. It is a co-ed spring sport.

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Will sports and tryouts be happening even during the pandemic?

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Will sports and tryouts be happening even during the pandemic?

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Yes, sports will continue to train and compete as long as precautions are taken and no one gets COVID. Masks must always be worn, equipment must always be sanitized, athletes do not get to use locker rooms, and they must fill out a health questionnaire each day prior to practice. If there is a case detected, those in contact are isolated and may not come to practice.

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Can you balance a travel team outside of school and a school sport at the same time with academics? 

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Can you balance a travel team outside of school and a school sport at the same time with academics? 

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disclaimer: this is what I specifically know for my sport and if your travel and high school teams clash that is definitely a decision for you to make with yourself, your workload and your parents since they are going to be the people driving you.
Some tips if you are a multisport athlete:
-prioritize your schoolwork instead of procrastinating
-balance your schedule as much as you can
-utilize Highlander time to do your school work/go ask teachers questions
-this all depends on how club/high school is based on as a priority for your specific sport
For example, my friend who plays basketball says that for her,  the high school team was more of a priority because "if you don't show up you don't play. “ So she chose that over AAU basketball. For me, travel is more important in comparison to high school sports teams.

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Can you balance a travel team outside of school and a school sport at the same time with academics? 

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At McLean Freshman/JV/Varsity team difficulty levels vary. If you are a freshman and you are above the average playing level, there are chances for you to play in a JV or Varsity team.  But, for the most part, most freshman go to the Freshman team and coaches for those teams may take on a few more kids or a few less depending on the sport. (Standard Volleyball team 12 people, Football however has a higher range)

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What kinds of sports does McLean offer? 

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What kinds of sports does McLean offer? 

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McLean has sports for every season, as well as two year-round sports. The fall season hosts cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, and volleyball.  The winter season has basketball, gymnastics, indoor track, swim & dive, and wrestling. The spring season is comprised of baseball, crew, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and track & field. Finally, McLean's two year-round athletics are the dance team and athletic training. More info at https://mcleanactivities.org/

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What does a high school sport schedule look like?

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What does a high school sport schedule look like?

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Most sports start with tryouts, usually lasting 3 days to a week. After that, sports practice every week day, and most sports also have practices on Saturdays. Practices typically last about two hours. There are also games throughout the week.

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Yes! Both Langley and McLean have crew teams. At McLean, Crew is a club sport so it is not a conference sport like basketball or football. There is usually a crew interest meeting in the fall then winter conditioning and in the spring is when you have water practices and that is also when you compete in regattas. Check out the McLean crew website here: https://www.mcleancrew.org/.

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Is there a tennis team at McLean? And can anyone join?

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Is there a tennis team at McLean? And can anyone join?

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There is a tennis team at McLean. There usually are tryouts so I don’t think just anyone can join. (Langley also has a tennis team). Check out the McLean Activities website: https://mcleanactivities.org/

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Do sports teams require a big commitment? How many hours does a varsity sport take up?

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Do sports teams require a big commitment? How many hours does a varsity sport take up?

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Yes, however, it isn't as drastic as it may seem. Typically practice last about 2 hours, but can go up to 3 for varsity. Your first sports season may feel different from what you are used to but after a while you get into a rhythm of how to deal with studying and you learn to manage your time better. It’s a perfectly fun aspect of high school so having it be a time commitment should not deter you until after you try it.

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Yes you do need to have two credits of gym in high school and those are typically from doing Gym your first two years of high school. You can also choose to do it online over the summer or during the school year, (talk to your counselors if you want more info about these options). Doing it online can free up space for another elective, but also keep in mind that gym is a great way to take a break and socialize with your friends outside of academics in a school day!

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How do you sign up for activities or sports?

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How do you sign up for activities or sports?

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With COVID this year sports were a little different in a sense where you should email the head coach or look for a sport specific instagram or look at the mclean athletics website. However, usually in school announcements will be made about sports tryouts, sports games, and EC interest meetings so just keep a look out for those!

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How can I tryout for higher teams (ex. JV, VARSITY) instead of club sports?

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How can I tryout for higher teams (ex. JV, VARSITY) instead of club sports?

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For most sports, tryouts consist of three days and the first two days gauge your level and on the last day  you will be asked to come to a team specific tryout and then at the end cuts are made. If your level of playing matches the level of playing for JV or Varsity then the coach will put you on that team.

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Do people play multiple high school sports?

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Do people play multiple high school sports?

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Yes, this is very common!
Many athletes do track or cross country (no cuts for cross country!) before/after their season either as a means to get in or stay in shape! Or if you just play many sports and they are in different seasons (fall, winter, spring) you can do that too!

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Do we have to train a month before trying out for the team?

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Do we have to train a month before trying out for the team?

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The short answer to this is no- it is not required before trying out. However, if you want to boost your chances of making the team that you are trying out for, it is highly recommended. Most sports have what are called "green days" or "yellow days," which are pre-tryout practices where you can shake off the rust, get into shape, and meet the coaches. From my personal experience, going to as many of these as possibly got me in great shape for the season.  The coach may also email workouts to complete during the weeks prior to tryouts, so make sure you are on the distribution list! (email your coaches!). Check out the McLean Activities website for more details:
https://mcleanactivities.org/.

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Is there a gymnastics team? Are they good

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Is there a gymnastics team? Are they good

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https://mcleanactivities.org/main/teamschedule/id/3782/seasonid/4607964 Yes! The gymnastics team is considered a winter sport. They are good and won states in 2017.

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There is no boxing team but yes, there is a wrestling team! It's a winter sport so it will be in the middle of your school year and there are no tryouts but be ready because it is a competitive sport and our team generally does well. https://mcleanactivities.org/

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Is there any bias when it comes to selecting students to participate based on grade level?

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Is there any bias when it comes to selecting students to participate based on grade level?

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No, I know my high school coach brought me up to Varsity as a sophomore but then kept two junior girls on JV. Most of the time the high school coach will do what’s best for the team. Seniority has pull when it comes to picking out jerseys first etc. But if it’s a decision for what’s best for the team, the coach will pull up whomever is best for the team.

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What time are the practices after school?

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What time are the practices after school?

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Every sport is different. If time is an issue for you talk to the head coach before trying out about it to get the practice times. You can always work out a carpool if you need to do that as well! But it’s usually every day except for Sundays and excluding game days. Game days depend on the sport but can range from 1-3 times a week.

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What are requirements for sports teams to know before tryouts?

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What are requirements for sports teams to know before tryouts?

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Must have all the required forms filled out. Here is a link to find all the forms you need: https://mcleanactivities.org/main/otherad?contentID=30271135
You must be able to handle the time commitment, make sure you’re on the same page with your  coaches, parents and teammates about your schedule.

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How is the sports team organized and what are the requirements?

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How is the sports team organized and what are the requirements?

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Most sports are organized into three tiers: Freshman, JV, and Varsity, with Varsity being the most elite level of competition. As the name implies, Freshman teams are comprised of strictly Freshman. Not every sport has Freshman teams; it depends on the number of kids trying out (more kids= more likely to have a freshman team). JV typically consists of Freshman and Sophomores. Varsity, however, consists of Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. The younger classes typically play on Varsity teams if they are extremely talented. As for the requirements, there really are none aside from the fact that you need the required paperwork to participate (Physical, ECC). Sports accept everyone to try out for their teams.

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Is there any bias when it comes to selecting students to participate based on grade level? (For example, are seniors are more likely to be chosen for a specific sport than freshmen due to their age?)

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Is there any bias when it comes to selecting students to participate based on grade level? (For example, are seniors are more likely to be chosen for a specific sport than freshmen due to their age?)

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There is definitely some bias, but age is not a factor. Seniors and upperclassmen in general are typically selected for more elite teams over younger students (like Freshman) due to their higher skill level and experience with the coach/team. However, if your athletic ability is strong, the coaches have no problem replacing seniors with freshman if it means adding a stronger addition to the team.

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is there just 1 lacrosse team? and how old do you have to be to play on it

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is there just 1 lacrosse team? and how old do you have to be to play on it

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There are two Lacrosse teams- JV and Varsity (roughly 25-30 kids for each team). You don't have to be a certain age to play on either team. Usually, though, the younger classes (Fr. and So.) tend to play on JV while the older classes (Jr. and Sr.) tend to play on Varsity. https://mcleanactivities.org/

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What time are the practices after school

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What time are the practices after school

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The practice times vary based on your sport. They are typically two hour practices that run in time slots like 3 p.m-5 p.m, 4 p.m-6 p.m, 5 p.m-7 p.m, or 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Varsity teams may have longer practices or different times, and weekend practices are generally mid-day.

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If you are not good at the sport can you still join?

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If you are not good at the sport can you still join?

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Everybody is encouraged to tryout for sports they're interested in. If you do not make the team but still want to participate you can see if you could be a team manager. Some sports, such as cross country, don't have cuts. Remember: if you don't make a team your freshmen year, that's ok! You have three seasons left to improve and try again! Research local rec teams, clinics, or training programs if you want to play a sport but you don't make a high school team. You can always try out next year.

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Anyone across all four grades can tryout. However, upperclassmen typically get priority for Varsity teams.

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What is one piece of advice you would give to a rising freshmen that you wish you knew?

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What is one piece of advice you would give to a rising freshmen that you wish you knew?

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If I could give my rising freshmen-self one piece of advice (specifically regarding sports), it would be to make sure you are reaching out to coaches and making sure you understand the tryout requirements. Don't be afraid to email them with any questions you have! It is better to ask them the questions and establish a conversation than it is to wait till tryouts and realize that you haven't done/don't have the required forms, sign ups, etc. Also make sure you understand what is expected of you if you make a team BEFORE you try out.

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If you are interested in a sport, check out the mclean activities website or our slideshow to the right, and email the coach letting them know you are interested and want to be added to the email list. Make sure you are aware of the tryout date, and you show up then.

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If I want to do a sport, can I try it for a season and then quit if I don't like it?

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If I want to do a sport, can I try it for a season and then quit if I don't like it?

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Yes, sports are typically single season commitments.

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When are tryouts for football, lacrosse, and basketball?

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When are tryouts for football, lacrosse, and basketball?

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These sports are all in different seasons with football in fall, basketball in winter, and lacrosse in the spring. Check out the mclean activities website

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How good do you have to be for JV/Varsity teams?

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How good do you have to be for JV/Varsity teams?

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It all depends on the sport. Some sports also have freshman teams, which often don't have any cuts (ie freshman football), so you can participate regardless of your skill level. As for making JV or Varsity, it depends on how many people try out. If you are nervous about not making it, reach out to the coach a couple of weeks prior to try outs and ask what they are looking for in terms of skills or stats/scores, as well as what they recommend doing in order to prepare for the season. Try to also go to out of season practices as well, as this will give you a better idea of how the team works and the coach will get to know you.

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Check out our google slides deck on sports at McLean!

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Check out our google slides deck on sports at McLean!

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For individual sports, go to the "choosing your sport" slide and click the season, then sport.

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Here is a link to a pdf with all the sports and coaches informstion.
https://mcleanactivities.org/library/files/mcleanactivities_40/files/Mclean%20Coaches%20Info.pdf

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Yes, there are. Most sports' meets/competitions/games are mandatory if you are on the team, but you may obtain an excused absence.

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Are school sports more work than club (travel) teams?

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Are school sports more work than club (travel) teams?

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Typically yes, because practices are almost everyday. However, it is possible to balance both club and school sports, and you will quickly get used to the routine.

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What percent of people who try out make it on the team?

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What percent of people who try out make it on the team?

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It depends on how many people are trying out, however some sports don't have cuts (cross country, freshman football...). To increase your chances, attend out of season practice and email your coaches asking them for what they are looking for and any tips to get ready

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Most sports practice everyday after school and Saturdays. There are typically 1-2 games/meets a week

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Is being on a school team more fun/better than doing sports outside of school (club/travel)?

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Is being on a school team more fun/better than doing sports outside of school (club/travel)?

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In my experience, yes. There is a stronger sense of community and spirit than in club/travel sports.

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Baseball is a spring sport, so look out for tryouts in early spring. For any sport's tryout, check out the mclean activities website or email the coaches.