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By Gaby Moran
Staff Writer
Video by Keely Leonard
Tryouts for any sport are difficult and stressful for everyone. High school tryouts decide what you will be spending most of your time doing and with whom. While many sports wait until the beginning of the school year, two specific groups make their decisions before summer begins.
Lariette and cheerleading tryouts are two that take a week long to figure out who makes or breaks the team.
Lariettes tryouts were on April 16 but all girls wanting to make the team must go through a weeklong workshop, from April 12 to15, to learn difficult jazz and kick routines.
“While tryouts are hard, the requirements are needed to make next year’s team a strong team that will do good in competitions,” senior Kristen Carter said.
Besides perfectly performing both routines, all girls, from all grade types, are required to fall into the splits from the left and right foot.
“Even though I made the team last year, tryouts are always a stressful week just because there are no guarantees due to the point system,” junior Katherine Marshall said.
With Lariette tryouts, besides having to do the requirements, judges use a point system and once there is a natural gap in points between girls the line is drawn no matter how many are above the gap.
“The final day of tryouts is always the most intense,” coach Julie Stralow said. “While the judges and I see how good the girls are all week long, if they do not do their best on the last day they cannot make the team.”
Depending on grade however, girls that do not make the cut for the lariette team can make the Silver Stars team, which is mainly for incoming freshmen girls.
Lariette and Silver Stars squads will be finalized the night of Friday April 16. While these tryouts are just now wrapping up, Cheerleading tryouts were earlier this month and are just as stressful.
Cheerleading tryouts were held on April 1. Eighth graders, freshman, sophomores and juniors that want to be on a squad next year endured not just one day of tryouts but three days of learning difficult routines.
“When we were teaching the underclassmen the routines, it was sad knowing we don’t get to be a part of the team next year but also nice knowing we get to help put next year’s squad together,” senior Kelly Winkle said.
Many were nervous about tryouts because not everyone is guaranteed a spot and depending on the grade level, there were certain requirements needed. For instance, every sophomore and junior is required to do a back tuck, which is doing a back flip standing straight up. Eighth graders, freshmen, and sophomores don’t need to yet but the ability to do a back tuck will help their chances.
“This is my second year to do tryouts and I was again impressed by all the talented girls there are in Coppell and I definitely have high expectations for next year,” coach Brynlea Taylor said.
After tryouts on April 1, all girls waited at the high school to get a letter saying whether or not they made either the freshmen, JV or varsity squads. While the wait is stressful, the final decision was either a relief or
“It was a stressful time but once I found out I made the team I was so relieved that I wouldn’t have to wait until after the summer,” eighth grader Sydney Smith said.
