Reflections on tryouts, 10/15/11-10/16/11

The tryouts this weekend were exhausting, including eight sessions, each an hour long! All the kids were super enthusiastic and responsive. Please read this blurb I wrote for our website:

"We held a very successful second round of tryouts for 30 Thompson Middle School students this weekend. With enthusiastic and skilled help from Coaches Bill DiMarco, Guillaume de Ramel, Scott Lebrun, Jennie Freiman, and Zach Kagan, each RhodySquasher enjoyed an hour of squash. Over the course of two days and eight different sessions, the kids learned straight forehand rails, boasts, and cross courts. In addition, the “fitness” portion of our tryouts, which included pyramids, court sprints, and relay races, drew much support (after some initial woe)! Having selected 13 successful and talented students, we’re ready to forge ahead with our unique program of squash, academic tutoring, community service, and mentoring. We’d like to thank Principal Crowley of Thompson Middle School, whose commitment to RhodySquash allowed for a successful 2011-2012 tryout."

If playing college admissions officer is a truly an unpleasant job, then temporary role was even worse and equally fickle. Whereas a college admissions officer works in the abstract -- figures, applications, bulls**t essays, etc. -- I had to meet each family, work with each kid for an hour, and then inform them late Sunday evening there child did not make the cut. Never doing that again.