How to run try-outs, getting 50 students down to 32?

ben Coach, Botswana

How many courts do you have available?

Tennis CoachCoach

Why cut?  Do you have 50 players who are interested in playing tennis and working on their game? Why let them go on to some other sport?  Please view no cut tennis at the usta website.

No-Cut School Tennis Teams play a critical role in growing tennis by allowing students of all abilities to join a team representing their school. This opportunity helps create well rounded student athletes, develops leadership and teaches responsibility.

No-Cut School Tennis Teams - 

Students, Coaches and Schools benefit from No-Cut Teams:
A no-cut policy sends a message that developing kids is important to the coach and the school.
Schools gain more support from parents and the community by offering everyone a chance to participate - regardless of ability.
A positive experience on a no-cut team will encourage students continue to participate in this lifetime sport beyond high school.
"Tennis players score higher in vigor, optimism, and self-esteem, and lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and non-athletes", according to Dr. Joan Finn, Southern Connecticut State University.
Veteran No-Cut Coaches also typically have higher winning percentages because they have a larger player pool.

By keeping them you will be team building for this year and years to come.  

Good Luck!

Tennis CoachCoach

Unfortunately Debi, some schools require cuts.  My school is one of them.  We have to get from about 45 to 22 by the end of next week.  How I've been doing it is based on what knowledge I already have of my players.  I know the returning girls, and I know how they play.  Therefore, this entire first week is dedicated to the new girls.

We are going over forehand and backhand ONLY this week.  I'm going to base my decisions off of forehand, backhand, and footwork.  I will worry about serve, volley, everything else when we get there.

I'm going to cut the bottom 6-7 this week.  Almost every team has a small group of girls that just aren't ready to play competitively at the high school level.  That is difficult to do, but unfortunately we have to make cuts somewhere.

At that point, I bring the returning girls in.  We start to go over a lot of serving, volleying, using the court, and actual playing.  Once I have my 'rankings', I give the girls an opportunity to play the person ahead of them in order to move up.  If they win a match, the girl below them can't challenge them.  If they lose, they can get challenged by anyone.  We do this for about 3 days or so (however long it may take).  

I believe you definitely have to take age into consideration.  I will keep a freshman who may not be as good as a sophomore because I get them for an extra year.

Tennis CoachCoach

While I'm sorry to hear that you can't change your school's rules.  I would be in there with the AD and school board if needed to sell why I didn't need to cut.  Best of luck to you and your players.

Farhad RoshanaieCoach, United States of America

Debi, Thank you for your insightful answer. Actually I did the same as what you suggested. I have now 24 students on two courts (it's a new program with 24 athletes). The only downside is that the quality of lessons decreases proportionaly with the increase of class size. 

Chad%3A thank you for sharing your method.