Answers to questions about how students are selected for teams, how many teams to field and how many members of a team should be allowed are greatly influenced by enrollment, financial resources available to the school, league restrictions, available competition, available facilities and availability of coaches. Given the variety of factors that influence and, in some cases, dictate Geneva’s choices, the school has elected to establish guidelines that enable the administration to make the best decision for each sport each season. These guidelines vary between the Logic and Rhetoric Schools, but the general team size guidelines for Rhetoric School athletics are below:
Team Size Guidelines (guidelines are only a suggestion and are not binding)
- Football – minimum 15 athletes and no maximum
- Volleyball – minimum of 8 and maximum of 14 (preferred 9-12)
- Basketball – minimum of 7 and maximum of 15 (preferred 10-12)
- Soccer 11x11 – minimum of 14 and a maximum of 20 (preferred 16-18)
- Baseball – minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20
- Softball – minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20
- Golf – minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 (per coach*)
- Tennis – minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 (per coach*)
- Cross Country – Up to 10 per coach
Track and Field – Up to 10 per coach
*Golf and tennis minimums and maximums are also often defined by limitations set by Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club regarding the number of students it will allow at their facilities during Geneva’s allotted time.
* Swimming is determined by facility availability
The Logic School should field as many teams in the approved sports as is feasible given the constraints our league affiliations and facilities and parental help and coaching resources allow. Attempts to create multiple teams should follow grade levels first and then cross grades to complete teams. For example, all eight graders should fill the A team before including seventh graders on an A team. When a grade remains that has more students than are needed to make a team, the coach will conduct tryouts and select the best players to form his team. Team selection is not based solely on ability but also attitude, effort and commitment. There are no appeals of tryout selections.
The Rhetoric School should field no more than three teams per gender and as few as one team per gender given the constraints of our league affiliations, facilities and coaching resources. All teams are selected through tryouts by the coaches based upon skill and team composition. Tryouts should be conducted by the coach and supervised by the Athletic Director. There are no appeals of tryout selections. Freshman, sophomores and juniors are eligible for junior varsity or varsity teams as deemed suitable by the coach. Seniors may not compete on junior varsity teams and are not guaranteed a place on a varsity team. A roster spot on any one team in a previous year does not guarantee the same spot on the same team in the current year. For example, a junior basketball player who plays on varsity is not guaranteed to make the varsity basketball roster in his senior year.
Each sports program head will work with the athletic director to establish the philosophy from top to bottom. It is the coach’s discretion in conjunction with the AD to determine the total number of teams within the previously mentioned constraints. No sports program is the same, therefore each program’s philosophy regarding number of athletes or number of teams may vary depending on facilities, athletic interest, competitiveness of the program and overall coach philosophy. Coaches of fall sports may choose to conduct spring tryouts in an attempt to set their fall teams.