BUDA Open YCC Tryouts #1

In the month since we opened applications for BUDA's Open YCC team the first big date in the team's calendar had been June 16th, the"Open Tryout" day. Interest had been great, 40 players signed up online knowing that only 18 will make the final cut and trip with the team to Blaine in August.

Applications had come in from all over Massachusetts and even from a few players in other New England states but two schools are strongly represented by the tryouts: Amherst Regional High School (2nd place finisher at Easterns, Massachusetts State Champion) and Needham High School (3rd place finisher at Easterns, runner-up at Mass State Championships).

Players arrived at 9:30 on the morning of the 16th at Groff Park in Amherst to fill out paperwork and to start meeting the other players in attendance. After everything was in order, the group came together to go over the schedule for the day an outline some of the goals. Shortly thereafter, players split up into their teams for the day (there would be three), met their coaches, and took off on a jog to start the warmup.

It was a full day with each team playing 6 scrimmages to 5 or 7; while each scrimmage was happening the team that was off the field was either learning a new skill the coaches wanted to see implemented, running a drill, or measuring quickness with a timed shuttle run.

The end of the day was cut a bit short by a thunderstorm looming over the horizon so the players missed out on a timed distance run, but nobody seemed to mind! The team brought it in for one last cheer, coaches fielded questions, and the group was told what to expect before the next tryout (on June 30th).

Players at Open Tryout:

Amos Adams (Amherst Regional)
Kellen Corkill (Amherst Regional)
Rafer Dannenhauer (Amherst Regional)
Kyle Deaver (Four Rivers Charter School)
Thomas Georgevits (Needham High School)
Max Gillett (Lexington High School)
Matt Guild (Amherst Regional)
Misha Herscu (Amherst Regional)
Jonah Herscu (Amherst Regional)
Andrew Hollingworth (Amherst Regional/Tufts University)
Alex Kapinos (The Gow School)
Andrew Kiefer (Amherst Regional)
Michael Lawlor (Amherst Regional)
Tommy Li (Longmeadow High School)
Andrew Lunetta (Needham High School)
Corey Mindlin (Needham High School)
Matthew Mitchell (UMass)
Ben Nelson (Andover High School)
Kevin Norton (Amherst Regional)
Pat Roberts (Amherst Regional)
Gain Robinson (The Greely School)
Ryan Rzepka (Longmeadow High School)
Alex Soper (The Greely School)
Jeffery Steeves (Needham High School)
Branden Steinberg (Needham High School)
Julian Summa (Amherst Regional)
Mike Virginio (Needham High School)
Russel Wallack (Amherst Regional)