Open gyms- necessary or nonessential?

With spring sports approaching quickly, open gym times are also coming out, with coaches encouraging students to attend in preparation for tryouts. Although coaches may make open gyms mandatory and seen as crucial to make the team, are they truly useful to athletes?

Open gyms consist of drills, plays, and the ability for athletes to work individually on their sport. One major difference between an open gym and a regular practice stands out: the coach is not allowed to give corrections or help athletes. Their only responsibility is to supervise the athletes attending.

While a coach’s opinion is important and is the overall decision-maker of the future team, open gyms allow athletes to focus on their skills and work with possible teammates. 

Jared Rudiger, a head volleyball coach at Fort Collins High School, says that open gyms are essential and provide coaches with knowledgeable information for a future team. By observing the athletes attending, Rudiger can get an idea of how each person performs and works with others. 

“We do get to evaluate kids… We can see what kids are truly committed to, and we also allow them flexibility if they want to come or not,” said Rudiger.

From an athlete’s perspective, an open gym can seem unimportant if they already practice outside of school or train on their own. Their schedules can also hold them back from attending open gyms, especially if they are involved in other activities. 

Because of open gyms, many coaches already have an idea of what athletes they want on their team and have a predetermined lineup set. That can backfire against athletes who only attend the tryout, instead of also attending the optional practice sessions. 

Open gyms are beneficial for coaches to see what kids are motivated and skilled in a sport. For athletes, open gyms could be seen as the opposite, giving them an unfair disadvantage to make the team, considering there is already a team formed in the coach’s head. The real work is seen at the tryout and how athletes perform under pressure, not at an unorganized practice.