My son tried out for Hawks this past August and did not make the cut. He plans to tryout again this summer. After watching the try out I had two observations. First, the guys wearing Hawks helmets were far more aggressive in getting after it for each drill they ran. I think this is what set them apart and it occurred to me that that energy and intensity is part of their normal practice culture. Second, I was amazed at the small turnout of non-Hawks kids trying out. I expected maybe 3 non Hawks kid for each Hawks kid. It was more like 1 to 1, which was surprising to me. When I was a kid I wanted to always tryout against the best to see if I could earn a spot. If I got cut my view was “can’t wait to next year to try it again”. Not sure why there is not a line at the door to tryout to play with the best. It is clear to me when we watch them play that the kids are well coached and play team ball so I hope my kid’s work on the wall earns him a roster spot this summer.