For a ninth grader hoping to participate in high school athletics, it can be devastating to learn you haven't made the team. But for freshmen in Illinois's Glenbard Township High School District 87, that disappointment is now a thing of the past.

The district has decided it won't turn away any freshman who wants to participate in athletics, implementing no-cut policies in sports when it's feasible and directing student-athletes to more inclusive sports when it's not. The school board designated funds in the district's athletic budget to pay for any additional travel, facility maintenance, and coaching salaries needed to make the plan work.

Barry Huitema, Athletic Director at Glenbard West High School, has begun implementing the initiative with his spring sports. "We had 48 boys express an interest in going out for the baseball team, so we've created a B-level and a C-level freshman team," Huitema says. "It's been a little bit harder for us to find games for the C-team, so we plan to schedule some double-headers for the B-team and let the C-team play the second game."

Along with creating extra teams, Huitema is also working with coaches who can't afford to keep all those trying out to redirect student-athletes into other sports. "I tell the coaches, 'You know who you would cut and who you would keep, so talk to the ones who would be cut and counsel them to try track or lacrosse or gymnastics,'" he says.

Branden Adkins, Athletic Director at Glenbard North High School, has also embraced the new policy. "Studies show that freshman year is very critical in helping students succeed when they graduate, and athletics has always been shown to have a positive effect on academics," he says. "We're just trying to find ways to get these kids involved early and keep them wanting to come to school and be successful."