Quick answer: a tryout is an evaluation process, usually held before the start of a season, in which coaches assess athletes' skills, experience and fit in order to decide which team and level each athlete will be placed on.
What Happens at a Tryout
Formats vary, but a typical tryout includes coaches evaluating an athlete's jumps, tumbling and, at many gyms, basic stunting or flexibility, sometimes alongside learning and performing a short routine or combination on the day. Some gyms also include a short interview or conversation as part of the process.
Why Tryouts Exist
Because levels restrict which skills a team can perform, and because stunt groups need athletes of compatible size and ability, coaches need a structured way to see what each athlete can currently do - a tryout gives them that information across the whole group of prospective athletes at once, ahead of building teams for the coming season.
New Athletes vs Returning Athletes
Some gyms require every athlete to try out each year, including returning athletes, while others primarily use tryouts for new athletes and handle returning placement through the season's ongoing evaluation. Practices vary significantly between gyms.
What Happens Afterward
Once tryouts are complete, coaches use what they've seen to decide team placement - which team, and which level, each athlete will join for the coming season.
Helping Your Child Through It
Tryouts can be nerve-wracking, particularly for a child's first one. It generally helps to focus on effort and improvement rather than outcome, since placement decisions weigh many factors beyond any single day's performance - including team balance, stunt compatibility and long-term development.
Related Terms
See What Is a Team Placement? for what happens after tryouts, and What Is All Star Cheer? for how gyms typically structure their teams.