This can be an emotionally charged experience for both parents and adolescents. Parents can help by teaching their teens that a person's value is not defined by one set of criteria, and also that disappointments, while they might seem fatal, rarely are and in most cases, can be overcome with effort. Not everyone can be the fastest or strongest, but we are all capable of being our personal best. This is also the time for parents to check if their own egos are too tied up in their teen's accomplishments. Whether your teen passes or fails, is the fastest or strongest, is a reflection of who the teen is, not your worth as a parent.
College admission is the next major hurdle for parents.
As a former college administrator, I can assure parents that the admissions process is anything but fair. Athletics does play a factor in admissions. Yet only the very few, gifted athletes are recruited by college coaches, as are the very few, gifted musicians or artists. Gender, race, geography, and whether one parent is an alumnus are all factors that contribute to an admissions department decision. Again, an ego check is important since pushing a child to succeed in athletics so that they will be admitted to the 'right' college has more to do with the adult than the teen.