Should high schools cut players from freshman/JV teams when there are open spots still?

Question

My daughter (9th grade) tried out for her high school volleyball team and was cut for her scores not being high enough. To be clear there were 37 girls trying out for 40 spots, so theoretically everyone should have made it. My daughter still has a lot to learn but I find it hard to believe that interscholastic sports are at the point where they will cut players who don't appear to be varsity material when they are just 13.

Answer 1

d**n, thats a lot of people. Even if you have a freshman team, well in that case there should only be like 30 all together (including JV & V), but with no freshman team about 20. Sucks that happened, but you can really tell some things from that age: skill, determination, fitness level, etc. On my JV team this year only 5 freshmans (I was 1) and 2 sophomores made it that wasn't already previously on the team, out of the like 30 something people that tried out. so just help your daughter get better. you can seriously complain when you even say that your daughter has a lot to learn. you should have enrolled her in a club team the year before, done some camps.. things like that. volleyball is not an easy sport and you learned that the hard way. btw coaches sometimes lower the amount of people on teams and the teams at that school already have ALOT.

Answer 2

I can't hear the coaches side of things so it makes it difficult to give you and your daughter great advice.

Are you positive there were 40 spots? Did the coach make it clear that there may be cuts?

Did your daughter maintain a positive attitude and not try to bring down her teammates to make herself look better? Is your daughter a non-athletic player?

Your daughter is pretty young for high school, is she shorter? If she is shorter, is her passing not that great? Many coaches will see a shorter player and place them in the back row. If she is not good at passing, coaches may, in effect, give up on them.

All of these questions are things you can ask yourself and your daughter and together figure out how to make her better. Please do not take care of this situation for her by meeting with the coach and whining, trying to get her on the team so she can sit on the bench. She needs to approach the coach and ask what they would like to see her improve on to make the team next year.

Answer 3

Being cut is the worst.  It's worse when you were told that there were 40 spots, and only 37 girls tried out, but you STILL got cut.

If I as a coach stated that there were 40 spots available, I'd cut back that number only for a few reasons:

1)  If there were attitude problems

2)  If there were academic problems (If the girl has a history of failing off athletic teams halfway into the season)

3)  If I truly know that the girl has zero athletic ability and would be a burden even in a practice setting.  

4)  If I had pressure above my head to reduce the number of players for cost reasons.

Hopefully your daughter didn't fall into those categories and if she did, I can understand why she was cut.  I don't think there are other reasons why I'd cut a girl when there are open spots.  

But -- lets look on the bright side for a minute.  37 girls spread over three teams is an absolutely huge squad.  Lets say she was the last one picked for the freshman team.  She'd get very little game time, on a team of 12 or 13 girls.  

Answer 4

I'd agree with Sean W. If there truly were 40 slots (that's ALOT for 3 teams!- I'm assuming there were three teams - a Varsity - a JV and a "C" squad (or "freshman" ) team) then there shouldn't have been cuts unless any of those conditions Sean W wrote about apply.

With three teams - having 12 girls per team (and that's ALOT of girls per team!) that's only 36 slots.

If there was a slot for my daughter even if she was 10-11-12th player on the squad - I'd EXPECT the coach to expend SOME effort in helping/developing my child.  If he/she does not . . .in my opinion . . .that coach doesn't deserve to be coaching young people.  

Answer 5

sorry but that show it works

Answer 6

That is how the system works. Coaches want what is best for the team and they don't want inexperienced players to get hurt. Your daughter should understand that it just wasn't her team and she shouldn't give up.

Answer 7

are you posite that there are 40 spots or just assuming?

your daughter was not cut just because she was not "varsity material". if you both feel that she should have made the team, tell her to go to the coach and ask him why she was cut. but make her do it, coaches hate it when parents get involved.