Thanks again everyone.
Here in Maine, we don't have a pitch count rule, only a innings rule: 1 inning every day, 1-3=1 days rest, 3+=3 days rest before pitching again. We are so rural, there isnt much opportunity for travel ball. If a kid really wants to go for it, they can play legion, but the nearest team is about 1 hour drive away. Some kids do AAU basketball and such, but Maine also has a "bonafide team" rule stating that if your HS team is having a game or practice that day, you are required to be with your HS team, they take priority over any and all other athletics you might be involved with.
Us coaches have to go through concussion and heat stroke training among other things, but do not have to put the whole team through it.
How do you all address the issue of cuts? Just to give a little back story, we are such a small school most of our kids have never had to try out for a sport in a situation to be cut. its basically: "hey, enough people signed up for us to have a team this year!" the only sport we have a JV team for is basketball because, well, it only takes 5 guys to throw a team together. However, I currently have a large group signed up and anticipate a couple cuts. 1 thats really going to have to show me something is a senior who hasnt played since MS...just wants to be all sport his senior year. I had a bad experience with a senior like this last year. In this community, I think most people would expect him to make the team, and probably play the whole game on senior night. "cut the freshmen, he has 3 more years, let the senior have fun his senior year." ...that type of thing. I have a strong group of freshmen coming up who only lost 1 game as 8th graders last year, I don't anticipate cutting any of them, even though they might not play a lot right away. I'm thinking keep it short and sweet? and just mention that "there is no room for seniority, we are here to compete at a high level and be good teammates and those will be the people to make the team."
Last year was a rebuilding year for us (lost 6 strong, up the middle seniors from the prev. year) and this year will be a "reestablishing" year where we should be competitive, but pretty young mostly. Unless a few kids really come around, or really fell off, I anticipate making 1-3 cuts, and them being almost entirely upper classmen, which I anticipate will ruffle some feathers, but I know my AD sees it coming, we talk regularly. I teach here and help him out coaching the volleyball team too so we get a lot of time to talk shop.