cut from the team

mom,
I do not know where you are from in Florida so hard to make suggestions.
Sometimes we have a tendency to put blame elsewhere, not recognizing that there may be skills lacking he needs to work on.
Most HS in FL have JV teams, which some do have juniors. You should post this in the FL thread.
You can spend this time having him evaluated, lessons.
Pm me if you wish, maybe we all can come up with something.

First bit of advice, you feel that politics were involved in team selection and your perception is that your son is better than other players who made the team....all of which may be true....but you have to quit using it as an excuse. This will raise red flags with any other coach you talk to about the situation. I'm not saying that you don't have a right to feel that way, but honestly, outside teams don't care and you could paint yourself as a "sour grapes" player/parent.

Second, it's great that your son wants to keep playing. In our area, Little League for the HS age group kicks in and of course, he can pursue other summer teams when the HS season is over. As you said he has played since he was five, I'm assuming that there are leagues in your area. And if not, go find one and drive there. If he has the desire to play, he should be willing to do whatever it takes to get on the field.

If you truly do not have any option for any games except for HS, then he needs to develop a workout program. These boards have tons have ideas. Try the Strength and Conditioning boards. And again, since he has played since he was five, he should have friends/teammates that he can call to play catch with or go have batting practice. My son and one or two of his friends would take a bucket of balls and play home run derby at the local park just to get extra swings in. And he has guys that he calls just to go play catch with since there is no one in our neighborhood he can play with.

I think one of the most important things he could do in terms of his HS and the team, DO NOT bad mouth the coach or the players. Instead, he should talk to the coach about other roles he could play for the team....keep score, run the score board, help clean up the field...you get the idea. He needs to present himself as a team player who wants to be there.

Good luck.
I know it is very hard to be told you can't do the one thing you really want to do. For your son, it means he must work harder to get where he wants to be....or find something else he wants to do. He's the only one that can make that decision.

That is great advice. If you apprpach the coach in a non conforntational manner he may even have suggestions or even let him work out. Getting cut is not the end of baseball but getting the coach ticked could be.

Good Luck

I'd like to thank you all for your advice. Unfortunately our school does not allow juniors to play on JV so that isn't an option. We are in the Sarasota area. There are also no leagues that we are aware of, in our area for his age. We have been searching.

My apologies for sounding like sour grapes. It has been an emotional week.

I will search the boards for ideas for a workout program and take out a membership for him at the YMCA immediately. Good advice, thank you. I also appreciate the idea of asking the coach if he can help out in any way. Thank you for this advice. We will give it a try.

My son has been playing since he was 5 also and I can imagine how devestating this is for your family and your son in particular. I live in Ocala and have for years made a weekly, sometimes more then weekly trek to Tampa to allow my son to recieve one on one hitting lessons and trips to Winter Haven to recieve fielding lessons. I have to say that this has been very beneficial for my son. I would encourage you to use this time to persue this level of instruction. In Ocala we still have an 18U park ball program, are you absolutely sure that this is not also available in Sarasota? I know that there are players from Williston (about 30 miles) who routinely travel to Ocala to play park ball. Also you should be aware that there are numerous travel teams that play throughout the summer and the fall. You should look at this as a short term goal. Practice and work hard through the spring and then try out for a travel team in one of the following leagues which are all active in Florida, aau, usaaa, or aabc. This should improve your sons skills and prepare him for next year.

On the other side of the coin, and not wanting to sound like the Grim Reaper, perhaps that "time" has come when baseball is no more as aplayer.

Perhaps the coach can use an official scorekeeper or assistant coach---this way the young man can keep his hand in the game he loves

I just got off the phone with a hitting coach who agreed to work with him once/week. I would have thought there'd be other teams in our area too but I've searched the internet for hours and have come up empty handed. I'll keep trying though. Thanks all.

momofCGH,
I've been cut from my college team before, and in the offseason before i transfered I got a job at a batting cage. They weren't actively hiring, I just walked in and asked if they needed somebody to help out. Everyday I would get there a half hour or an hour before my shift and when I closed, I would stay after and hit also. The practice help out tremendously and now I have a very good chance of starting quite a few games this year at my new college.

In other words, keep practicing and use the cut thing as motivation. Good Luck!

mom...Tell him to volunteer to be the manager or official scorekeeper or ?????

Know all about disappointments. Know all about successes.

Key is to stay involved at some level.

Play summer ball on a travel team.

I know the Sarasota area and there are too many travl teams to mention, especially 16U and 18U. They may not be doing anything now until mid-May. Check with local rec league coaches or ask some of the other high school parents. Did he already play on the high school team or JV? If so, as a parent you have to find out why he got cut and maybe analyze his talent level.

Mom, sorry about the cut....that's got to be rough on all of you right now.....I admire your positive attitude....and if it reflects your sons thinking....he'll be fine.

You said you searched the internet but you might try calling the Parks and Recreations Departments in your city, and surrounding areas....my son wants to just play rec ball this summer....I, like you had no luck on the internet.....but the phone calls worked.....found 2 leagues.....Good Luck..

First, he needs to go back to the coach and ask for some specific areas where he needs improvement. Second, he needs to ask if he can practice with the team even if he can't suit out or go to the games.

For the spring, if he can't find a place to play, he can work on the areas the coach noted for improvement. Lots of reps.

Then get on a good team for the summer.

One other idea for the spring. There may be adult hardball teams in the area. He would fit in fine with these, more than likely.

Hard work can't overcome everything, but it can overcome a lot.

Tell your son to work hard & give it another shot.

Good luck.

Thank you to all for all the good advice. It is appreciated and we will certainly not give up.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
On the other side of the coin, and not wanting to sound like the Grim Reaper, perhaps that "time" has come when baseball is no more as aplayer.

Perhaps the coach can use an official scorekeeper or assistant coach---this way the young man can keep his hand in the game he loves

TR...I don't think you are (and hope your not) saying to quit after this rejection. If he loves the game there no reason not to keep working at it and keep playing however or wherever you can. At 16 I think its too early to call it quits. I'm not saying that he's going to play college ball, though I know of a number of players that played minimal amounts their senior yr and still had the opportunity to play at D-3 or JC (lower level but still the opportunity to play). The point by others
to be evaluated and to get instruction I think is the way to go.


If the player decides that its over (not a coach) than I say stay involved like you said.

I agree, Novice Dad. He's not ready to give up the game just because he was rejected. He absolutely loves baseball. I'm very proud that he's taking the stance that he is. Never in his life has he felt worse than he does right now but still he refuses to give up. His plan is to bust his tail and come back with a vengeance next year. And my plan is to help him any way I can so he can do just that.

What are the areas that he needs the most improvement in your (or the coaches) opinion?

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but it's awfully difficult to choose between the bottom 4-5 players on a HS team.

Out of 20-25 players, your feeling that ONLY 2 were not as good as your son should point out that maybe TR is right.

Beenthere's advice is solid...if there is a chance for him to be part of the team in any way and he is OK with a manager's position...go for it.

baseball players cut do track and field at my son's HS.

quote:

Originally posted by momofCGH:
I agree, Novice Dad. He's not ready to give up the game just because he was rejected. He absolutely loves baseball. I'm very proud that he's taking the stance that he is. Never in his life has he felt worse than he does right now but still he refuses to give up. His plan is to bust his tail and come back with a vengeance next year. And my plan is to help him any way I can so he can do just that.

That is a great attitude! But he needs to make it a focused tail busting. By that I mean don't just go out and take swings or ground balls or fly balls or what ever.

Go to the coach and ask what he needs to work on, where his weaknesses are. The find someone to teach him properly and work on those weaknesses.

Remember, Practice does NOT make perfect, Practice makes permanent! If you practice incorrectly you will just get worse.

Perfect Practice makes Perfect!

There is a chnace that this might help 'explain' why he got cut, when he is better than a couple of guys, politics and everything else aside.

My brother is a basketball coach...he said that when the time comes to make cuts, if there are a couple guys that are pretty close, everything else being equal, they take a good look at their bodies. 2 equal kids, same size, etc. One kid has a 5 o'clock shadow at lunch time, the other kid is smooth as a baby's behind?? They take Mr Peach Fuzz - reason: Mr Burly has probably stopped growing or close to it - Fuzzy has a bigger upside, size-wise. SOmetimes it comes down to upside, and they saw somethign different in the kids they kept.

Take the advice here - as we all know - coaches have been known to make mistakes - just b/c he was cut, doesn't mean he isn't a ballplayer - it's only one man's opinion.

Good Luck

Regardless of the path he chooses, your son's been given an opportunity. If he re-dedicates himself to baseball, working out during the high school season and playing for a travel team in the summer/fall, he puts himself in the best possible position to make the high school team next season. However, it's also an opportunity to re-evaluate and choose to channel differently the constructive energy he's applied to baseball up until now; applying it to pursuits that will serve him well in the future. Either way, he's a "winner."

Again, I want to thank all of you for your insight and advice. My son is now playing with a local men's league and is working out several times/week. He will begin hitting lessons soon. I've also spoken with the coach to ask for his suggestions and to let him know my son will be working hard to try to make the team next year. We'll look for a travel team when it gets closer to summer.

The fact that he has the determination is a great plus. As a coach I wished that some of the players I kept had the work ethic of some of those I let go.

I can feel you and your son's pain. I was cut my freshman year of HS. I wasnt even picked to play on the freshman team. So I really improved my skills through specific hitting drills, started baseball-specific strength and conditioning and most important kept a great attitude.

I went on to earn a college baseball scholarship and become an All-American. I only tell you this to give your son hope.

Baseball paid for my two degrees because I love the game. That's what carried me through. The support of my parents were also crucial.

I suggest he keeps a great attitude because he can still acomplish great things in th egame of baseball.

I would also suggest talking to the coach and aksing him what he needs to do to make th eteam next year and contribute. Get it in the coaches head that he wants to be a part of the team success, not just make the cut. That will open up the coaches mind. Then he has to go out and improve in the areas the coach tells him he needs to.

Just tell him that he can do it if he puts his mind to it. If you need any help please contact me.

Jon Doyle

Great advise, all! Here's a simple prescription: Remember, the thing that keeps you in baseball the longest is arm strength, and the thing that gets you out of baseball the quickest is hitting.

Step 1, then, is a solid long-toss program. If you've got a cannon arm, they'll usually find a spot. Step 2 is good hitting instruction.

By the way, long-toss is not done once per week. Read up on Dr. Jaeger's long-toss program.

Actually, it is far from over: I know this guy, who was cut every single year in HS but managed to play his way on to a DIII team as a walk-on with no prior HS exp and as a starter. The reason I know this is because he was my PE teacher a couple of years back.