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37 replies

Do you cut a kid who is injured?

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zombywoofzombywoof1,000+ posts
If he's already a varsity player, you wouldn't cut him. If he's trying out for the first time or hasn't made varsity yet, it might depend on the competition for roster spots. Unless the player has already shown the coach before the injury he can be an impact player(can hit and/pitch) he probably don't get cut. It probably comes down to whether the player has the potential to play on varsity. If it's a borderline player on the fence of making the team, he probably could get cut.
Last edited by zombywoof
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
Do you mean cut him from the program or cut him from varsity? Is he a returning varsity player? Was he a projected varsity starter?

If he was only a candidate for varsity he could be placed on the JV roster, get healthy, get in a few swings and prove himself before being called up. If he's only a candidate to make varsity and is a senior give him a uniform for being in the program. If he's a returning varsity player give him a uniform.
WklinkWklink500+ posts
When he comes back in April or May will he be able to perform at a high level or will he be only to operate at a less than optimal percent? A lot of kids try to come back before they are ready to play and end up either reinjuring themselves or getting another injury that is directly related to the kid trying to overcome a shortcoming.

If he can come back and be a productive producer for the team then hold the spot great. Like others said, if he is a returning varsity player and a positive influence on the team, even if he isn't playing then he should come back. But if he is at risk of making a bad situation worse then probably not.
play baseballplay baseball1,000+ posts
One of the most painful hurts I've experienced as a mother was when my younger son had a baseball- related injury and the required surgery on his wrist was scheduled the day of try-outs his senior year. He had been on varsity the previous year, when he was a junior. Although he had been a valued member of the baseball team since he was a freshman and he could not have played his senior year, the coach did not allow him to be on the team. It was not a question of a uniform or anything like that. The coach was just not a very nice man and I guess didn't understand that there are many roles to play on a team. My son would have been a great cheerleader from the bench and would have also been willing to keep score....After the roster was posted, he even asked the coach if he could be on the team and the answer was still no.

So I would hope that an injured kid would not be cut. That can be more painful than the injury itself.
Last edited by play baseball
coach2709coach270910,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by play baseball:
One of the most painful hurts I've experienced as a mother was when my younger son had a baseball- related injury and the required surgery on his wrist was scheduled the day of try-outs his senior year. He had been on varsity the previous year, when he was a junior. Although he had been a valued member of the baseball team since he was a freshman and he could not have played his senior year, the coach did not allow him to be on the team. It was not a question of a uniform or anything like that. The coach was just not a very nice man and I guess didn't understand that there are many roles to play on a team. My son would have been a great cheerleader from the bench and would have also been willing to keep score....After the roster was posted, he even asked the coach if he could be on the team and the answer was still no.

So I would hope that an injured kid would not be cut. That can be more painful than the injury itself.


What this coach did was ridiculous and unbelieveable. I hope he loses a lot more than he wins. No excuse for treating anybody like this.

I had a kid one year who got hurt first game of the season and he got to play a little bit with hitting he ended up having surgery halfway through the season. He never missed a game or practice other than when he was gone for his surgery. He's still part of our team and still serves a function on the team. To get rid of a kid because he's hurt is stupid.
play baseballplay baseball1,000+ posts
coach2709 and justbaseball, I agree. I still can't think of what he did to my son without getting very emotional. Three years later, it hurts me as much as it did. It wasn't about playing time at all. It was about being a part of the team. I know I should "get over it", etc.

So when the conversation comes around to coaches, this is one of the reasons that I've said that I wish that coach2709, coach may, coachb25 and a few others could have coached my kids. I KNOW that we would have had a much better hs baseball experience.
Last edited by play baseball
Tx-HuskerTx-Husker1,000+ posts
My son played JV as an 8th grader and hurt his elbow resulting in a couple surgeries. So he was out his freshman year. Coach could have sat him out for the year, or stuck him on JV and it would have been a wasted year. Instead, his coach pulled him up to varsity and used it as a year to get him ready to be a full contributing starter as a Soph. He used it as an opportunity to expose my son to what he was looking for in varsity, how they did things, strategy, intensity of the game, etc. Result was a player he's confident in this year from the start. I thought it was not only a good, caring thing to do on the coach's part, but also a wise long term thing for the coach as he looked ahead.
Last edited by Tx-Husker
zombywoofzombywoof1,000+ posts
quote:
He had been on varsity the previous year, when he was a junior. Although he had been a valued member of the baseball team since he was a freshman and he could not have played his senior year, the coach did not allow him to be on the team.


That's kinda rotten the way that coach handled it. Especially since he was already on varsity.

IMO, there's two kinds of players a coach shouldn't cut. One is a returning varsity player and the other is a player who hung in there for three years playing JV, making all the conditioning, practices, and games and paid his dues. The only way these players get cut is either by grades, go rotten, skip practices, consistently break rules etc.
Coach WaltripCoach Waltrip100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by play baseball:
One of the most painful hurts I've experienced as a mother was when my younger son had a baseball- related injury and the required surgery on his wrist was scheduled the day of try-outs his senior year. He had been on varsity the previous year, when he was a junior. Although he had been a valued member of the baseball team since he was a freshman and he could not have played his senior year, the coach did not allow him to be on the team. It was not a question of a uniform or anything like that. The coach was just not a very nice man and I guess didn't understand that there are many roles to play on a team. My son would have been a great cheerleader from the bench and would have also been willing to keep score....After the roster was posted, he even asked the coach if he could be on the team and the answer was still no.



When coaches do this to a player who has played successfully on varsity it gives everybody the impression, even current players, that the coach cares little for the players who make up his team...what harm would it have been to allow a previously successful player who is injured to stay on the team in a non-player role?

I believe a program reaps what it sows...the coach you mention is sowing seeds of discontent and unrest by his own lack of judgment. If he did this to your son his has done it to others and this will no doubt breed long term discontent in many others, which affects the long term success of a program...and ultimately, the coach's job
B Bas3balldad10+ posts
Last year we had a senior player who got hurt before the season had started. We also had a new head coach who didn't know the players and had no history at the school. I don't know if the the kid was on the official roster or anything but he was at practices, in the dugout at every game, help were ever he could. He was part of the team in every way possible except on the field.
I know the coach doesn't have to do it but I think it goes a long way in making the team feel good about the coach. I know as a parent I feel better.
rz1rz15,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Bas3balldad:
I know the coach doesn't have to do it but I think it goes a long way in making the team feel good about the coach. I know as a parent I feel better.

I doubt the coach did it to win over his team, but, a smart coach will know what "special" ingredients to put in the recipe to make it a success.
Last edited by rz1
K KennieProton1,000+ posts

I searched for a similar post and found this one to be closest.   

My son is  2023 C. has always played on top travel teams and been ranked.  Great defensive catcher,   Has talked to some D1 Schools and is sending them video.   

Unfortunately last fall he developed some arm upper pain that would not go away. We were cautious, got him to the right doctor's and he shut down started doing PT.  MRIs showed basically nothing to worry about too much. Maybe a bone spur. Diagnosis is GIRD + Little league shoulder.  He worked hard to get ready for Sophomore year HS tryouts and his arm hurt again just before them so he told the coach he was limited in what he could do at tryouts and the Coach wrote him off and never really looked at him.   Offered JV but probably won't be able to play so he's going to sit out and rest it.   

I guess we thought the coach would offer him a varsity spot and a clip board but that went to upperclassmen.  Evaluation from the coach was he's a catcher but I have lots of catchers so maybe he will play there, maybe not. Again, this is a kid talking to D1 programs who is super competitive so not playing is not an option for him.   

My son wants to transfer schools rather than wait a year to maybe never play.   He has a brother at the same school who is a star in another sport and will want to stay.  They are close.  What a dilemma.  Hopefully he can get well for summer season and put it behind him.  Anyone want to chime in on this one?

C cabbagedadHSBaseballWeb member since 2011

I may be missing some of the context but if the player will not be able to play most or all of the season do to the injury, I could understand where many coaches would have reason not to fill a roster spot with that player.  That's certainly not to say that the school wouldn't be looking forward to his return next season, particularly a player of that caliber.

K KennieProton1,000+ posts

Thanks Cabbage. After sleeping on it he is going to sit out and not play on JV and focus on rest and rehab to get ready for his summer after sophomore year.  Not playing for his HS gives him the best chance of playing this summer and not being a part of JV leaves all options open.  At least he has two years and a strong summer program to try to get back on track. This is still incredibly painful and a great lesson for choosing a college program and coach.  As a 16 year old he doesn't really appreciate the adversity builds character meme. BTW he is the #1 student in his class got a 30 ACT on his first try without a prep course.

J JohnF5,000+ posts

Take the JV spot, be a supportive teammate, go to V games be supportive/present. Nothing like a little face time to show the coach your commitment. I'd take this as a test.

Let me ask you this - what do you think would happen if this happened at college? This is what I like to call the broken leg test - if you went to a specific school because of the sport / team / coach, but got injured, would you be happy being there if you couldn't play ball? Unless you're at a private HS at least this experience hasn't cost $$$'s.

My kids faced injuries before and during a season - so I am speaking from a position of been there...

Picked OffPicked OffHSBASEBALLWEB Member Since 2013

JMHO but, why would you have him sit out? The message you are sending is that because I’m not on varsity, I’m not going to play. Why would the coach put him on varsity to hold a clipboard and why would your son want that? Injury’s happen.

Few have commented above that he should join the JV team and be the best teammate, cheerleader and coachable player on that team. Work on his rehab and when he is ready to play, get after it. College coaches will never ask why he didn’t play varsity his sophomore year.

Also, keep him focused on those test scores. I don’t need to tell that 30 ACT is an outstanding score. Those will help him stand out when college coaches are deciding on two equally talented players.

DI coaches talk to many, many players, that’s their job. You would be best served if you left that out in you conversations.

Based on the metrics you shared, your son sounds like a stud, but he’s only a sophomore. Let him continue to get healthy get stronger and be a great teammate.

Good luck to your son.

K KennieProton1,000+ posts

I am letting him sit out and not play on JV.  We debated it.  I think that playing JV would have been good for all the reasons stated, if he could actually play but he can't  (he can't actually throw or  hit without pain and while his injury is not serious, it doesn't get better without rest and he can't do his PT to get ready for his summer team which is all we can salvage for this year.   So sending him to sit around a JV practice 6 days a week would be a great test of character and might earn some points with the Varsity but would definitely prevent him him playing this summer.  it's a tough call for sure.

One other problem with playing JV is that he can't transfer and play at another school if he plays in our state-- he has to sit out completely or sit out next year his Junior year and that is definitely in the mix as I said above .  He goes to a private HS can go back to his local public HS where he has tons of friends and the baseball program is less intense.       

F FoxDad10,000+ posts

FWIW - when my son made Varsity as  a sophomore, one of his best friends suffered a minor injury just before tryouts.  I don't recall exactly what the injury was, but it was enough to prevent him from attending tryouts.  By  the time he was recovered, tryouts were over.  Coach put him on JV for that year (he knew the caliber of player he was) and he made Varsity the following season.

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