Rejected!

Mom or dad...What you say is a common response to a son not making a team.

Be happy that you gave him the opportunity to continue living his dream with your help with extra lessons, etc.

No need to move anywhere.

St. Charles has two of the best baseball programs in the state at North and East. As I recall, East was a recent State Champion.

Don't understand your comments about "checks and balances". Maybe your son didn't have a particularly good series of workouts? Sounds like you are trying to "blame" someone other than your sons performance on the field.

It is only his freshman year. Get him on a good summer travel team and let him try out again next year. He'll be bigger, stronger and likely more coordinated.

Besides, another year at St. Charles and your home will go up another $50,000.00 in value! (lol).


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Wait for TARatko to jump in on this discussion. He didn't exactly like what was going on locally for his son and now, a year later, he's ECSTATIC! Tom...where are you?

Without having any idea what your son's skills are, I can say this.

I got cut from our basketball team in high school. In addition, I had a fairly serious eye injury occur during our baseball tryouts and had to abandon that as well. It is not the end of the world - although it hurts a lot when it happens. If it is your son's passion, he will play somewhere in the summer and hopefully have fun. And hopefully, when he grows up and has his own kids he will enjoy coaching them or taking them to ball games. He may find other interests too and thats fine.

From our local rec. summer baseball league with about 300 kids in the younger 2-year divisions, only 20 or so will play HS baseball. From those only 1 or maybe 2 will play beyond HS. It is our hope that out of the original 300, that 150 or more will still love the game when they grow older. Keep it in perspective and give your son a lot of your time to tell you about what he wants to do.

________________
"The only people I ever felt intimdated by in my whole life were Bob Gibson and my daddy," Dusty Baker.

Just cause he is cut his sophomore year it isn't the end of the world. Encourage him to work harder and get better.

Illinois is rich with Travel teams to give kids an oppertunity to play and get better. Norwood Blues, Lombard lighting, Several others that I can't think of right now.

I assume they have legion teams too. Just don't give up.

If you can learn to root for the Packers, you can move up here, my sons team can always use a good player.

Play every game as if it were your last

The other side of the coin and "hard fact" side of the coin is that the kid may not have the "credentials' you think he has---playing from day one does not mean he is a ball player at the HS level.

Life is not easy but it goes on--I am sure he is not the only kid that was cut.

TRhit

I am not saying this to be hard hearted - I was cut both my Freshman and Sophomore years in high school. I had 2 choices. Blame the coach or get to work harder. I chose the second one and hit .500 my Junior year and then hit .438 my Senior year. My goal was to make myself so good I couldn't get cut. I asked the coach a few years ago why it was that I was cut. He said it had nothing to do with baseball. I was, "just too mean." LOL!

"There comes a time when you have to stop dreaming of the man you want to be and start being the man you have become." Bruce Springsteen

You would be amazed at how many kids, once they are cut, just give up on baseball. I keep asking myself why? All that means is you weren't good enough this year. This year has absolutely nothing to do with next year. Keep doing the lessons, fitness training, and try again next year, and if he is cut again, try again the following year. It is certainly not the end of your son's baseball career, he is young. Stick by his side, and support him through what I am sure is a tough time. And always remember, in baseball at some point in time, everyone gets cut.

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Originally posted by eyesingle:
My son has been playing baseball since day one. He just went through HS sophomore tryouts and was not selected. He's got credentials. He's a good kid. He's been preparing in every way possible (including private coaching and daily fitness training) all winter. I've seen him play and do amazing things. He wants to play in college. Do we have any recourse? We are willing to put our home on the market and move to give him a better chance to play, but he says it's over for this season. I see his life's passion drizzling through our fingers. Does one individual really have the power to affect another person's life so dramatically without checks and balances?

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Not making the team is tough. As far as somebody controlling things as long as you play you have to impress a coach. We have all read the politics thing where kids play or make teams because of outside influences. That is just the way it is. Not much you can do about that. My son was the victim of that early. It is not easy you have to fight through that. If your son is good enough as you say a good coach will see that. As a coach I wanted the best kids on the team but i also wanted good kids. I would take a less talented kid over some kid who was lazy and not a team player. Is that the norm who knows. Probably why I do not coach anymore. Started seeing more kids in that category than I would liked to. If your boy has some talen and is a hard worker as you say maybe we can get together and find 8 others who are like him and we could have some fun. He is a sophomore in high school. Larry Bowa the manager of the Phillies and a pretty good SS in his day got cut from his high school team all 4 years. Tell your son about that.

CoachB25 has it. Fortunately, though, there are lots of roster spots on a high school team. A player may not make a team for all the wrong reasons when they are not the best, just merely good enough to make the team. If you are merely good enough to make the team, you need to, as he says, "make myself so good I couldn't get cut."

Then they won't cut you becasue you're part of what will make the team win. Use that as your motivation.

Michael Jordan was cut from his High school basketball team as a sophomore......and he turned out to be a fairly decent basketball player......How your son answers this challenge will determine his future.....in a lot of ways.

To everyone who has responded here.... THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT!!! Time heals all wounds and I guess we ARE going to live. I am much heartened by the idea that he could still "go for it"! And I sure hope our property appreciates THAT much while he finishes up!

I'll show him your many encouraging thoughts. He'll probably say I'm silly, But it's good input while he makes his own decision about how to proceed. I'll be behind him 100%. You've all given him GREAT food for thought.

Oh, and by the way he's 6'2", about 200 lbs all muscle, an iron six-pack, and pants that don't stay up. (What's up with THAT?! I know, I know, maybe the coach didn't like that! ....) I suppose he will be stronger next year. Kinda hard to imagine tho!

Brooks Robinson got cut from his HS baseball team too. He turned out OK.

"A day without baseball is like a day without sunshine...and that's the only acceptable excuse."

Didn't Pete Rose also get the axe in HS?? Seems I recall hearing that somewhere....probably for failing statistics and probability.

"Every normal man must be tempted at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."
H.L. Mencken

Eyesingle,

If he's 6'2" 200 lbs. of solid muscle, there is more going on. Especially if he can play. Maybe your school just has so much talent, he couldn't compete. Baseball is the one game where looks tell nothing about how good a player is. I've seen more "studs" that just flat out suck, while the fat kid with glasses is smooth as silk at 1B and hits bombs. Go figure.

I would give the coach a call if I were you. Your son probably already knows why he got cut and just isn't saying. Call the coach and ask him why and what your son can do to improve his chances for next year--don't be confrontational. You say he got cut and is a sophomore, was this from JV or Varsity?

The other thing in your post that bothered me was the comment about his pants not staying up. If he's wearing his pants like some wannabe gangster hoodlum or skate punk, that is being noticed and reflects poorly on him. His attitude probably does not come off as the greatest either. I'm possibly way out of line here, but clean him up and don't let him wear that ****. First impressions, while not always correct, are long lasting. I've seen kids cut for having pierced ears or too much facial hair.

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and pants that don't stay up

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If he's wearing his pants like some wannabe gangster

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eyesingle, if his appearance was significant enough for you to mention, it may well have been noticed by others - especially if, as you imply, others with "less credentials" were selected.

tough intro to reality - - if you must express your individuality, good gosh, don't do it during the "job interview", wait till ya got seniority & security and have proven yourself!


lefties? - - - they just aint right!

Bee, u have a pm.

the Florida Bombers
"I love the HSBBW"