Son cut from Freshman Team, but have a question

It's truly hard to say to be perfectly honest with you.  I think it's safe to say that by asking his name that there had to some sort of interest but can't say that definitively. 

Sounds like you and your son have the right frame of mind in that you are going to work harder and make the team next year.  Might not be a bad idea to have your son ask the coach what he needs to work on in order to make the team next year.  Just make sure he approaches the coach in the right way and doesn't come across as a complainer or whatever.

Good luck

I would take it as a positive experience and not read too much into it.  It may have come down to a him or the other kid situation.  So, at least he knows he made the radar as a kid to watch for next year, which is not a bad thing at all

Just because he wasn't cut doesn't mean the coach wasn't interested in him being on the team.  Most schools have a hard and fast rule regarding the number of players allowed due to budget constraints and although he may have been someone that the coach considered he probably cut him simply because he is an 8th grader. 

If your son was picked then it was quite likely that a freshman would have been cut from the team.  Knowing that, and knowing that your son could easily go out again and make the team next year as a Freshman the coaches probably decided to give the kid currently in high school a shot.  While not making the HS team as an 8th grader wouldn't be a crippling blow to son it might very well be for a freshman hoping to play varsity one day. 

Look at it this way, imagine you were a mom of a Freshman and there was an 8th grader that was competing for a spot on the freshman team with your son.  If they were competitive, if the two kids were very close skills wise wouldn't you want your Freshman son to get the nod?

Also look at it this way.  He was close to making the team as an 8th grader.  Who knows, maybe next year, with some work and some extra practice he might make the JV or even Varsity squad as a Freshman.  Make this a positive for him, give him a goal for next year.

I have no clue why the coach asked your son's name 3 times before cutting him, but I am sorry to hear he got cut.  Perhaps the coach has a bad memory.  Perhaps your son did something memorable (good or bad).  I can't speak to why the coach asked, but what is important is what coach 2709 noted - you have a good attitude towards next year.  One thing I learned when my son was trying out for teams - wear a shirt with your last name on it so coaches don't have to ask.  They can figure out who you are right when you make a play.  When I heard this tip it seemed so obvious but go watch kids trying out and and they don't do this.  Perhaps next year, your son can wear a shirt from a travel team or some other team with his name on it.  Might save the coach asking 3 questions next year.

Thanks for everyone's responses.  It's great to hear from those with some knowledge on this whole process. 

Wklink - 8th graders try out because our area high schools no longer offer freshman sports due to budget cuts.  The freshman teams are now basically Legion teams.  There were 7 8th graders who made the team out of 18 taken, but from what I understand all of the 9th graders that made the final cut with my son were taken.  You may have a good point about them wanting to take as many 9th graders as possible. 

QuadAAA - we thought about having my son wear his All Stars jersey but were told not to do that because HS coaches get turned off by that as kind of a show boating thing.  That's the only thing he has with is name on it.  Next year I'm hoping they'll remember him since he was so close this year.

That is too bad about the cutting of Freshman baseball.  While not exactly outstanding here Freshman ball allowed my son to put on the uniform for the first time.  My pic is him playing Freshman ball.  There is something about donning your school's uniform that you don't get playing travel ball.  My son wears his HS baseball hat all the time, 24/7 if his mom would allow hat wearing in the house. 

if I  interject here   have been thru thiswith my son and stepson---it just made  them moredetermined  and stronger  son as frosh was told by varsity coach that he was better than the senior at his position---centerfield--- fair enuff but he did not displace seniors with freshman   at least coach was up front with him  and my son appreciated it  stepson had a coach who was the extreme opposite  never gave the kid a fairshot  and told him he would never pitch in college---but he pitched at d3  and d1 levels.---u learn to go with the flow

Originally Posted by Cavtrooper: … Wklink - 8th graders try out because our area high schools no longer offer freshman sports due to budget cuts.  The freshman teams are now basically Legion teams. …

Our district killed Fr sports for all 8 High Schools 3 years ago, so there’s a JV team made up of the best of all the Fr and Sophs that can’t make the V.

You said it was the HS Fr team, but it seems as though its more like a team made up of certain aged players that include HS Fr and below.

proudhesmine,

I don’t think it’s a HS team like the ones you’re thinking of. From what I can see, the team isn’t playing for the HS, it’s a team made up of some HS players.

Technically it's a "Legion" team because the HS can no longer offer Freshman sports.  This opens it up to 8th and 9th graders only for tryouts.  The team still uses the school facilites and wears the school uniform, but it's a "Legion" (wink, wink) team.  If it was still a strictly Freshman team, they would have been in trouble this year.  I don't think enough qualified Freshman tried out to fill an entire team, and this is a 5A school.  They needed the 8th graders just to field a full team with some depth.

Originally Posted by Cavtrooper:

Technically it's a "Legion" team because the HS can no longer offer Freshman sports.  This opens it up to 8th and 9th graders only for tryouts.  The team still uses the school facilites and wears the school uniform, but it's a "Legion" (wink, wink) team.  If it was still a strictly Freshman team, they would have been in trouble this year.  I don't think enough qualified Freshman tried out to fill an entire team, and this is a 5A school.  They needed the 8th graders just to field a full team with some depth.

If it’s a “Legion” team, what grade the players are in has no meaning because Legion eligibility is determined by age. That means 5^th graders or seniors could be eligible. Jake is likely the closest we have to a Legion expert here, so I hope he weighs in. What would the Legion powers to be have to say about a team that limited eligibility to only 8^th graders and Fr?

"That's the only thing he has with is name on it."

Um, duct tape and sharpie can take care of that problem.  Son has NO jerseys with name on it so I put a strap of duct tape on the back of tryout t-shirt with his last name in block letters.  Now not only did the coaches know his name, but whenever he makes a play the upperclassmen tease him yelling his name in unison.  He gets a kick out of it. Anonymous freshman to team guy in the first week of baseball.  Pretty cool.

My just-turned-14YO son played up with a really good 15u team last Fall. He's in 8th grade and everyone of his teammates made JV and two made varsity at very high level programs. He would have done almost anything to tryout and make the JV team (Fr baseball dropped like most sports outside of football county-wide a few years ago for $ reasons). But 8th graders cannot play HS sports, even though he's in a secondary school (middle + HS).

So, he had to drop back to a 14u team for the spring, misses his friends, and laments the obvious, mostly age-related, drop in talent. Especially the pitching (he's a catcher). Hopefully his old team will reform as soon as HS baseball is done for the season.