What would you do?

Cut him...

How about if the kid doesn't want to go?

How about if the kid doesn't want to go?


find out............then cut him.

I can't believe any school district would excuse a 3 week vacation at anytime, let alone at the end of the school year. That's academic as well as baseball suicide.

Cut him. There are plenty of players waiting for their shot that will be happy to replace him.

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Cut the parents who planned the vacation.



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quote:

This is after the kid heard everything about commitment, being at every game/practice, etc. I told him what I would do.
I'd like to hear what others would say.

No brainer.

Give the innings that he would get from now to then to someone who understands what being part of a team means. And then collect his uniform and send him on his way now. Like FF said. Cut him

If the kid wants to stay and play then he and / or his parents need to find someone he can stay with......if not then cut him.

There is no decision to be made, he "cut himself."

I hope the vacation was worth it.

There sounds like there's more to the story than what's stated here. It's too obvious...why would the coach call and ask for advice here, why would the player "announce", when does the school year end for this kid, was there anything said about these plans before the season started?

Cy Young to sayonara ... Stop playing him. When he leaves take his uniform.

In another sport a wealthy family (dad's a lawyer) filed a lawsuit when they returned from vacation at our school a few years ago. The board told the coach to reinstate the kid. The coach had to dress the kid for the state final four. He acknowledged the kid only to the extent the school wouldn't get sued for abuse. The kid got his letter too. He lost some friends.

We don't have all the info. We know this - you have to get another pitcher ready to fill his shoes ASAP, so all of his innings go to the candidates that will inherit his role. As far as cutting, does he have a choice with the vacation thing? Maybe he would give his right arm to not have to go but is forced to??? Has he been an otherwise perfect role model in the program? Is he a positive influence on the team even if he will be sitting the remainder of the season? Is he an underclassman? If so, will sitting him the remainder of the season be a strong enough message for him and the team? There is a unanimous opinion to cut him and you guys may be right, but I'd want to know ALL the details first.
I know some of you don't like parent meetings, but this is one of the primary topics that we address at the beginning of the season so this type of thing is less likely to come up. Same with Easter break.
We're currently having to create an environment change at our school where, in the past, parents have thought this was OK.

This sounds like some story, so a high school kid is going to take the last 3 weeks of the school year off regardless of baseball, or at least close to the last 3 weeks, come on, sounds like some made up story.

If you allow him to remain on the team then you are sending the wrong message. Every rep he gets in practice is a rep someone else needs to get. He has cut himself and he needs to know it , his parents need to know it , and everyone who ever thinks about being a part of your program needs to know it.

How many kids miss church service on Weds nights to practice or play games? How many kids miss important family functions on the weekends? How many kids really could stand to work a part time job but the family does without so the kid can play? The fact is you have to sacrifice to be a part of a team. Everyone does.

If you allow this player to miss and remain on the team how long before someone else comes up with a reason to miss? "Well coach you allowed Jimmy to miss!" No imo this is cut and dry period. Its not open for debate or discussion or meetings. Cut him and move on.

The last I heard was the kid was sent to JV and another kid was brought up to fill the innings and prepare for the playoffs. Apparently the school is backing him because it was not a school sponsored trip. If it was school sponsored, he would not have been able to do anything. Most of your advice is consistent with what I told him.

Long story short, last year, we had 3 varisty seniors who came back late from spring break and missed one game. All three were cut from the team. One had gone to the coach ahead of time and told the coach he was going to be there for the Friday game, but not the Wednesday game. Coach told him, if you do that, don't bother coming back. He didn't. The other two lied and said they were on college visits. When coach found out they were just at spring break with the other kid, they were both cut immediately.

Needless to say, we didn't have any problems with that this year. Kid needs to be there for the season.