| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
mbandtb
16 Posts |
 Posted - 02/09/2016 : 13:59:17
|
Ok Moms....chime in.
My 15 yo son just tried out for the high school team. My husband and I got to watch the first day. He had a great tryout. He threw strikes during his pitching portion, got all his balls during 1st base and outfield tryouts. Even had some of his friends come up after and tell him what a great tryout he had. He was cut the first day. That's what I said....cut the first day. He has been playing baseball for 10 years and travel ball for 5 years. He is consistently 1st on his team in batting average and on base percentage.
This was a horrible shock for our whole family (obviously, I'm not over it yet or I wouldn't be posting). It's like someone died. At first I thought, WOW....maybe we misjudged his ability all this time. But then people started coming up to us and asking us what happened. They thought he should have made the team. Now, I'm even more confused.
Sadly, we live in a rural area and there are no travel teams for his age group less that 1.5 hour drive from home.
I don't know what to do. The coach won't talk to parents. he only talks to players. My son says it won't do any good to go talk to him so here we are.....
Thoughts? Anybody? |
|
|
turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2016 : 16:21:12
|
Grades?
Attitude?
Did he 'pop off' to coach?
Does he have an attitude?
How deep is the team at pitching/1B/OF?
Strikes are great, but are they BP speed, or was he in the top tier velocity? What about locating? What about other pitches?
Does your school not have a JV team (assuming he's a soph)?
Was dad his coach of his travel teams?
To be cut the first day, I'd say there's something more there than just what was done on the field... Maybe the coach and your son have had a 'run in' at school? Maybe coach has observed your son displaying suspect judgement while at school, that he doesn't want associated on his team?
Either that, or as one coach told us... "sometimes his best just isn't good enough"
With all of that being said, and if you son truly wants to make the team in his years to come, then he should want to know why he was cut. He should want to know what it would take to make the team, so he could work on it this spring/summer and coming fall to get better. Was it his hitting? Velocity? Again, if your son wants it, he should ask so he can work on it to improve his chances. |
Edited by - turntwo on 02/09/2016 17:45:23 |
 |
|
|
in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2016 : 17:06:19
|
The best advice I can offer is to have your son approach the coach and ask what he needs to work on to be able to make the team next year. DO NOT ask "why didn't I make the team". By asking in the manner I suggest, it is not combative and forces the coach to outline specifically what he saw as weak areas. Then, once you have that info, you can accept that he was being honest with you or form your own opinion on the matter.
You didn't make any mention of how your son did hitting on day one. The coach may have other players that he feels are already ahead of your son at first and OF as hitters. If so, he may need to improve his hitting.
Is this the first time the coach has seen your son play?
If your kid can hit, they will find a place for him to play. You mention BA and OBP. Was that with a drop 5 or 8 bat? Did he struggle with BBCOR? Was this his first time on 60-90 field? If he is very good pitcher, he'll land a roster spot. Does he have good offspeed pitches? What velo is he throwing? If he throws straight strikes with a 75-78 mph fastball, you'll have a chiropractor bill from him snapping his neck watching balls sail past. Simply throwing strikes doesn't mean that he's a good pitcher.
If you kid REALLY wants to make the team, then he absolutely SHOULD approach the coach and respectfully ask what he needs to do to make it next year. He also needs to tell the coach that he believes he can compete and help his team and that he'll be back next year.
If one kid does what I suggest above and another kid simply accepts that asking won't change anything and does nothing, which one do you think the coach will remember at the next tryout. |
|
|
|
CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2016 : 10:21:02
|
in the know gave great advice. While it won't change the result for this years team if the kid really wants a shot at next years team he will have to ask the question to the coach.
The only other possibility I can think of, that hasn't been mentioned, of what might have gone wrong is coachability. During every tryout the player is asked to change something...maybe it was a grip on a pitch, or a stance in the box, if players don't give the change a shot and insist on doing it their way that can get you cut on day one. |
|
|
|
bfriendly
376 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2016 : 10:05:01
|
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl
in the know gave great advice. While it won't change the result for this years team if the kid really wants a shot at next years team he will have to ask the question to the coach.
The only other possibility I can think of, that hasn't been mentioned, of what might have gone wrong is coachability. During every tryout the player is asked to change something...maybe it was a grip on a pitch, or a stance in the box, if players don't give the change a shot and insist on doing it their way that can get you cut on day one.
Not a mom, but I feel for you........Lots of questions and most have been posted already. Look at ourselves first, then seek other answers. Ask what is needed to improve on for next year blah blah.
But I wanted to ask, What is the roster made up of? Who are the kids that did make the team and what is their relationship with ANYONE within the administration of the school. Unfortunately, politics do find their way inside any arena that has power of any sort these days. I hope there is a legit reason your kid did not make the team that will allow him to focus on and improve. There are many threads here that will concur politics in Baseball and even at higher than high school level................just sayin
And I wish you the best.....Keep looking for opps. Dont give up, dont Ever give up |
|
|
|
tellit
97 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2016 : 14:15:44
|
| Did he ever speak with the coach to find out what he needs to work on (in the coaches opinion)? You must be really rural to be 90 minutes from any travel program. Good luck in the future, 90% of our kids are going to have to swallow not making the HS team. It will be a sad day when that happens. |
|
|
|
turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2016 : 11:08:01
|
quote:
Originally posted by mbandtb
quote:
Originally posted by turntwo
Grades?
Attitude?
Did he 'pop off' to coach?
Does he have an attitude?
How deep is the team at pitching/1B/OF?
Strikes are great, but are they BP speed, or was he in the top tier velocity? What about locating? What about other pitches?
Does your school not have a JV team (assuming he's a soph)?
Was dad his coach of his travel teams?
To be cut the first day, I'd say there's something more there than just what was done on the field... Maybe the coach and your son have had a 'run in' at school? Maybe coach has observed your son displaying suspect judgement while at school, that he doesn't want associated on his team?
Either that, or as one coach told us... "sometimes his best just isn't good enough"
With all of that being said, and if you son truly wants to make the team in his years to come, then he should want to know why he was cut. He should want to know what it would take to make the team, so he could work on it this spring/summer and coming fall to get better. Was it his hitting? Velocity? Again, if your son wants it, he should ask so he can work on it to improve his chances.
Grades: All A's
Attitude: Nope, we took care of that issue early on....his philosophy is that he's just there to help the team.
He's never had words with the coach or anyone else for that matter.
They are only 3 deep on P/1B/OF and one of those is an 8th grader.
I wasn't there to see his pitching but he throws consistently between 65 and 75. He has 3 pitches he uses.
His Dad has never coached him in Travel Ball.
This particular coach told him last year that he had an excellent swing. He likes to drop the ball just inside the right field foul line.
He's still trying to get an appointment with the coach to talk to him.
Good deal. The 'appointment' should be approached, not so much as 'why' (didn't I make it), but rather 'what' (can I improve on). Hopefully coach will be honest, and if your son has the drive, he can make it next year!!!! Follow up and let us know how the meeting goes! |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
What the Heck Just Happened?
