Advice

Over the past several years our organization has only had just enough players tryout to make a team. Last year something happened and we started to grow. (as in the organization had all age groups for the first time) My team had tryouts and some parents found new homes of their own or some seen who tried out talent wise and decided there wasn't a chance to make the team so they left on their own terms so when Tryouts was over, I had 11 players (all who I wanted but I didn't need to call anyone to tell them they didn't make it.)

The new year has come. (we have open tryouts every year per our organization policy) I have had 20 kids tryouts for our team. I have now picked the 11 I want to run with. My question is this, since i have never done this part before, what is the best method of contacting the parents of the kids that didn't make it. I have all their emails and I could put detail in that. Or do I call them? If I do email, do I put a lot of detail in it, or just put some highlights and what we seen and tell them if they have questions please let me know.

Been coaching for along time, but this is really the first time I have had to deal with cutting. I knew someday it would come to this as our program became successful and grew.

Just some advice to teach this old dog the best way to handle a sensitive situation.
Thanks....

How about the organization find another coach and make another team? Otherwise what we typically do is call the ones we want to invite and email the rest that we didn't take, however, that is said at the end of the tryout so the parents know what to expect.

If you didn't specify which method I would lean towards calling... but find a coach first that way when you call you can say the kid made this team

First of all, congratulations!! The fact that your organization is growing is a great thing. There are many organizations struggling to find players, as evidenced by the sports boards in my state. This must mean that you run a solid program that is creating interest.

Luckily my DD is also part of an organization that typically has a decent showing at tryouts. Like you, we will typically have 20-25 players to choose from for each age group. We allow the coaches at each age group to make their selections and then contact all of the parents. I do not know what each of the other teams do, but our team will call all of the parents. Myself and another coach share that responsibility and typically try to make all the calls within a few days after our final tryout. The calls can be difficult, especially if you know the family of the girl you are cutting. In my particular case, I happen to know several coaches that are part of other organizations. I stay close to them and if any of them need players, I may offer their phone numbers to the parents as I make my calls. At a tournament this summer, one of those parents walked up and thanked me for that. Great girl, great family, and she had a very good summer. Even though it wasn't as part of our team, I am still glad that she had a successful season.

Yep. If you have enough, start another team!

If not, call the families. I like to tell them right up front their DD didn't make it, but then I tell them why. It could be because the skill level wasn't there, or that we had too many players at her position or that I just didn't think I could make her happy since she wanted to pitch and I would have slotted her in at #4 pitcher.

I then tell them what I think they can do to make the team next year and I will even give them a few names of other organizations that I think are a better fit for their DD. In cases where I really like a girl and her family, I'll even follow up with other coaches and try and get her a tryout and then get back in contact with the family to see how it went.

I don't mind good players going to competitive organizations, especially when I didn't have room for them. To me, I just want them to play and be happy and help grow the sport.

If they come back in the spring and kick my team's rear, I usually have a very sincere high-five for the girl and a big smile.

Little Angels Softball said:

Yep. If you have enough, start another team!

If not, call the families. I like to tell them right up front their DD didn't make it, but then I tell them why. It could be because the skill level wasn't there, or that we had too many players at her position or that I just didn't think I could make her happy since she wanted to pitch and I would have slotted her in at #4 pitcher.

I then tell them what I think they can do to make the team next year and I will even give them a few names of other organizations that I think are a better fit for their DD. In cases where I really like a girl and her family, I'll even follow up with other coaches and try and get her a tryout and then get back in contact with the family to see how it went.

I don't mind good players going to competitive organizations, especially when I didn't have room for them. To me, I just want them to play and be happy and help grow the sport.

If they come back in the spring and kick my team's rear, I usually have a very sincere high-five for the girl and a big smile.

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You are a fantastic coach!!! Very few coaches do it the way you do.

And one other thing: Try to not forget their names. I make a special effort to say hello to every girl I cut when I run into them during the season, and I want to be able to call her by name. I owe them that.

Thanks everyone!!!