Player Cuts for Middle School Team

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Just a few thoughts from a fellow MS coach:
This is my ninth season coaching school ball (did the Rec league thing and coached all three of my DDs through TB), but I know your situation may be different from mine. With Tournaments, we can get in about 22 games (March - May) with the Varsity and another 12 with the JV. School Admin tells me I must keep at least 18 players to field both, and no 8th graders on the JV. We had tryouts this week (26 girls showed up) and we kept 19 of them (8 8th graders and 11 7th graders). We cut a couple of players that could have contributed, and a couple that were definitely injury risks. When we play varsity I usually dress twelve. SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO KEEP YOUR NUMBERS MANAGEABLE.
I have learned through the years a shorter bench is much better with less dissatisfaction and more practice reps. One year I kept 25 and I still wonder how I kept my sanity.
I have two assistant coaches: a very experienced mom (her fifth year working with me) that has a full time job and my DD2 who is a in her third year as a college student (Math major, wants to teach HS) so I conduct a lot of practices by myself. Another great reason to limit the numbers.
When you make some cuts players have a little more confidence (and dedication) when they realize they were not kept because "everyone makes the team." There is a little more pride in having your name on the roster.
Lastly, I would estimate that 80% of the parent problems I have had over the years occurred when I kept a player for charitable reasons. The phrase "no good deed ever goes unpunished" has become a phrase we use everytime we make personnel decisions.
GOOD LUCK on your season, I know that everyone on DFP wishes you well!
 
Oct 16, 2015
30
6
My dd is in middle school and she said her coach worked with the other schools and they will play two 5 inning games so he can have 2 teams.
I'm not sure if it is a good thing yet or not but could that be an option in your area??
 
May 19, 2015
3
0
Check with the athletic director to see what the conference schools have decided on. Do they play extra innings for developmental purposes or is it considered very competitive in nature. If it is treated competitive like HS then you need to make cuts. 14 at the most, and even that is hard to keep everyone happy.
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
I can understand the rationale behind player cuts in middle school.

It's just that player cuts in middle school really bothers me on a lot of levels.

Middle school was when most of my kids experimented to figure out what sports they liked.

For example, DD 1 started playing softball in the 7th grade. Little league, so no cuts. If there had been tryouts, perhaps she would've been cut, since she had never played before. Instead, at the end of 8th grade she made the LL 14U all-star team, August before 9th grade she made a local 16U TB team, and by the end of the spring of her freshman year, she was the best freshman softball player in her school. Freshman softball is no-cut at that school.

OK, she quit softball at the end of her freshman year, but at least she had the chance. And DD 3 learned softball by practicing with DD 1. Now DD 3 is a freshman, and a better player than her sister was at the same age.

All that because DD 1 could play no-cuts.
 

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