Fairness Re: Injured Player at Tryouts

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Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
So my first tryout isn't until Monday and I already have a difficult decision.

We're a first-year Varsity team, no JV/Freshman team this year. I have 22 girls on the sign-up sheet for tryouts (expecting 20 of them). We can only keep 15.

I've made it clear that everybody has to try out, and that's true, but I saw nine of the 22 play a little last year and I have a decent idea of their current skill level and their potential. While I hadn't made decisions on all of them, I had no doubt a handful would make the team, including a girl who I had penciled in as our starting CF. A few weeks ago, she sprained her MCL. She had a physical therapy session today, and I guess it's looking worse than they originally thought. She won't be able to participate in tryouts next week, and she has an MRI next Thursday.

So I have a decision to make, and unfortunately I don't have all the information I'll need to make it.

Issue 1: Will people complain that tryouts are rigged or otherwise unfair if she makes the team without being able to compete? She is going to attend to help out, but her doctor said she's a no go for participating in any of the skills evaluations. It's also not fair to her to keep her off the team if she's going to return shortly after tryouts.

Issue 2: I have no idea how long she's out. If she's only going to be out a couple weeks, I'll take 14 plus her and we'll just play a girl short until she's back. If she's going to be out for most/all of the season, then we'll make her a team manager this season so she can be around the team but I'll have 15 others on the roster (technically, she'd be on the roster, just not ever an active player on the lineup card). The problem is we have tryouts on Monday/Tuesday next week, and decisions need to be made for practice on Wednesday. That 15th spot is in limbo. So do I go with 14 and hope she's healthy? Do I talk to that last girl cut and offer her the chance to practice with the team the first week, knowing her spot on the team is contingent on another girl's health (this seems like a really bad idea!)?

I should also add that this girl who will eventually be on the bubble isn't going to be a great player. She's going to be someone who has never played before, so if we keep her it's because we see something at tryouts that tells us we can work with her and develop her over the course of the next couple years.

Any suggestions here? "Don't cut anybody" isn't an option. Keeping 16 for the full season probably isn't either.
 
Feb 15, 2013
650
18
Delaware
Tough decision but if this girl who is injured might be your starting CF I would say play with 14 until she's back. At the point you find out she won't be back make the team manager your new 15th player and make the injured girl your manager. Also take into consideration academics for players, my DD's HS team loses 3-5 a year for grades.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Last year DD was allowed to play without practicing, coach threw her in LF. 1st hit she swooped in and threw a runner out by 10 feet at 3rd, I wish I had video she looked what she was doing.

Blank them all, it is your team.

There is always a lot going on that as a parent I do not know, as HC it has to be shut down. Not even a conversation.

Still not going to express this well but I know more about some of thier family life then I am comfortable with.
 
Last edited:
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Tough decision but if this girl who is injured might be your starting CF I would say play with 14 until she's back. At the point you find out she won't be back make the team manager your new 15th player and make the injured girl your manager. Also take into consideration academics for players, my DD's HS team loses 3-5 a year for grades.

This is a good idea.

I would like to have a conversation with that 15th/16th girl and explain it to her, but I'm not sure how a teenager will take it (imo, sitting them down and talking to them like an adult is a good thing; they seem to appreciate that).
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
Here ya go. Info on the recovery times for MCL injuries.

What is an MCL sprain and how long does It take to heal?

As for your situation. I would keep 14. You can always add another player later rather than killing all of your options by taking 15 right from the start. If the MRI on the MCL shows anything serious the doctor is going to err on the side of caution and tell the player no activities for 6-8 weeks. That's the majority of the season. IF she is able to recover in time she'll be way behind the rest of the team.

Know this for sure. No matter what you do someone is not going to be happy. Do not worry about trying to make them all happy. You'll never do it. It's like the old Aesop fable about the man, the boy and the donkey.
 
Last edited:
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Kind of painted yourself into a corner didn't u.....

Do most high schools not actually have tryouts for all their teams each year? I did quite a bit of crowd sourcing and everybody I talked to said that even the players who everybody knew were on the team still had to go to tryouts.
 

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