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.
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.