My daughter was cut from from her high school team ?

Question
My daughter just started her jr. year. This is a private high school.  She was on JV last year. She is a MB  SHe made the first cut for the team but not the final cut.  SHe did the school summer camp this past month and several small camps including one at USC.  SHe is an average player but has a good attitude and gives it her all. SHe has really improved this last year.. She was replaced by an incoming freshman who plays club ball.  AT the end of the last season the girls were told that it is suggested they play club because if they dont they probabaly wont make the team.  We could not afford club this year and I believe this is why she did not make it.  The head coach is a coach and director for a big club team.  Im very upset and feel this is not fair.  I also feel this is a conflict of interest.  He recruited several girls this last year .

Answer
Good morning Jackie:

Welcome to www.allexperts.com.  What you're described is not uncommon.  And it may be just as unfair as you mentioned.  However, it may not.   

a) You said your daughter didn't play juniors last season.  What about the season before?  And the season before that?  There is a chance that, since the other girls played so much travel ball, that they have passed your daughter.   

b) Also, the years she played, did she play on the top team, and did she play in a program that traveled a lot?  I ask these questions, not to berate you, but to try to pinpoint what may have happened in the selection process.  There are clubs here in Roanoke that have a "top" 16's team, but they don't travel to any large tournaments, they don't practice very often, etc.  So if a girl is on their "top 16's team," she is receiving half the contacts, competition, and experience that other girls are receiving who play for other clubs.

c)  Are these freshmen and sophs really strong players?  Well, maybe they aren't ready to break into the starting lineup yet, but are they going to be big stars?  If so, the coach was right to get them on varsity asap.  (I'm not saying Coach was right to cut your daughter.  I'm not able to judge that.)  
 
d) Were there just too many seniors and juniors trying out?  If so, many coaches believe that having, for example, 6 seniors and 6 juniors aren't in the program's best interests.  One year I had 9 seniors and 4 juniors on varsity.  And where was the next year's conference player of the year?  On JV!!  I could have cut some of the seniors to make room for that outstanding player.  But that year I didn't have to.  More on that in a moment.   

e) Does the coach have a history of cutting rising juniors?  There is a coach here in Roanoke who cuts down to 12 every year, regardless of experience, talent, or years playing club ball.  And it's usually the juniors who get cut b/c of the reasons I listed above.  So if the coach cut a few girls last year, and the year before, then this was no surprise.  It's heart-breaking, but not surprising.  

f) The coach could be thinking, "I want girls who have volleyball in their blood, their heart and their soul."  And he equates that desire with playing club ball, and doesn't consider other factors.  That's too bad, and I would disagree with him here.  Even the year I had 9 seniors, there were a few who didn't play club.  So how did they make up for the 100's of hours they missed?  They played a ton of outdoor doubles (much cheaper!), came to a ton of open gyms (free), they played other sports, they spent triple time in the weight room, etc.  They behaved this way b/c they knew that if they didn't, then they would get cut.  In order to make everyone accountable, I even kept up with my kids' off-season work with a chart in my classroom.  They received 1 point for a 1-hour open gym, 1 point for 45 minutes in the weight room, 6 points for each day they attended a jr tournament, 10 for participating in an outdoor doubles tournament, etc.  I told them that if they wanted to have a chance to make my team, they needed to reach 150 points in the 9 months of our off-season.  Everyone did.  I guess I'm trying to say that, just b/c a girl doesn't play club ball, vball/team/teammates/etc. can still be in her blood.  But other things are just a higher priority.   
 
I'm in no way trying to support the coach.  I don't have a horse in this race.  I'm just giving you some possible reasons for the coach's actions.  

Finally, if the coach cut your daughter to make a point to the rest of the girls in the program, to scare everyone into playing club ball, then he was wrong.  But if he cut her b/c he was looking out for the team both this year and in the next few years, then he was right.  

Does this help any?  If you have follow up questions, please let me know.  You can also email me at [email protected] anytime.  And please visit my website, www.coachhouser.com.  I think you'll have fun browsing the pages.  

Coach Houser   

p.s. You do have another option, you know.  You can transfer to a private school.  If money is an issue, many private schools give scholarships.  The coach above who keeps 12....nearly every year, some of her players bolt to a private school so that they can play.