Athletic Support: “Do Coaches Still Cut Kids From Teams?”

Dear Athletic Support: My son’s not good at sports. He likes to play. Loves basketball, baseball, football. But he’s just not any good. Barely even gets to go in the games. He’s already in junior high, and it surprised the heck out of me when he made the basketball team. I’ve got two questions for you: First, do coaches really still cut kids from the school teams? I mean, if my son made it, I just don’t think kids still have to “make the team.” Second, what can I do to get my kid better at sports? — Making It

Dear Making: Coaches still cut kids from basketball teams. If your son made the team, despite not being the best athlete, then maybe low numbers were his golden ticket.

These days, the main reason a coach cuts a kid is because of equipment. There are only so many jerseys, so many spots on the bus, etc. There’s also the issue of quality coaching. At the junior high level, there’s usually only one, maybe two, coaches. They have to keep the numbers low enough to really coach the whole team.

Maybe there weren’t many kids from your son’s school who tried out this year. That might explain how he made the team.

Regarding how to “get him better at sports.” Man, if I could answer that question, I’d be one rich dude.

Dear Athletic Support: I think my daughter is getting bullied during her athletics period at school. I’m not going to say what sport because I don’t want anyone trying to put this together. I don’t want anyone to get in trouble, either. I just want to make sure my daughter is okay. I can remember what it was like in the locker room. Everybody always thinks the guys have it tough. You should try being in a girls’ locker room. I’m sure it’s changed since I was in school, but I am really worried about my daughter. She’s never said anything to me outright about being bullied. It’s just a feeling I have in my gut. Should I try and talk to her about it? — Worried Sick

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Dear Sick: Yes, you should talk to her as soon as possible. Bullying is a very serious issue, especially among teenage girls.

With the advent of social media, there are many new ways to bully. These cyber-attacks aren’t just constrained to the locker room — they’re everywhere. For many teenagers, it feels like there’s no escape.

That is why you need to talk to your daughter as soon as possible. Try and keep the conversation from becoming accusatory. If she does open up, a good next step would be reaching out to the school counselor.

Eli Cranor is a former professional quarterback and coach turned award-winning author. His debut novel, Don’t Know Tough, is available for preorder wherever books are sold. Send questions for “Athletic Support” to [email protected]

Eli Cranor
elicranor.com

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