Making Cuts

In A Less Painful Way

We have created a simple but very effective template to help with one of the most painful aspects of coaching… making cuts.

Here’s what you do:

• Download the template
• Personalize it
• Put it in an envelope
• Players open the envelope at home

The most difficult part of making cuts is psychological. It’s tough to tell anyone, especially a child or young adult that they aren’t good enough. No matter how many times you do it, it still doesn’t feel good.

This resource is designed to ease that burden. Every child reacts differently to failure. In most cases you are cutting someone that you have only seen a handful of times – you haven’t had the time to properly get to know them. You don’t know the best way to console them and help them recover from disappointment.

This resource aims to share the burden. Coaches make the difficult decisions and then the people that know the child best, their parent or guardian, take over the emotional support required to make this ‘failure’ a less devastating experience.

I’ve told this story on our podcast before but it’s worth telling now. I coached my daughter’s travel team from grades five through eight. I used this template every year except their eighth-grade year. I thought ‘they’re old enough now, I can make these cuts face to face.’

I sat down with the first girl, told her we weren’t going to keep her on the team this year, gave her a few things to work on and then it happened… she burst into tears. Uncontrollable tears. I had no idea what to do. I mumbled a few things, told her it’s going to be fine, I started sweating and getting awkward. By the end of it I was a mess – and so was she.

She deserved better. I was not equipped. I really wished I handed out the envelopes that year.

The template includes a standardized text and you’ll notice that there are some blanks left for you to personalize. As a coach, it’s important for you to see beyond the child’s current skill, to see their potential. Leave the door open, don’t just assume they will never be good enough. Give them something to work on for next year, motivate them to come back bigger and better than ever.

Another way to personalize the template is to leave your phone number for the parent or guardian to contact you. You may be hesitant to do so, but I can tell you that I’ve handed out dozens and dozens of these envelopes to players and not one person has called me. Most appreciate that it was done in a respectful, private manner.

We also have a template to welcome the players who did make the team – that way everyone gets an envelope and nobody knows who made the team until they get home.

Just download the templates using the buttons below and they are all yours to customize!

FINAL TIPS:

1. Make the process known by being clear about the final cut date and that the players will be opening their envelopes at home.
2. Add a personal touch to each letter, it means a lot to the recipient.
3. If a player is not making the team, add a couple things for them to work on for next year.
4. If you are still unsure about whether a player will make the team before the final tryout, come prepared with both letters. Put the appropriate letter in the envelope once your decision has been made.
5. Include your phone number on the letter. Allow parents or guardians a chance to find out why their child didn’t make the team. You’ll be surprised how few calls you get.

Download:

Best of luck!

Brian Jonker

Coach Calls Timeout