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Don’t blink! It is basketball cut day. And cuts hurt.
No high school coach enjoys telling a player that they cannot be a part of the team. How a coach informs his team can vary from program to program, but the message delivered is pretty clear. You are not good enough to continue to play high school basketball.
And you have to be pretty good to play high school basketball.
Coaches often say that cutting players is the hardest thing to do. On one hand, it’s very hard to tell a teenager that they can no longer do something that they have enjoyed and have played for many many years. On the other hand, most decisions really not that hard. In fact, they are very clear. A player lacks the skill, athleticism, quickness, or strength to compete at a certain level. Being cut is a harsh reality that is difficult for many players to accept.
Coaches are very glad once the final team is selected and cuts are made.
For the player, his season is all over except for the crying. Many players, away from anybody else, often in their room, perhaps on a car ride home with a parent, will be crying. They will be crying real tears of pain and disappointment. They will be crying for a season that they will never get or get back. They will be crying because of the fact that many friends and family will know that they have been cut. They will be crying because perhaps another friend will make the team. They will be crying because their dream of being a varsity high school basketball player has come to an end, at least for now.
Being cut from a high school team is an extremely dramatic experience. The biggest question is how did this happen?
1. Basketball was not a top priority during the off-season. Most players who really make basketball a top priority will have an opportunity to play basketball longer than players who are not committed to basketball. The youth basketball player who attends camps, listens, and develops an individual workout will continue to be part of a high school program. Other more talented youth players who do not work, will not. As players get older friends, significant others, work, driving, and other sports can be more important than basketball.
2. Basketball is a top priority, but there is no plan or the plan is flawed. Over the years, we have seen players pick up a basketball every single day and are very passionate about sport, however, they get cut from their high school program. These players will spend hours in the gym – playing pick-up, shooting, playing 2v2, and working on fancy drills that don’t translate into being a good fundamental high school basketball player.
These are the sad cases to see. If this passionate player had the opportunity to work with a skills trainer that could have devised a quality individual workout, these players most likely would make a team. They also most likely would continue to progress. They would have the opportunity to be a contributing member of a varsity team. These players worked on basketball, they simply worked on the wrong stuff.
3. Players do not understand their game. If you watch any level of competitive basketball, you’ll see players that do not understand their role within the team. They do not know what their strengths and weaknesses are as a player. Good coaches will clearly define the role of each player. The responsibility of each player is to know their role and work to expand that role with hard work and skill development.
4. Shooting Outside of A Player’s Range. The biggest mistake players make is not defining their shooting range correctly. In this world where three-point shots of valued more than gold by some players and coaches, most high school players do not understand that range is defined by shooting percentage. Simply because a player can make one shot from the three-point line even though they miss the next eight does not make a player an above-average three-point shooter.
That’s why we encourage players to find their range as the spot where a player can consistently make five in a row. I have heard other trainers throw out making 70% of the shots in practice. That number sounds like a pretty solid number when you are talking about an above average high school shooter.
We try to keep it simple and we place players in three categories – below average, average, and above average. We use percentages to define each category. Once games are played hudl is very effective at keeping track of shooting percentages and is used by many high schools. Obviously, game percentages will be much lower than practice percentages. Once in the season, these numbers should be considered as well.
5. A player has reached their ceiling. This is probably a proudest cut. A player has worked hard throughout their career to continue to play basketball. But at some point, for the vast majority of players, they will reach a point where somebody will tell them you’re just not good enough.
For some players that might be the freshman level in very talented high school programs. For others, it might be JV, ultimately this happens to very good high players when trying to play in college at any level. Division III players aspire to play Division II and Division I which is so competitive.
Division III is unbelievably competitive, just look at a local roster. Identify the players you know, there may not be any from your league or area of the state.
6. A player has a bad attitude, and it’s not coachable. This is the easiest cut of all. I’m sure if a player falls into this category, they don’t see it. It will always be the coaches fault.
The crying will last for minutes, hours or days, but the tears will go away. And then it is time to decide what a player will do next. The decision we recommend most is pick up chess. (Every once in a while, we try to be funny.)
What we highly recommend is talking to the coach who made the decision. Perhaps ask the coach if you can be part of the program in anyway. That might mean videotaping games as a manager. That might need keeping the book and away games. That might mean being a practice player, which in some cases might lead to roster spot.
If you are truly passionate about basketball, you will find a way to be a part of the program. Perhaps you realize that being part of a competitive team just doesn’t seem to be realistic anymore. You may look into being a play-by-play announcer for a community television channel or color analyst. There is a growing demand for hype men. We know very little about this but see many many clips and edits online and the kids get very excited for that.
Basketball is a great game and if you have been cut, yeah sorry. But it is time to look in the mirror and realize that if you still want to play basketball, it could be some options. Read our recommendations on what we should do if you have been cut.