One of the more complicated tasks a coach must handle is making cuts. As anyone who has coached very long, learns advanced ability and good attitude don't always share the same body.

There are plenty of ways to measure the skills of players, but when it comes to the intangibles that can make the difference between a cohesive team and a team full of individuals, the decisions can be tougher. My coaching experiences proved to me that taking such intangibles into consideration is very important. I will share the clearest example I remember of this through a little story below.

Real Life Example

I had the opportunity to coach a high school boys' varsity basketball team during one of those stretches where there were more highly skilled players than there was room on the roster. Some years, every player at that year's tryouts would have earned a spot. But during this stretch, our second team would have finished second in the league.

I had to let some skilled seniors go because I saw that they would not be getting enough playing time and had no reason to hang on for next year. Many such seniors become drags on team morale. And I had a particular junior who had health problems, a heart-condition though not life-threatening, made it impossible for him to play for more than very short stretches at a time. This player had an exemplary attitude. He was always aware of our strategies in the games and was genuinely supportive of his healthier teammates. He did his best at practices and was always positive. His leadership in this respect was contagious and helped solidify our team. I decided to keep him on the roster, a move that helped team morale during his junior year and really paid off when he became a senior.

Happy Ending

Over the summer between those years, he had a procedure that corrected his condition and he became able to exert to the same extent as any other of our athletes. He became a starter, led the team in rebounds, and was selected as an all-league player. It was one of my greatest satisfactions as a coach to witness his success after all the years of unselfish effort and great attitude.

Consider Attitude When Making Cuts

So, my suggestion is to give plenty of consideration to team attitude when faced with making cuts. Make it clear to all players trying out that attitude is important to you. Learn to consciously look around for signs of good and bad attitude to help you make good choices on your roster.

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

Comments Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First Douglas Reid says: 11/21/2014 at 3:28:51 PM Great story. Just wish I had paid more attention to it when I was coaching. Like     login   register

Leave a Comment Name : Email (not published) : Four times four is equal to?  (Prevents Spam) Answer :  Load New Question Comments : Leave this Blank :