Dear Athlete,
I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from today - I just ask that you give me a few moments of your time to share some things with you that may help. I know you aren't happy with the decision and there's little I can say to change that. What I can do is leave you with some food for thought and fuel to drive you forward.
Before you blame me and fill yourself with hate and anger towards me or the program take a look at yourself. This was a tryout after all, and as coach I'm looking for a lot of different things - talent, work ethic, and "coachability" just to name a few. Did you perform at your best? When corrected, did you respond positively? Did you always work at your highest gear? If you honestly answered yes to those questions, then perhaps you have some more developing to do skill-wise. The other thing to remember is that the game of basketball does have a strategic piece to it and perhaps the team would be too shallow in a key position to take you although you are skilled.
Don't settle for excuses, it's a bad idea in general and will do very little to help you in basketball and life. One thing I hear a lot is that a player was injured during tryouts. Unfortunately I have to make a decision based on what was presented before me, and if your injury kept you from performing for most of the tryout I may not have seen enough to take you on the team. Such is life sometimes, and there's not much you or I can do about it, other than to get healthy and hope to avoid the same bad luck next season. The other thing is that a player was on the team last year. That should not be your cue to take it easy. I know what you can do well - so I want to see it done better. I know what you struggled with - I want to see improvement there too. As a returning player, you should have the mindset that you have to work harder to keep your spot on the team. Remember, the people who last season sat in your very same seat today and didn't get selected painted a target on your back to take that spot away from you, and succeeded.
What this decision should do for you is fuel you. I would love to see you come back next year and show me that you deserve to be on the team. Let this decision fuel you to get stronger, faster, more attentive. You've been through the tryout routine so you know what kinds of skills we'll be looking for next year. Work on your mechanics, your weak hand skills, and the like so that next year you are not on the bubble - you are a shoe-in. I absolutely encourage you to paint that target on any one of the backs of my current squad just as you had a target on yours. Challenge them to be better by accepting the challenge yourself - and meeting it with fervor and enthusiasm.
What this should not do is drive you away from the game if you truly love it. Trust me. I took that path after getting cut in 7th grade and gave up on trying to get better. Sure I goofed around with a basketball, but I never really took it seriously after that until it was too late to really consider playing competitively. I don't have many regrets in life, but the decision that I made in the parking lot of Zachry Middle School that night is one that will haunt me for the rest of my days. Please don't make the same mistake. There is no worse feeling that seeing what could have been years from now.
Again, I know that this may not lessen the blow caused by today's decision. I just hope that it inspires you not to give up on the game that you love and gives you some insight into how tough a decision this is for coaches.
Sincerely,
Coach Robert
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