The best way to cut players from a basketball team is in person, privately, with specific feedback and a clear next step. Never post a list on the gym door. Tell each player why, what they can work on and where they can keep playing. Then follow up with parents if needed. It’s the hardest day of the year for a coach, and how you handle it says a lot about your program.
I made cuts for almost 40 years. It never got easy. But I learned that kids remember how you treated them on that day long after they forget the result. Here’s how I’d handle it.
Cut players with a plan, not a list
It starts before tryouts. Decide what you’re looking for, share it with players and use a consistent evaluation. If you need help building that, our post on how to evaluate players at youth basketball tryouts walks through it, and a simple player evaluation form keeps your staff on the same page.
When players know the criteria ahead of time, the conversation after tryouts is a lot easier. They may not like the decision, but they’ll understand it.
1. Meet one on one
Every player who gets cut deserves a face to face conversation. Keep it short, private and calm. Have another coach in the room. That protects everyone and keeps the message consistent.
I know a list is faster. However, a list on a door in front of the whole school is one of the worst things you can do to a 14 year old. So take the extra time.
2. Be honest and specific
Tell them the truth. Vague answers like “it was close” leave kids guessing. Instead, give them two or three specific reasons. For example, their ball handling under pressure isn’t there yet, or they need to get stronger to finish through contact.
Then give them something they can do about it. A skill to work on, a drill, a summer plan. That way they leave with a path, not just a no.
3. Point them to the next place to play
Cutting a kid from your team shouldn’t cut them from the game. Know the options in your area: a lower level team, a rec league, a club program or an intramural league. Share them in the meeting.
Groups like the Aspen Institute’s Project Play have good research on keeping kids in sports longer. Our goal as coaches should be the same.
4. Prepare for parent conversations
Some parents will reach out. That’s normal. Use the same rules you set at your preseason parent meeting: a 24 hour wait, another adult in the room and a focus on their child, not other players. If it gets heated, our guide on how to handle difficult parents can help.
5. Offer a role when it makes sense
Sometimes a player is close and wants to stay around the team. A manager or practice player role can be a great fit. Still, only offer it if it’s real. Don’t use it to soften the news if there’s no actual role.
How I’d structure the day you cut players
- Post a time for individual meetings, not a list
- Keep each meeting to about five minutes
- Have a second coach in every meeting
- Give two or three specific reasons and one clear next step
- Share other places they can play
- Write down what you said
What not to do when you cut players
- Don’t post names on a door or online
- Don’t compare them to other players
- Don’t promise a spot next year
- Don’t let it drag on for days
- Don’t make the conversation about you
Treat it like teaching
The Positive Coaching Alliance talks about coaches as teachers of life lessons, and cut day is one of the biggest. Handle it with honesty and care, and many of those kids will come back better next year. Once your roster is set, our guide to setting a basketball rotation is a good next step.
We have tryout plans, evaluation forms and season planning resources at TeachHoops.com.
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