The post-cut text you have to send
The text to the kid who got cut. The text to the kid who made it. The one to the parent of the cut kid. Three short scripts.
What they're feeling
- · Devastated, embarrassed, both.
- · Watching their phone for the group chat reaction.
- · Wondering whether their friends still want them around.
- · Bracing for what their parents are going to say.
What to say (pick one)
- "I love you. Today doesn't change that."
- "Want food, want quiet, want a movie night?"
- "We can talk about it tomorrow if you want, or never. Up to you."
Then stop talking.
What not to say
- "It's their loss."
- "We'll get them next year. (Not always true.)"
- "I bet the kids who made it weren't even better than you."
- "Now we know what to work on."
The rule
The cut is the cut. The next 12 hours are about the kid, not the verdict.
If they bring it up
- · Listen. Don't strategize. Strategy is for next week.
- · If they ask why, the honest answer is 'I don't know all the reasons. Coaches see things you and I can't see in tryouts.'
- · Don't trash the coach. Don't trash the kids who made it. Stay above it.
Save this
Post-cut, the first night
- · Validate the feeling without strategizing the recovery.
- · Offer logistics, not pep talks. Food. Movie. Quiet.
- · Tomorrow is for tomorrow.
parentcoachplaybook.com/scripts
You might also need
Your kid is upset after the game. Here's what to do.
Tears in the parking lot. Slamming the car door. Shutting down. The script for the moments words don't reach yet.
Your kid didn't play much. Here's what to say.
The hardest car ride of the season. The script that doesn't make the coach the enemy and doesn't make your kid feel small.
Your kid is silent in the car. Here's what to do.
Headphones on. Window seat. Nothing to say. The drive home when silence is the answer, not a problem to fix.