Is it unfair for a high school coach to cut students for being slow?

david45 wrote:

What does wealthy and white have to do with anything?

I have decided you are a troll 10/10

All "natural talent" aside, if you truly care so much about being on this team why is it that you only did 20mpw all summer? 20mpw is an average of 3.33 miles 6 days a week with a day off, you're telling me you couldn't find more than ~30 minutes a day to go run the entire summer? Stop blaming the coach and trying to play victim on this when you simply didn't work hard enough in the 8-10 weeks of summer you were given to train towards breaking 6. This isn't unfair in the slightest you're just slamming the coach from behind a key board when to be honest you should be taking your frustrations out on a training log. Don't like the decision? Go train like you actually mean it and prove him wrong.

The OP has 4 months to train for XC.

This is so unfair. It is harder to join a sport than it is to get a job

RUkiddingme wrote:

All "natural talent" aside, if you truly care so much about being on this team why is it that you only did 20mpw all summer? 20mpw is an average of 3.33 miles 6 days a week with a day off, you're telling me you couldn't find more than ~30 minutes a day to go run the entire summer? Stop blaming the coach and trying to play victim on this when you simply didn't work hard enough in the 8-10 weeks of summer you were given to train towards breaking 6. This isn't unfair in the slightest you're just slamming the coach from behind a key board when to be honest you should be taking your frustrations out on a training log. Don't like the decision? Go train like you actually mean it and prove him wrong.

Because I am already about to graduate from high school and that I would get injured if I go above 20 MPW

david45 wrote:

This is so unfair. It is harder to join a sport than it is to get a job

The 20+ Million unemployed might disagree. You have a while until XC try running 6 days a week, do strides twice a week and calisthenics thrice a week.

sure. Is it fair for a basketball coach to cut guys who are not good at basketball? Happens all the time.

coach of fasty wrote:

The OP has 4 months to train for XC.

High school is already almost over for me.

Fan of the sport wrote:

sure. Is it fair for a basketball coach to cut guys who are not good at basketball? Happens all the time.

But XC is different. XC is supposed to be easy to join

david45 wrote:

Fan of the sport wrote:

sure. Is it fair for a basketball coach to cut guys who are not good at basketball? Happens all the time.

But XC is different. XC is supposed to be easy to join

There goes my sympathy for you. Good luck.

david45 wrote:

Fan of the sport wrote:

sure. Is it fair for a basketball coach to cut guys who are not good at basketball? Happens all the time.

But XC is different. XC is supposed to be easy to join

XC is easy to join. You just happen to be exceptionally bad at it.

No it is not. It should not be easy at all. Cross country is the toughest sport. If you can't even meet a specified criteria, the coach can't trust that you would comply with any other rules or tests. Why are you here complaining now if you are graduating this year? Find a slow D3 program that you can join and just enjoy the experience. You are struggling with this grudge against the coach. Only the person holding a grudge suffers.

Elvin wrote:

david45 wrote:

But XC is different. XC is supposed to be easy to join

XC is easy to join. You just happen to be exceptionally bad at it.

I've read a bunch of the additional iterations of this same thread.

Regardless of approach or philosophy to cut/no cut. You, OP, are referencing "joining" a team. The team you are trying to join has some manner of stated standard that needs to be met. You cannot be on the team unless that standard is met.

Not a subtlety.

I think you are trolling, with your refusal to accept the LRC comments.

It's a sports. You have to be somewhat good at it.

david45 wrote:

coach of fasty wrote:

I cut anybody over 5:30. We normally have about 30 guys break it. Why would you think you should be on the team? Does the basketball and football coach have to keep guys around who will be ever get in a a game?

Because 5:30 is an unreasonable standard for a new high school freshman? Are you seriously turning people away from running with that ridiculous and stupid standard?

You're too slow. Find another sports.

david45 wrote:

I tried to join XC last year, but I couldn't run a mile in under 6 minutes during time trials, so the coach cut me.

What if your most naturally talented kid sat on his butt and did nothing over the summer except eat fast food and play video games. He'd unquestionably be the best guy on the team by mid-October, but a 7:40 miler at the time trial. Definitely not lazy at practices, or a cancer to the team in anyway, but he seriously slacked off over the summer.

The standard was published at the beginning of the summer, and he knew the standard. Still cut him?

Alternatively, what about the kid that got injured right before the time trail and could only manage a 6:15 mile. He's capable of running a 4:30 when healthy. You cut him too?

David, you sound around 13-15 YO. As you get older you will find out that life isn't FAIR. In order to progress through life people need to meet certain standards. Is it fair to ask medical doctors to attend college, take the MCAT, go to med school, intern in order to become certified? Why don't we just let anyone who wants to be a doctor become one without standards?.

Some XC and TF teams have no cuts while others maintain standards. It depends on the school admin and culture. Your school has known standards so it may be more competitive. It appears you knew what the standard was before you tried out and you ran "20 mpw". How many weeks did you average 20 mpw? Did you ask the coach for ways to improve to the meet the standard? So instead of spending time complaining about the standard you should be finding out ways to improve your mile time in order to meet the standard next season.

BTW-Don't listen to Greg. He's fine with being unemployed.

You have no clue. The most talented kid who did nothing all summer would be able to run 5 miles the first day faster than 7:40 pace. A guy running 1 mile in 7:40 has no place on the team. Of course coaches have a very discretion. I would give an injured kid another chance.

betterburner wrote:

david45 wrote:

But XC is different. XC is supposed to be easy to join

There goes my sympathy for you. Good luck.

Why did you lose all sympathy?