Posted List, Email or Face to Face: How Should Players Learn They Were Cut?

The last night of tryouts is the hardest night of the year for a lot of coaches. The decisions are made. Now you have to tell the kids. And before you think about what to say, you have to decide how they will find out. A list on the gym door? An email to families? A one on one meeting in your office?

Coaches feel strongly about this, and the debate gets heated. Some say face to face is the only respectful way. Others say a private message is kinder because it lets a kid react at home instead of in front of a coach. Some still prefer the posted list because it is quick and the same for everyone. I have spent a lot of years around freshman and JV tryouts, and I think each method has a place. This post is only about the delivery method: the pros and cons of each, and how to pick one that fits your program.

Why the Method Matters

How a player finds out shapes how they feel about the decision, about you and about the program. The same decision can feel fair or cold depending on how it arrives.

It Affects Whether They Come Back

A cut player who feels respected is much more likely to try out again next year, keep playing and stay a fan of the program. A player who feels embarrassed or ignored often walks away from basketball entirely.

It Affects Parents

Parents often hear about a cut before they know the details. The method you choose decides whether they hear it from you, from their child in tears in the car or from another parent. That shapes every conversation that follows.

It Affects Your Staff

Some methods take a few minutes. Others take hours. Your choice has to be something your staff can actually do well on a school night, with 40 kids and a game schedule coming.

Option One: The Posted List

This is the traditional method. Post a list of players who made the team, usually by name or tryout number, on the gym door or locker room wall.

The Case For It

A posted list is fast and identical for everyone. Nobody gets special treatment. Kids find out at the same time, and coaches do not spend a whole evening in meetings. Posting by tryout number rather than name gives some privacy.

The Case Against It

The posted list is public. A kid reads it in a crowded hallway, often with friends watching, and has to hold it together in front of everyone. It also gives the player no explanation and no next step. Many coaches feel it treats a kid who gave you three days of effort like a number on a sheet.

When It Fits

It can make sense when numbers are very large and staff is very small, but only if it is paired with an offer to meet. If you post, add a line inviting any player who did not make it to set up a time to talk.

Option Two: Email or Private Message

Many programs now send a short private message to each player and family, often through the school’s approved communication platform.

The Case For It

Email is private. The player reads it at home, reacts with family instead of in front of peers and has time to process before talking to anyone. It also creates a written record of what was said, which helps if questions come up later. And you can send a different message to players who made it and players who did not.

The Case Against It

Email can feel cold. A two line message after three days of effort feels like a form letter. It also invites a quick, emotional reply from a parent that you then have to manage. And you cannot read a kid’s reaction or answer their questions in the moment.

When It Fits

Email works best when it is personal and when it opens a door. A short note that thanks the player, shares one or two specific strengths, names one thing to work on and offers a meeting is far better than a generic message. Make sure the communication follows your school’s policies on contacting students, which usually means including a parent. The habits in communication habits of great coaches apply to written messages too.

Option Three: Face to Face

Some coaches meet with every player who tried out, either individually or in very small groups, before anything is posted or sent.

The Case For It

Face to face shows the most respect. The player hears it from you, not from a wall or an inbox. You can explain the decision, answer questions, point to next steps and see how the player is doing. Many players remember that conversation for years, and so do parents.

The Case Against It

It takes a long time. With 40 or 50 kids, individual meetings can stretch into hours, and the players waiting in the hallway know exactly what is happening. Some kids also struggle to hold their emotions together in front of a coach, which can make the moment harder for them, not easier.

When It Fits

Face to face works best with smaller numbers, enough coaches to split the meetings and a plan to keep players from waiting in a public hallway. Always follow your school’s guidelines for meeting with students, such as keeping the door open or having two adults present.

My Recommendation: Private First, Personal Always

If I had to pick one approach for most freshman, JV and high school programs, it would be a short private message followed by an open invitation to meet in person.

Step One: Tell Everyone Privately at the Same Time

Send a personal message to every player who tried out, at the same time, so nobody hears it secondhand. Include a parent according to your school’s rules. Keep it short, kind and specific to the player.

Step Two: Offer a Real Meeting

In that message, invite players who did not make the team to schedule a time to talk in the next few days. Many will not take you up on it. The ones who do usually want honest feedback, and those conversations can be some of the most important ones you have all year.

Step Three: Get Your Staff on the Same Page

Before anything goes out, agree as a staff on the timing, the message and who will handle which meetings. If one coach texts a kid early, or another coach tells a parent something different, the whole process falls apart. The ideas in getting your staff on the same page apply here.

Step Four: Prepare for Parent Follow Up

Some parents will reach out after a cut. Decide ahead of time how you will handle those conversations, including a waiting period before you meet and what topics are and are not open for discussion. Setting clear boundaries, like the ones in keeping parents involved without interfering, helps keep those talks productive.

Tell Families the Method Before Tryouts

Whatever you choose, the best thing you can do is announce it in advance.

Remove the Guesswork

Tell players and parents at your first meeting or in your tryout information exactly how and when results will be shared. A simple line works: “Results will be sent privately by email on Thursday by 8 p.m. Any player may request a meeting with the coaching staff.”

Hold Yourself to It

Once you set the time and method, stick to it. Late results, leaked lists and players finding out from teammates all erode trust. Predictability is a form of respect.

Final Thoughts

There is no perfect way to tell a teenager they did not make the team. But there are better and worse ways to deliver that news. A public list is fast but exposes kids. Email is private but can feel cold. Face to face is personal but hard to do well with big numbers. For most programs, a personal private message sent to everyone at once, followed by an open invitation to meet, balances respect, privacy and time.

If you want more help with the communication side of coaching, from preseason parent letters to player meetings, you can find the resources I use inside Underdog Hoops University. The way you deliver hard news says a lot about your program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to post a cut list by tryout number?

Posting by number instead of name gives players more privacy, and many programs do it. It is still public, though, so pair it with a clear offer to meet and a short private note if your staff has time.

Should I text players to tell them they were cut?

Text is usually too casual for this, and many schools have rules about coaches texting students directly. Use your school’s approved communication channel and include a parent when your policies call for it.

How soon should players find out after the last day of tryouts?

As soon as you can do it well, ideally the same night or the next day. Long waits increase anxiety and invite rumors. Set the time in advance and stick to it.