We're in a tough spot, with my daughter having suffered an ACL tear last month. She is freshman, and her high school coach has just started spinning up for the season by sending out questionnaires and invites for initial team meetings. My daughter seems intent on blowing all this off since she cannot play. I think that's a poor choice; surely there is some level of participation she can engage in, and derive benefit from, as opposed to dropping in out of the clear blue sky as a sophomore. Personally, if I was the coach, I'd be a bit put off if I found out a potential player had just blown my program off in this instance. As this is a big, successful, metro program, the coach can afford to brush off those she deems uncommitted. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Man, I'm sorry for your daughter. One of my neices tore both of her ACLs a couple of years apart in her early teens (basketball in both cases). This is based on gut feeling and a single anecdote involving one coach, but I'd bet you're right. My son's freshman year (fall 2019 season) something like 20 kids were cut after tryouts, but one of the other freshmen who was cut was all effort in the tryouts (even if his skills are lacking). He was asked to stay on as the manager. He agreed and, according to my son, will almost certainly have a spot on the team if there's a season this year (our state moved boys to the spring for 20-21). I doubt most of the kids who were cut would have agreed to be the manager (I'm pretty sure my son wouldn't have), but doing it and doing it happily clearly meant a ton to the coach. Not sure if your daughter would be physically able to be a manager, but I'd bet you're right that trying to stick around in some role would work in her favor. Good luck to her, either way. I hope the recovery is smooth.
I think there is more pro than con in being a part of the team, even in a non playing role. Where is she in regards to rehabbing? Is the season a definite washout or is it possible to return late in the season (maybe for playoffs)? Now, this might be a sign that she's losing interest in soccer, and even after she rehabs, she might not want to return. That's a discussion you need to have with her. My suggestion is just to layout the benefits of being with the team... * Coach learns to know her * She learns the other players * Built in workout location/time when she gets to that point * Still involved with friends However, if she's dead set against being part of the team, don't force her (obviously).
It's tricky because she wasn't on the team last year because she is a freshman. If soccer is a spring sport - just let it go because I am assuming that she has another team that she is connected with. I would however have her fill out the questionnaire or write an email to the coach explaining her situation and give an expected return to play date and let him know she will be at tryouts next year. She should also attend home games if she can. If soccer is a fall sport - (depending on the type of surgery she had) there is potential that she could work out in the gym and train a bit with the team and have some minutes at the end of the season so it is totally worth pursuing. It's very possible that this injury is very distressing to her. It's not how she imagined her freshman year to be and she is not coping. I would suggest a couple of sessions with a sports psychologist. It's a long rehab process. Although with my daughter's injuries she was lucky that her physio knew what to say to keep her motivated and make sure she was in a good head space.
Because it's a big injury I don't see the HS coach making it a big deal. A simple email explaining the situation is enough and if she'd like to hang around the team mention that but there's really no need. Being a HS coach myself, if she was a returning player I would treat it a little bit differently and would expect her to remain around the program.