It is unfortunate but I don’t think there is anything your daughter can do.
I was in a similar, but slightly different position myself. I was recruited for a D1 baseball program and received a small partial scholarship. Shortly after that I injured my wrist and was unable to even swing a bat for a few months. I was able to defer the start of the scholarship for a semester but when I finally entered the school I was still in rehab but increasing activity. My coach refused to let me participate at all and even called me “damaged goods”. He tried to cut me after that season but with the scholarship deferral we forced him to honor the scholarship for a full year. I stayed with the team but the relationship with the coach never really recovered.
I had some fun times in the program but it may not have been the best move to force his hand.
Honestly, the “real” reason could be almost anything. Looks, attitude, practice habits, analytics, etc. But, in this case, maybe this coach thought a shoulder injury to a pitcher might have been a “bridge too far.” A shoulder injury for a pitcher can often re-occur and the coach didn’t want to risk the roster spot. Just pure speculation, without many facts of course.
What if he did give her the extra time and then cut her at the end of October? Would she have still been able to transfer to a new place in January? Sounds like the injury was bad luck but things might work out ok given the excess number of pitchers.
I wouldn’t transfer if it’s a great school, her academics are excellent and she’s doing well socially.
Starting over sucks and she will be new kid as a junior. This is college not softball pro training. I know this sounds a bit harsh. But I am totally being honest.
It is really hard not to play and knowing you can. Why not work out really hard and get in top shape and rehab the arm, and reassess for the junior year. And wow them into a spot with her skills. The Michael Jordan approach after being cut.
Coach may be gone by then anyway with all of the turnover.
It is known as a great school, but very small, and also one of the most expensive in the country. While her academics are good, they aren’t great, and her social life was mostly spent with the softball team on and off the field. Several of her former teammates have even volunteered to catch for her whenever they were free so she can continue to get reps. When she chose the school, she thought it would be a place she’d still like even if she sustained a career-ending injury, but by January, she realized she was wrong. If not for softball, she probably would have left after last fall.
She’ll be transferring in January, so she’ll still be a sophomore. Looking at the roster of her new team, 2 other girls transferred in this year as juniors, so I really don’t think that will be too much of an adjustment for her. She always does work out and is in fantastic shape. She’s the kid that woke up at 4:30 am M-F in high school to make sure she always got her workout in. Thank you for all the input. I think this will have a happy ending, and looking forward to her playing for a stable softball program without the chaos that has surrounded her current school’s since last fall.
Sometimes there’s no reason and a coach just has to reduce numbers.
My kids go to a powerhouse HS. At the spring pre-season meeting the baseball coach fills the bleachers with kids and parents, sections arranged frosh to senior. He starts by telling seniors what he expects, then juniors, then goes down and lets the freshmen know that even with three ninth grade teams he’s got to make cuts because of the number of people coming out.
Then he goes back to the sophomores. “You guys are screwed. This is one of the most unfair cuts in the state. I have three teams of excellent ninth graders and 18-20 B squad roster spots available. I’m going to cutting you because of how you tied your shoes, what you had for breakfast, what I had for breakfast, and eventually for no reason at all. Sorry in advance, but there’s no good way to do this after the first ten or twelve guys. It’s just numbers and I’m apologizing now before the process gets started.”
So sometimes there are more options than hours to evaluate. Not sure if that was the case here. Regardless, I’m happy to hear a solution has emerged and I hope things work out with her shoulder, her team and her new school.
Very glad she found a team and school as as she works very hard at her sport and from what you described softball is a big part of her life.
That I said I would tend to agree with what @privatebanker said particularly as you mention it is known as a great school. Or at least discuss and consider, which I am sure you have, how will she feel at the new school if she does not fully recover and does not get any playing time, or gets injured again and sits out a season, etc.
As you know, only 1-2 pitchers get the bulk of the playing time and injuries do happen as well as new recruits showing up, coaching changes, etc. Best of luck to her. I hope wherever she ends up she has a good college experiance.