Maybe one of your seniors are like the girl I described before. Maybe two of them. But, I can't imagine that all of them need to go. I don’t see how that’s possible.
Sometimes new coaches want to "clean house," and start from scratch. Well, your head coach will find that it's counterproductive to give the younger players the impression that the new coaching staff has no loyalty and no confidence in those who've spent years in the program. Plus, I’m sure some of these seniors are already role models to the younger players.
Cutting a load of seniors may seem like a good idea, but "A body will not survive if the heart is removed."
AT THE VERY LEAST, the new coach should have a one-on-one private talk with each "on the bubble" senior and have a conversation like this: "I'm only going to keep the most special people on this team. Maybe 5 seniors, maybe less. Maybe 5 juniors, maybe less. Maybe 5 sophs, maybe 5 freshies. I need to ask you some tough questions and your answers will have an impact on who I keep on this team.
- Are you willing to give me 100% every day, every match, regardless of whether you're on the court or on the bench?
- Are you willing to be a role model..........on time, no back talk, no whining, constantly positive, volunteering, good grades, no discipline problems, etc?
- How will you react if I determine that younger girls will play ahead of you?
- How will you react if you get no p.t. for maybe 2 or 3 or 4 straight matches? Will you be a team player even after that?"