Evidence abounds to show that self-esteem is not built on the basis of failure. A North Carolina study recently reported that athletes make higher grades, get into less trouble, drop out less often, and have higher grade point averages than non-athletes. Clearly, students benefit from participation in, not exclusion from organized activities. Cutting students is better for students who lack the ability to be successful in their chosen activity. Elementary and middle school is the time for skill development.
High school is the time for competition.
Attempting to predict a child's potential at any age is highly unpredictable. Research has shown that physical maturity is the primary reason for athletic success at younger ages. However, success at a young age has been shown to be a poor predictor of success during the teen years. Cutting is especially unfair on late maturing students and weakens competition by reducing the pool of potential talent. Cutting occurs in other areas of the curriculum.