We ask that the Putnam Public School Board abolishes the unwritten rule of a “No Cut” policy in the public school system. The Putnam Public School has enlisted a “no cut” policy in sports for our students. This has caused sports participation to decline on the high school level. Our public school is now playing in a tech school league, we have a losing record in most school based sports, and we are not teaching our children that they MUST put forth effort to be selected. Last year alone we had more basketball players than we had uniforms for the team. Coaches are made to play EVERY player, regardless of their ability. Being on a sports team that enlists cuts brings positives to the children that make the team as well as those that don’t. To the children that make the team it shows that hard work pays off and also instills work ethic, if you don’t keep performing to a certain ability there are children getting better that can take your position on the team. Being a child that may be cut teaches the children how to overcome defeat and rejection. It also makes them want to better themselves in the off season, go out and try again. With all of the competition for scholarships amongst our children we should be enabling different avenues that they may take. If a child is exceptional at sports they do not have the interest from colleges that they may have if we had a winning record and played in a public school (which we are) league. Of course, there is always going to be a few extreme cases where the child might be distraught that they didn’t make the team. But if weighed the benefits of making team cuts outweigh the bad. It saves money in the budget on uniforms, equipment, and travel. Also, with a winning team it brings school moral up and community pride follows. If you feel Putnam’s “no cut” policy is unfair to the children that put forth the effort to play to win, not just play to play, please sign this petition. Without your signatures this will continue and our children will be the ones suffering.