I Was Not Selected to the Team – What Now?

 

Purpose: This post is for Athletes to consult if they were not selected to a specific team. This document will outline the Athlete’s rights and tips for what to do moving forward.

 

Step 1 – Seek Legal Advice

We always recommend that you seek legal representation/advice as soon as you are notified of non-selection. A lawyer can inform you of your rights and help you sort through your organization’s policies. The more time the representative has before the appeal deadline the better. Please feel free to contact Sport Solution for free assistance at sportsolution@athletescan.com.

 

Step 2 – How Long do I Have to Appeal the Decision?

Check your organizations Selection Policy (which may be general or event specific). This policy should state how long you have to file a notice of appeal. It is usually a certain number of days from the date that you were notified that you were not selected. Make a note of the due date for the notice of appeal and consider your options.

 

Step 3 – How was the Decision Made?

Selection criteria is usually comprised of technical criteria, discretion of the Selection Committee Members, or a combination of both.

a.     Technical Criteria: This is the results-based criteria, such past performance, world rankings, or individual statistics. Ensure that you meet the technical minimum standards to be eligible for selection. If you are eligible to be selected to the team, consider the same criteria as applied to the Athletes who did make the team. If it seems that your results are better or equal, your organization may have used discretion provided by the Selection Policy.

b.     Selection Committee Discretion: Many organizations have a Selection Policy that gives the Committee discretion in selecting its team. This is when the Committee can use subjective factors to determine decide who is selected to the team. The immeasurable considerations used to justify their decision include, but are not limited to: growth potential, leadership skills, or an injury that may have impacted the technical criteria.

 

Step 4 – Make your Own Decision

Analyze what you have taken away from the Selection Policy to determine whether or not you wish to pursue an internal appeal of the decision. Consider the following implications of the three (3) Selection Criteria types to inform your decision:

a.     If the Selection Policy is based solely on technical criteria, you should have a good idea of if you should have been selected to the team. It should be relatively easy to determine if your results are equal to or better than the Athletes selected to the team;

b.     If your Selection Policy is based solely on the discretion of the Selection Committee, you need to be able to convince the appeal panel that they did not make a reasonable choice. Discretion is a powerful tool, but decisions must be fair and unbiased. You should note that appeal panels tend to give deference to the expertise of the Selection Committee in making its decision.

c.     If the Selection Policy is a mix of technical criteria and discretionary power, simply combine the approach set out in “a” and “b” above. Determine if you meet the technical criteria, and if yes, you will need to convince the panel that it was unreasonable not to select you.

 

Conclusion

Know your options. You have the right to a fair hearing if you believe you should have been selected to a team. Be sure to act quickly. Don’t be afraid to seek help if you are unsure about your rights or options.

 

 By: Brittany Bates, Greg Cherniak & Tyler Matthews

Program Managers, Sport Solution



 

 

 

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