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The party is over


Grits and Shins
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My daughter started playing on a new 16U select softball game several months ago.

 

She batted lead off for quite awhile until the coach decided to move her down in the lineup so she could hit with runners on ... so she varied between 2nd, 3rd and 4th for quite awhile. She made the team as a catcher and did very well. The coach played a very aggressive schedule (every weekend). When my daughter didn't catch she played center field.

 

Somewhere along the way a favored player of the past returned and another center fielder/short stop was acquired. The favored player was a catcher and did a fine job there but not any better than my daughter. The other player was better at center field than my daugther and very good at short stop, where the coach's daughter played.

 

This is when we went on 2 weeks vacation that was scheduled before my daughter made the team (and I told the coach that if the vacation was a problem that we decline the position on the team).

 

When we got back from vacation the favored catcher would never show up to practice meaning my daughter got all the catcher reps at practice but no play at catcher in the games. Her play in the outfield declined because she was getting no reps in the outfield at practice. Coach started picking up 3 to 4 players per tournament and playing them over my daughter and over other girls on the team. The first tournament back from vacation she played 3 out of 13 innings. Every other tournament since she played every other game ... until this last tournament when the favored catcher got hurt and my daughter caught 2 games in a row in relief.

 

I talked to the coach about playing pick up players over team players and about allowing players that do not practice to play over those that do and it made no impression.

 

Here is the topper. The girls committed to the team have been paying the tournament fee ... there were 10 girls on the team and we have been paying tournament fee divided by 10. Come to find out the pick up players have also been paying ... this cash has been going into the coach's pocket.

 

If I'd had my way I would have pulled my daughter off the team 2 tournaments ago but she didn't want to leave the team because she was friends with the girls. After this last tournament she finally reached the decision to leave the team despite having caught the last 2 games of the tournament. Our only pitcher turned in her uniform after the last game of the tournament. Today was the day we would return all her uniforms and make it official.

 

That was when we got an email from the coach's wife. She had picked up on my displeasure and said that the team wanted my daughter to stay. The team was having a parents meeting today before practice to discuss future of the team but they'd really like my daughter to be a part of the team.

 

Even after a face to face discussion with the coach's my daughter didn't perceive that there would be any difference and she elected to leave the team ... as did three other girls (including the pitcher). I'm glad my daughter made the right choice to leave this team ... 30 to 40% of the girls quitting is a true indication there is a problem.

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I hate this crap about sports. Big ego coaches and politics. I don't feel like I should have to kiss a coaches asz, his wife's asz or anyone else on the boards asz or what not. Anyways, I think sometimes it is best to part ways.

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Did you confront the coach about stealing the money? If a dude is that dishonest to steal a couple bucks from a dam girls softball team, is this the sort of person you want influencing your daughter to any degree whatsoever? F*ck who starts and doesnt. I would want a f'n accounting of where all that cash went. I dont care if it as $1, if he wasnt using the money for the team/entry fee/equipment etc. then I would have left immediately.

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One of my sons had a similar thing. He pitched and played 3rd.

Coach kept bringing in other guys just for tornaments to play SS, 3b and CF. My son wound up not playing unless he pitched (1 out of 3 games). We stuck through it but after the summer tournaments 1/2 the team quit due to the dissatisfaction of pick up players.

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Is there any chance the remaining players could start their own team and you coach it? It sounds like you already have a pitcher and a catcher/CF. It shouldn't be too difficult to find the rest of the team considering there is already too many players for just the one team.

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Is there any chance the remaining players could start their own team and you coach it? It sounds like you already have a pitcher and a catcher/CF. It shouldn't be too difficult to find the rest of the team considering there is already too many players for just the one team.

Softball is at least 50% the pitcher anyhow. Should be do-able.

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And when the team formed the coach made a specific point about NOT wanting to use pick up players ... I guess that was a bald face lie.

 

 

Your daughter made the right decision. Having pick up players replace team members in games is going way overboard. Its just a sport.

 

I have coached a lot, but never placed winning over doing the right thing. What are the kids learning in this enviornment?

Edited by Missoula Griz
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  • 3 weeks later...

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