I'm at a bit of a crossroad.

As most of you know, I'm the commish for a rec league of about 700 girls. This past season was my first (after coaching in the league for several years), and I was subjected to a trial by fire. I learned a lot, and have been soliciting advice here about changes to the league that I'd like to see.

My #1 change, the one I've been pushing since April, is opening registration a month earlier than usual. The additional month would leave me time to get the uniforms squared away, team assignments finalized, games and umpires scheduled, fields prepped. I spent several Saturdays organizing our gear this Oct so that we wouldn't have to wait until April like we usually do. My overriding goal was the early start and not leaving things until the last second (we didn't have game balls until the 3rd week of the season last Spring).

At a recent meeting, the organization of the softball program was changed a bit, and the old rec commish (whom I replaced) took the newly-created position of "softball coordinator." This was OK with me - mostly. One of the main reasons I took the commish job was to improve the unacceptably slow communications from the previous commish. The way it was explained to me was that what I was doing wouldn't be affected other than certain things like coordinating umpires and buying gear would be done by him.

I sent him an email a few weeks ago with a list of gear we needed, as well as explaining the organizing I'd done and listing what gear we had ready to go. When I didn't receive a reply, I sent a follow-up email. Haven't received a response still.

So I emailed the association president asking if she'd heard from him, and reminding her that we were getting close to the Jan 1 registration date. She tells me he's still around, oh and by the way we're opening registration on Feb 15 - 2 weeks LATER than last season.

I'm so frustrated I can barely see straight. I'm ready to dump the whole thing in her lap and walk away - DD has pretty much aged out, so I have nothing tying me to the league other than my desire to see it improve.

Anyway, just wanted to vent before I reply to her email. Thanks.

You're the league commissioner and you weren't made aware of when registration was opening?? Yikes. Are there regular meetings by the board members to make these decisions?

If the things you have been pushing for are getting ignored or refused, maybe it's time to cut bait.

I've been in your shoes running the softball program of a rec league. Once my daughter aged out, it was much more work than fun. I walked away and never looked back.

Eric F said:

You're the league commissioner and you weren't made aware of when registration was opening?? Yikes. Are there regular meetings by the board members to make these decisions?

If the things you have been pushing for are getting ignored or refused, maybe it's time to cut bait.

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I had assumed it was going to be Jan 1, as that's the date I'd pushed for most of a year with zero pushback. From the email I got, the decision was made by the ex-commish and the association president (she's the direct contact with the Board).

PA SB Dad said:

I've been in your shoes running the softball program of a rec league. Once my daughter aged out, it was much more work than fun. I walked away and never looked back.

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I'm about there. I thought we were going to make some changes, make the league more professional, begin elevating the level of play. I have no idea what we're doing now.

Sounds like it is time for you to start a TB team!

From my reading of this (and re-reading), this can be characterized as at BEST........disingenuous and at WORST blatant disrespect. Why not leave them with their league and pursue PLEASURABLE endeavors? If you're making strides to correct the missteps of the previous regime.....and they return to the methods of the previous regime in a passive aggressive manner (this is my interpretation of the facts as presented), the handwriting is on the wall, home plate, 1B, 2B, 3B, the dugouts, the snack tables, and probably the parking lot. There comes a point where you can't reason with unreasonableness. Just sayin...

As you may know, I was involved in starting a softball organization. The organization is huge now, and I'm proud of my contribution.

I served 4 years, and then I left. I mainly quit because my DD#3 gave up softball and did travel hoops. The older I get, the more I realize that me leaving was was good for me and good for the organization.

My patience was at an end. Being involved in youth softball is like the movie "Groundhog Day"...ever season is a repeat of the prior season.

You have

a) The crazy parent who thinks there 8YOA DD is the next coming of Jenny Finch.
b) The crazy coach who thinks that a 12U rec team should be ran like a D1 college football program.
c) The other crazy coach who "mothers" a 12U rec team to death.
d) The parents who never pay the "exorbitant" fee for their children being in the program.
e) The board member who is trying to "take control" of the organization...and I use the term "organization" loosely, since I've seen better organized riots.
f) The treasurer who just can't figure out where the money went.

JAD said:

Sounds like it is time for you to start a TB team!

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Very much on my radar.

dadofadirtlover said:

From my reading of this (and re-reading), this can be characterized as at BEST........disingenuous and at WORST blatant disrespect. Why not leave them with their league and pursue PLEASURABLE endeavors? If you're making strides to correct the missteps of the previous regime.....and they return to the methods of the previous regime in a passive aggressive manner (this is my interpretation of the facts as presented), the handwriting is on the wall, home plate, 1B, 2B, 3B, the dugouts, the snack tables, and probably the parking lot. There comes a point where you can't reason with unreasonableness. Just sayin...

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I honestly don't know what's been going on without my being informed. I emailed the coordinator on Nov 18 and never heard back until tonight after I asked the prez if she knew where he was. I sent her a rather blunt email expressing my displeasure (I was polite but firm) and she was surprised, and then she tells me that she's gotten feedback asking why open registration so early. It was my idea, I've talked to our coaches, our umpires, the coordinator and the prez, and I haven't gotten any feedback other than "Heck yeah, let's get organized early!" To say I was stunned is understating the feeling.

I had a wonderful long post which I just deleted so but let's put it simply.

You have a choice, 1) fight a more than likely losing battle on a daily basis...for just about every change you want to make 2) threaten to resign if they don't follow through with your recommendations and be willing to do it, or 3) just resign and get out of the way of an organization that is too set in their ways to make a necessary change to grow. It's up to you.

BuckeyeGuy said:

Very much on my radar.



I honestly don't know what's been going on without my being informed. I emailed the coordinator on Nov 18 and never heard back until tonight after I asked the prez if she knew where he was. I sent her a rather blunt email expressing my displeasure (I was polite but firm) and she was surprised, and then she tells me that she's gotten feedback asking why open registration so early. It was my idea, I've talked to our coaches, our umpires, the coordinator and the prez, and I haven't gotten any feedback other than "Heck yeah, let's get organized early!" To say I was stunned is understating the feeling.

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Sounds like they are committed to mediocre and your concept of "better" will require more effort and desire to change than they are willing to invest. Sucks for the girls because when we (the adults) can't get our crap together, the girls suffer.