DD's team may be imploding

[Cecelia]

DD plays on a 16U team. During tryouts, she was told her favorite coach of all time was going to be the HC. Turned out not to be the case. He's been an AC. Have always been unhappy about this bait 'n switch. AC has been just as frustrated with the situation. HC makes questionable coaching decisions, and the AC's have spoken up about it but HC wields the power and AC's reluctantly and begrudgingly go along because they feel like they have no choice. HC owns the team. He provides the practice facility and provides a lot of financial support. He's a great guy, but not really a great coach.

Team was touted as A level, was going to showcases, would complete at a very high level to give those who wanted it some college exposure. None of this has really happened. Most tournaments have been low-level USSSA type tournaments with sub-par competition, feeling like our HC is merely trophy hunting. DD has been frustrated, to say the least, but a commitment is a commitment and she's been sticking it out. She does enjoy her teammates very much.

AC's DD is team's best player. After a disappointing weekend in which our team was eliminated after the first bracket game, AC and his daughter quit the team. I spoke with him at length, and I totally understand why they did that. It's been simmering for a while, and they just had enough.

That leaves the rest of the team in limbo, believe it or not. AC is truly the ONLY reason my daughter chose that team. And she's not the only one. There are at least 3 others I know of who feel the same way and are now thinking about leaving too. They are all of the team's strongest players. If that happens, the team will be decimated and I don't see how they will be able to go on.

It's a hard decision for my daughter. She could pick up for other potentially higher level teams until tryouts, but there's no guarantee she'd find a team to play with, and no guarantee of playing time. She could ride the wave with the AC and his daughter, who seem to have a plan in place and have offered to include DD in it. That sounds kind of appealing to her, but makes her nervous at the same time.

Or, she could stay put, see what happens, and potentially lose the opportunity to play with some higher level teams, and spend time and money on a team that can't get her where she needs to be.

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sluggers]

My advice would be for your DD to continue playing on this team for the time being, and look for new opportunities that might come around.

I would tell the AC that your DD is interested in playing for him, but, of course, you need to see the team and his plan before you quit the current team.

 

[Phathead]

My advice would be for your DD to continue playing on this team for the time being, and look for new opportunities that might come around.

I would tell the AC that your DD is interested in playing for him, but, of course, you need to see the team and his plan before you quit the current team.

Don't always agree with sluggers but he has hit the nail on the head with that one. Went thru everything op stated last yr. This yr played out just like he said plans were put in motion and followed up on. This yr pretty much same as last except coaching. Girls happy parents happy, playing time earned and spread around as well as can be expected.

 

[Rocketech1]

Around here in TB, the main tryouts are in August. Stick it out for the next 6 - 8 weeks as long as she is getting playing time and look for a new team in the fall. There is something to be said about teaching kids to follow through on their commitments. I see way too many teenager TB players jumping teams several times a season which sends the wrong message to the kid and adversely impacts their teammates on their prior teams.

 

[CoogansBluff]

HC makes questionable coaching decisions, and the AC's have spoken up about it but HC wields the power and AC's reluctantly and begrudgingly go along because they feel like they have no choice.

Isn't this every team?

All parents and AC's believe that the head coach makes questionable decisions. All parents and AC's go along with it because they have no choice, or they quit. Of course the head coach wields the power. That's what head coaches do. Not everyone is going to agree with his final decisions.

Without knowing more about these 'questionable coaching decisions,' I'd agree with others who advise sticking it out since there are only a number of weeks left before tryouts.

I'm curious to know why an assistant coach would bail with 6-8 weeks left and be happy if others followed.

 

[Strike2]

It's unfortunate that the AC made the decision to leave late in the season knowing he was not only deserting the team, but his daughter's friends.

I'm an AC on DD's current team, and it would take much more than a disagreement with the HC's game management to get me to quit on him.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't your season end no later than next month? I agree with Rocketech about following through on commitments. Unless the dysfunction is to the point where the HC can't field a team, or he does something really bad, I'd stick around.

 

[Cecelia]

Isn't this every team?

All parents and AC's believe that the head coach makes questionable decisions. All parents and AC's go along with it because they have no choice, or they quit. Of course the head coach wields the power. That's what head coaches do. Not everyone is going to agree with his final decisions.

Without knowing more about these 'questionable coaching decisions,' I'd agree with others who advise sticking it out since there are only a number of weeks left before tryouts.

I'm curious to know why an assistant coach would bail with 6-8 weeks left and be happy if others followed.

In this past weekend's tournament, in our first game of bracket play, he pitched our #3 pitcher and left her in the entire game, until it was too late to catch up. They started hitting off of her in the 2nd inning. He said he was saving our #1 for later games. Which there weren't any of because it was single elimination. That was pretty par for the course with this coach. And he burned our 3rd baseman because he wanted to let a bench warmer run for her (don't know why - she can run perfectly well). There are really too many examples to list. He's a really stubborn old guy who won't listen to any of his AC's, and our team suffers for it.

AC left because he just couldn't take it anymore. HC is really that bad. I know everyone always says that, but in this case, it's true unfortunately.

 

[Cecelia]

It's unfortunate that the AC made the decision to leave late in the season knowing he was not only deserting the team, but his daughter's friends.

I'm an AC on DD's current team, and it would take much more than a disagreement with the HC's game management to get me to quit on him.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't your season end no later than next month? I agree with Rocketech about following through on commitments. Unless the dysfunction is to the point where the HC can't field a team, or he does something really bad, I'd stick around.

Yes, the season ends at the end of July. There are several big tournaments (travel) scheduled, and the prevailing sentiment is that parents are resenting the expense of traveling, knowing our girls will be out after the first game on Sunday, really limiting the possibility of any college coaches seeing their daughters. It's a ton of money, and at this point in their softball careers, they want to be seen. It's paramount to most of them. We all know they can be seen in pool play on Saturday if the coaches want to see them, but we ALSO know that coaches watch the finals, and that's what our girls always miss out on. So there is just a lot of frustration. And a lot of it stems from the fact that AC was supposed to be the HC. I can't help but think the whole season would have gone much differently if that had actually happened.

 

[Strike2]

In this past weekend's tournament, in our first game of bracket play, he pitched our #3 pitcher and left her in the entire game, until it was too late to catch up. They started hitting off of her in the 2nd inning. He said he was saving our #1 for later games. Which there weren't any of because it was single elimination. That was pretty par for the course with this coach. And he burned our 3rd baseman because he wanted to let a bench warmer run for her (don't know why - she can run perfectly well). There are really too many examples to list. He's a really stubborn old guy who won't listen to any of his AC's, and our team suffers for it.

AC left because he just couldn't take it anymore. HC is really that bad. I know everyone always says that, but in this case, it's true unfortunately.

Coaches sometimes hold their #1 in initial bracket play because they've made a judgement about the competition, and they need to save #1 for tougher teams coming up. It sounds like it backfired, but he's not the first one that miscalculated. I've done it, and it happens at all levels. I don't know what you mean by "burned the 3rd baseman". In fastpitch, every rule set I'm familiar with allows at least one re-entry. 3B might run perfectly well, but she might have dinged up something that slowed her a bit that day. You don't know that "he won't listen", because unless you're in the dugout, you don't know the conversation. It's easy to armchair the coaching decisions from behind the fence.

I understand the money thing, and it's not unreasonable for the parents to question the travel schedule given the current capabilities of the team.

 

[JAD]

If your DD has aspirations to play college softball I would IMMEDIATELY find a team that is going to showcases and will get her the exposure she needs. 16U is PRIME TIME for recruiting and you do not want to waste a year playing for a coach who's goals do not line up with yours.