End of season parent complaints!

[GTRH8R]

Well yes. Best players on the diamond.

Not sure I agree with that...I think the players from the team should get the most playing time because it is their team. They have worked all season, mom and dad have paid, and I believe that is the fair thing to do. A pick-up should and has to play, but in relief more or less. DD picks up and and expects to sit more than normal before we head out. Now, you cannot let them sit there for the "just in case injury" occurs, but shorting your own players to put a pick up out there is wrong to me.

Some parents remember from 8U or 10U that RF was where you hide kids.

DD is a starting catcher and plays OF when not catching. She is very proud of the fact she can cover 20-25yds to run down a fly. In the circles we play in there are a lot of balls hit to OF. There are throw downs to that must be backed up and knowing where to go with runners on base is very important. A two second hold of the ball trying to determine where to throw means another base for runners. When you think about all the defensive plays the OF is involved with the spot becomes much more important. Someone here posted a laundry list of things HS outfielders should know and be able to perform. It's much more than say fist base. Without a good OF you are toast.

IF your parents think it is a punishment, the position is probably not being played right and their kid is just standing there.

This I totally agree with. It is too bad so many parents (and kids) equate OF with punishment. It could be because too many coaches use that as a punishment (DD had one). There is a person who posts here that had a great comment on this the other day. He/She asked their team which position they were not going to play on a certain day. Once they said you had to have all of them, he promtply illustrated the point that all positions are important. DD played MI for a long time and has transitioned to outfield because she covers a lot of ground and likes it more now. Playing OF has an appropriate skill set that I think too many coaches do not focus on.

This was 16U team and we were playing in an 18U tournament.

Wow. That's borderline sociopathic behavior. We'll be seeing that family on Jerry Springer one day. My kid would have not seen a softball field for a long time (if ever) with a stunt like that. Although imagining the looks of dismay on everybody's face is making me chuckle a little bit.

 

[02Crush]

I too have has this kind of year. I had become very paranoid and angry. I have now calmed down through a Summer Break and have a new outlook on TB. I will do what I am planning on doing and if it is not liked.....YOU can leave. I will not longer stress over things. I will use fill in player to bridge any gaps and teach those who are serious about learning and love the sport. I have had the parents on drugs, over coaching through the fence, yelling at me, complaining about me to others at games and practices, lost people I thought were friends and more...It has been a test by fire for me...AND I STILL LOVE IT!!!! So there is hope. Leave this mess alone. Vent with those you trust and then move on! Good Luck next year!

 

[ASA-CROSSFIRE-12U]

I too have has this kind of year. I had become very paranoid and angry. I have now calmed down through a Summer Break and have a new outlook on TB. I will do what I am planning on doing and if it is not liked.....YOU can leave. I will not longer stress over things. I will use fill in player to bridge any gaps and teach those who are serious about learning and love the sport. I have had the parents on drugs, over coaching through the fence, yelling at me, complaining about me to others at games and practices, lost people I thought were friends and more...It has been a test by fire for me...AND I STILL LOVE IT!!!! So there is hope. Leave this mess alone. Vent with those you trust and then move on! Good Luck next year!

Thanks 02Crush! And thank you to everyone who replied. After having a couple days to cool off I am with 02Crush, I will continue to do what I know how to do and if parents do not like it they can "kick Rocks". It was a ton more complicated through the season than I could have wrote on my original post, from crazy parents over coaching, 12 year old thought she was pregnant,just plain crazyness. My team did not even place on any tournaments we played! That is not from lack of coaching, most games half of my team went on the field more worried about how they looked than playing or who was watching the game. Regardless of what happend this year it is over now and I am already planning next year. Taking a nice vaction next week to the mountains and do some fishing and relaxing then it is back to practicing for the dedicated players that want to stay with me and be a TEAM!

Thanks again everyone!
Crossfire Coach Idaho

 

[CoogansBluff]

Thanks 02Crush! And thank you to everyone who replied. After having a couple days to cool off I am with 02Crush, I will continue to do what I know how to do and if parents do not like it they can "kick Rocks". It was a ton more complicated through the season than I could have wrote on my original post, from crazy parents over coaching, 12 year old thought she was pregnant,just plain crazyness. My team did not even place on any tournaments we played! That is not from lack of coaching, most games half of my team went on the field more worried about how they looked than playing or who was watching the game. Regardless of what happend this year it is over now and I am already planning next year. Taking a nice vaction next week to the mountains and do some fishing and relaxing then it is back to practicing for the dedicated players that want to stay with me and be a TEAM!

Thanks again everyone!
Crossfire Coach Idaho

It sounds like your purpose in this thread was to vent and not to question what you're doing. And that's fine. I'm not with your team, and I trust coaches when they say they've got parents and kids who are very problematic.

That said, I do come away with similar feelings as Screwball. You vented, you thanked posters who expressed similar frustrations, you did not address second-guessing that posters provided, you said your plan going forward is to do it your way and tell complaining parents to get lost, and you said your team underachieved this season because of parents and players and not coaches.

And you might be right about all that. As I said, I'm not there. I hope you get a better group next season. We don't get paid enough for this not to enjoy it.

 

[starsnuffer]

Wow.

Imagine if your player that you had an issue with simply told you, "I've thought about it, and it's all your fault, not mine, I'm excited to keep going!".

That's exactly what you just did coach. That's exactly what your players will do, so long as you keep showing them how.

-W

 

[InsidePitch]

You had a 12U player with a legitimate concern she might be pregnant? I wouldn't want that kid anywhere near my kid. We left our last org because of the trampy attitudes on the 14U team. I'm sure DD knows about promiscuity, I just didn't want her imersed in it.

 

[chinamigarden]

You had a 12U player with a legitimate concern she might be pregnant? I wouldn't want that kid anywhere near my kid. We left our last org because of the trampy attitudes on the 14U team. I'm sure DD knows about promiscuity, I just didn't want her imersed in it.

Do you home school your dd? if not, she is surrounded by these sorts of issues. Its life, its messy and there are all sorts of nasty problems. If there is an opportunity to have a frank and serious discussion with your child, its when she has seen or heard something.

 

[nanotech14]

Do you home school your dd? if not, she is surrounded by these sorts of issues. Its life, its messy and there are all sorts of nasty problems. If there is an opportunity to have a frank and serious discussion with your child, its when she has seen or heard something.

Even at a softball game or after,not during.There is always a opportunity to talk to your kids about things like this.If they dont hear it from their parents,someone else will and you might not like what they are told.Sorry not trying to hijack the thread.

 

[nanotech14]

Okay,I was not there,I dont know you or the team and what was going on.But rereading your post,you said that you had to get 4 guest players and later in the post you said you batted 11.The numbers show that you had 7 girls on the team all year.If that was the case the other girls that you picked up should have split their time in games.You should of gave you normal girls full playing time.I think your in for bumpy ride in travel ball.Also in one of your sentences you said something about "these girls would be an outstanding addition to my team."I read into comments like that and I would think you should of meant "our team."(My team) is a control issue,I see red flags all over your post.I think the mother was right,maybe not for doing that in front of the team,but right none the less.I would take my dd and run if I was the other parents on "YOUR TEAM."

 

[InsidePitch]

Do you home school your dd? if not, she is surrounded by these sorts of issues. Its life, its messy and there are all sorts of nasty problems. If there is an opportunity to have a frank and serious discussion with your child, its when she has seen or heard something.

No I don't home school but we don't have this kind of thing in the school she goes to. We do have frank discussions about bad choices and their consequences.