- Jun 1, 2015
- 501
- 43
This is the first year I've actually done any sort of "guest player" situation, only because I had the possibility of having a week of games with only 8 players. I'll be the first to admit I was very iffy on how to handle the matter, but when the team (and I) saw the guest players playing at a higher level than some of my own, the team made the decision they should be kept around for what games they are available - that is, until they realized some of them would lose out on playing time because the better players should play. Other posters have said, "Guest players should be played because of what they bring to the team in that instance". But at the same time, regulars should also get their regular playing time. Hence why I felt the rotation I did last evening was fair to everyone. Obviously some non-coach parents felt otherwise (the perils of running/managing a team solely on my own.)
It's been a very bumpy road in terms of handling it - most parents around here have the mentality that "everyone practices, everyone plays", which I don't believe in at all (even as a former athlete who spent a lot of time on the bench). If a player(s) is/are not practicing at a level that shows they are retaining information from practices while in games, or behaving appropriately and have to be talked to, they warrant time on the bench/as a sub - whether guest or regular players. That was part of the original issue of this post (and was addressed with the parents multiple times, so it shouldn't have been a surprise). Next year, hopefully, I won't have a need for this to happen and I'll have enough committed bodies all season long, but in the event I don't, at least now I've seen what I can do to ensure my girls get enough time while my guests are treated fairly and aren't begged to play just to sit the bench so some pissy parents don't take their ball (kid) and go home.
It's been a very bumpy road in terms of handling it - most parents around here have the mentality that "everyone practices, everyone plays", which I don't believe in at all (even as a former athlete who spent a lot of time on the bench). If a player(s) is/are not practicing at a level that shows they are retaining information from practices while in games, or behaving appropriately and have to be talked to, they warrant time on the bench/as a sub - whether guest or regular players. That was part of the original issue of this post (and was addressed with the parents multiple times, so it shouldn't have been a surprise). Next year, hopefully, I won't have a need for this to happen and I'll have enough committed bodies all season long, but in the event I don't, at least now I've seen what I can do to ensure my girls get enough time while my guests are treated fairly and aren't begged to play just to sit the bench so some pissy parents don't take their ball (kid) and go home.