poloitics, parents play a role in your travel team

[xplosion10U]

Parents should have no say in how you spend the team money. If YOU want new uniforms, then order them. You will never make everyone happy so why try?

Totally disagree, the parents are the ones funding the team, they should have some input on what the team spends money on, especially extra fundraising money. A coach should set his budget on training, tournaments, and uniforms and that is what should be applied to the team dues. If the parents fundraise additional dollars, they should have some input on what to do with it (warmup jackets, special occasion uniform shirts, team dinners, etc)

 

[MsDinosaur]

My big thing right now is a 2nd uniform for tournamments... parents are e-mailing me that they are against it and they want to use the money for other things (things that would drive the total cost per parent up {and you know then they would complain about the price}). One parent, after telling me how well her daughter has done and learned under my coaching, suggested that we use the money instead to pay for someone to give them additional training! Will probably compromise somehow on the uniforms!

I know everyone is different, but that sounds so bizarre to me. I ALWAYS want to have two uniforms. Do your parents enjoy trying to wash uniforms every night after a long day at the fields in order to have them clean and ready for the next day? If they're taking it easy and just bringing the girls back in yesterday's dirty uniforms, then perhaps you can tell them you expect to see clean uniforms every morning. I'd think a second set of uniforms would quickly become very desirable to all. ;-)

 

[jazz10NE]

This year we are buying new uniforms (usually every other year thing) The 'team' is purchasing a jersey, dri-fit shirt, socks and a pair of pants. I am giving each parent the option of purchasing a 2nd pair of pants. We will wear the shirt on Sat and the jersey on sunday and they can either wash over night or have a clean extra pair.

 

[coach 11]

problem was we had girls really forced on our team because there older sisters played on the older travel team, its like you have to take them even tho we did not pick them during tryouts. so now me and my friend have decided no start our own team, no board to complain to no nothing either our way or see ya. it should be about the girls not the parents or a board.

 

[SnocatzDad]

There are many pitfalls around youth athletics. If your a coach and your opinion on a players ability, or best team fit is different than a parents there are maybe 5% of parents that can chalk that up to a difference of opinion or take the rose colored glasses off long enough to acknowledge they might not be the most impartial judge of their own kid's talent.

That is just a fact of life and for the coach you have to learn to not worry about being judged on your own judgement. You also should not let parents thinking their kid is better than maybe they are upset you or cause you to change how you deal with this kid. There is no benefit in rubbing salt in the wound in areas where your opinions and the parents vary widely. I usually acknowledge to them that I am not perfect and I could be dead wrong on some things, but I have to make decisions on how I see things and that is the way the team will be run for better or worse. It's okay to think your kid is better than the coach thinks they are. If your a parent it's your job to be biased towards your kids, they expect it, and in some cases really need it. From the parent's side if you want to get through the journey with minimal acrimony you might try cutting the coaches a little slack and giving them the benefit of the doubt rather than immediately jumping to anger about bias, favoritism, daddy ball, etc... might save you some ulcers and you might have a much larger group of friends when the journey's over instead of just burnt bridges between you and ALL the people that WRONGED your dd.

 

[Bouldersdad]

I settled it when one girls brought me her home-made chocolate chip cookies. She never sat in a game after that. She knew my weak spot and exploited it. When her parents couldn't make the trip to the ASA state tournament and I took her, she brought me more chocolate chip cookies. End of story!

Now that is how politics work.

LOL thats good stuff right there.

 

[coachtucc]

I know everyone is different, but that sounds so bizarre to me. I ALWAYS want to have two uniforms. Do your parents enjoy trying to wash uniforms every night after a long day at the fields in order to have them clean and ready for the next day? If they're taking it easy and just bringing the girls back in yesterday's dirty uniforms, then perhaps you can tell them you expect to see clean uniforms every morning. I'd think a second set of uniforms would quickly become very desirable to all. ;-)

I decided to get the uniform..told all the parents and that was that!

 

[RichK]

My personal recipe for coaching happiness (from a long-time -- ten-plus years -- travel coach and now former head coach):

1) Find a great head coach you can work with and who likes game management and dealing with parents more than pure instruction
2) Spend your time as "lead assistant" focusing on pure instruction - run practices, pre-game, etc.
3) Swallow your tongue when game decisions are different than what you'd do (it's hard, but you don't get to second guess anymore, part of the deal)
4) Focus on the high road--are kids getting better, etc. Know that when they get better, the team wins/gets better too
5) Relax and enjoy it

I know that wouldn't be for everyone, but it's worked for me....

: >

 

[Momo'sDad]

Totally disagree, the parents are the ones funding the team, they should have some input on what the team spends money on, especially extra fundraising money. A coach should set his budget on training, tournaments, and uniforms and that is what should be applied to the team dues. If the parents fundraise additional dollars, they should have some input on what to do with it (warmup jackets, special occasion uniform shirts, team dinners, etc)

Teams that try to operate as democracies don't tend to last for very long, at least not in our area.

If parents respect a coach and the team's finances are transparent, then when the coach makes that decision on the 2nd set of uniforms, the parents can trust that decision was in the better interests of the team. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Even many well-funded teams and organizations get printed t-shirts to wear in their friendlies or in pool play. Would most parents really consider that to be an extravagant expense they should've been consulted on?

More often than not, people will respect strong, fair leadership.

 

[crystlemc]

Speaking from experience, if you give the parents too much say or make them feel like they are part of the decision making process, then they will also expect to be welcome to "help" you make coaching decisions as well. We ended up with parents who wanted to take over the team. They got their wish, we stepped away, and the team crashed and burned. Now, those parents/kids are on two different TB teams, and they both stink. One team can't even get a 9th player, but refuses to fold. I love Karma, but would rather have not gone through it in the first place.

I also wanted to add, DD's current team has 3 uniforms. 3 jerseys, 3 pants, 3 socks. I LOVE it. Especially for the long, overnight tourneys. I won't have to try to find a laundromat or use the hotel's facilities to wash her uniform for the the next day.