- Jun 1, 2015
- 501
- 43
Background: 16U rec team in its 5th season. This year, for the first time, I have both 2 assistant coaches (former players of mine ) and 12 (possibly 13) total girls. Of these girls, they come from 4 different communities. 1 girl plays 12U (youth level, and knows she'll likely be a sub), 8 play modified softball, 1 plays JV softball, and 2 play Varsity. (the 13th girl would also be modified). We practice once a week to prep. for our season starting at the end of June.
The two varsity girls are from different schools - 1 should be our pitcher, the other the catcher. We've had 2 practices so far, and the two girls seem to like working with each other very well. The pitcher, however, has not exactly made many allies among other teammates: Developed a bit of an attitude - something of an "I'm a varsity player, so I'm better than you modified girls", and many of her new teammates have said they're not comfortable working with her because they feel belittled or bothered by snide remarks she's making. Full disclosure, she is a good athlete, has a good head for the game, and would make valuable offensive and pitching contributions to the team this year.
This pitcher played for a different team in our league last year and was coming to my team this year as a favor from her dad, since he's decent friends with me and knew my team was in trouble last year, ability-wise. She did not pitch for that team last year - she's very much a utility player on the field - can play anywhere. She hasn't given any coaches attitude at all, minus occasionally not doing something a way a coach shows her to, which I would somewhat expect from a varsity athlete if they have their own idiosyncrasies about things.
All three coaches (myself and my 2 asst. coaches) have noticed her attitude developing since the start of the season. We want to find a way to appropriately discuss this with her next practice to curtail it without a.) Causing her to up and leave (we believe she thinks the team will be nothing without her, and she'd have an open invitation from the team she played with before) or b.) Taking the team down with her. We have 3 other girls on the team that can pitch, but they are not at this pitcher's level of experience, but I've told the girls, "We don't do this for wins/losses, we do this to make you better, and if your intentions are to negatively impact the team, find the gate". As coaches, how would you address the situation at your next practice if this were a girl on your team?
(edit: I know I spelled "attitude" wrong in the title. It's been a long weekend, personally. Forgive me).
The two varsity girls are from different schools - 1 should be our pitcher, the other the catcher. We've had 2 practices so far, and the two girls seem to like working with each other very well. The pitcher, however, has not exactly made many allies among other teammates: Developed a bit of an attitude - something of an "I'm a varsity player, so I'm better than you modified girls", and many of her new teammates have said they're not comfortable working with her because they feel belittled or bothered by snide remarks she's making. Full disclosure, she is a good athlete, has a good head for the game, and would make valuable offensive and pitching contributions to the team this year.
This pitcher played for a different team in our league last year and was coming to my team this year as a favor from her dad, since he's decent friends with me and knew my team was in trouble last year, ability-wise. She did not pitch for that team last year - she's very much a utility player on the field - can play anywhere. She hasn't given any coaches attitude at all, minus occasionally not doing something a way a coach shows her to, which I would somewhat expect from a varsity athlete if they have their own idiosyncrasies about things.
All three coaches (myself and my 2 asst. coaches) have noticed her attitude developing since the start of the season. We want to find a way to appropriately discuss this with her next practice to curtail it without a.) Causing her to up and leave (we believe she thinks the team will be nothing without her, and she'd have an open invitation from the team she played with before) or b.) Taking the team down with her. We have 3 other girls on the team that can pitch, but they are not at this pitcher's level of experience, but I've told the girls, "We don't do this for wins/losses, we do this to make you better, and if your intentions are to negatively impact the team, find the gate". As coaches, how would you address the situation at your next practice if this were a girl on your team?
(edit: I know I spelled "attitude" wrong in the title. It's been a long weekend, personally. Forgive me).
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