So tired of hearing "it's not fair" from other parents

[sluggers]

Title IX requires that schools provide similar facilities for similar sports.

So, if a booster (say Dave Stieb) donated a lot of money to build a new field and clubhouse for his college baseball team (say the SIU Salukis), then the school has to provide a similar facilities for the softball team.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Title IX requires that schools provide similar facilities for similar sports.

So, if a booster (say Dave Stieb) donated a lot of money to build a new field and clubhouse for his college baseball team (say the SIU Salukis), then the school has to provide a similar facilities for the softball team.

Well............how come basketball gets a covered arena?

 

[riseball]

Well............how come basketball gets a covered arena?

The girls get to use it for basketball also....just as long as they work around boys schedule.

I think the word similar is open to significant interpretation. Where I have seen this most obvious is in capital improvements. DD has an visit at BIG10 school next week who has a very nice new softball stadium. Is it a nice as the new baseball stadium? Not exactly. At DD's high school boosters bought the baseball team an awesome scoreboard, and one that was a little less awesome but still quite nice for the softball team. Just two examples to show that "similar" does not and should not mean "equal".

 

[BobInMadison]

In Madison, WI, the 4 high schools share 2 sets of facilities. On the west side, Madison West and Madison Memorial share facilities that are at or near Memorial HS, which is much newer and was built when it was way out in the boonies.

The boys have a lighted field with nice scoreboards. The girls have no lights, no scoreboard. The batting cages are right next to the boys' field.

 

[YOCOACH]

I'm in Georgia and we are well into our high school season. We still have many weeks to go and I'm sick of the "it's not fair" already. Life isn't fair and I would expect parents to know this at this point in their lives. High school softball parents are some of the whiniest people ever. Let me say that DD sat the bench on varsity last year, as a freshman, and she deserved it. She wasn't hitting well and the coach put the best 9 on the field. DD was motivated by lack of play and worked her butt off in the offseason to compete this year. She is a starter this year and is hitting around .400 with a 1.000 fielding percentage, so she has earned it. We have a senior mom complaining because her DD is sitting the bench (this is also her DD's 1st season on varsity). Her DD didn't make varsity until she was a senior, and only played rec ball, with one season of travel at a low level, and it's not fair because her kid has been playing more years. So far our varsity has only lost one game. It was a scrimmage that our team was winning 1-0, when coach put the entire bench into the game, and we proceeded to lose 9-1. That should tell people that the best 9 were the starters. There have been 3 other games that the bench entered when the starters were winning by 7+ runs. However, it's not fair that sophomores and juniors are playing (and winning) while the seniors watch the game from the dugout. 8 of the starting 9 on varsity play travel ball with 5 of the 8 playing at a high level.

Then there are the JV parents. I will admit that most of the JV parents at DD's high school are fantastic. The JV team got a new uniform this year. That never happens at our school. Typically, the JV gets the old varsity uniforms, when the varsity gets new ones. Every player gets new socks every year. The varsity got 2 new uniforms this year (first new ones in 4 years), and the JV got one. We had a mom threaten to have her DD quit because JV doesn't have 2 uniforms like varsity. JV gets to play 1/2 the games as varsity, as many schools in our region just don't have enough girls to have 2 teams. If she wants 2 uniforms, JV will be wearing the hand-me-downs. Other JV parents are complaining about playing time, not being on varsity, not getting treated the same as varsity, etc.

All of this whining is exactly why I volunteer to keep the scoreboard, so I don't mix in with whiners during home games. At away games,I take my chair to right field so no one wants to complain to me. However, some still find me. I just want to mind my own business at the field, instead of listening to it.

Alright, vent is over. If you made it to the end, you are amazing.

The moral of the story is that life isn't fair and neither is high school softball. Get over it.

I wish our HS coach would put the best 9 on the field. Last years team had 8 Seniors and even though there were much better position players on the bench, the Seniors played every inning of every game. The irony of the situation was that the coach expected to go far in the play-offs since they were so Senior laden. They lost the very first game.

Granted, there is something to be said for putting in the time whether it's JV or the bench but I guess I just don't get it. Putting in the time should not guarantee a spot on the field IMO.

As far as how we handle booster money, The baseball Boosters and us softball boosters join forces and split the money evenly from all of the joint fundraisers. Individual fundraisers by team will be split between the player and the booster club for the team. The player can then use those funds in their account against travel expenses when the team goes traveling for HS tournaments during Spring Break.

For example, last Spring Break we went to Myrtle Beach and played in a large tournament. The entrance fee, hotel rooms and meals were budgeted at $600 a player. Many players had raised the funds and had it in their account so it was covered for them. The several Freshman that were invited to go had to pay a majority of that $600 since they didn't have the number of fundraisers that the more established players did.

 

[riseball]

I wish our HS coach would put the best 9 on the field. Last years team had 8 Seniors and even though there were much better position players on the bench, the Seniors played every inning of every game. The irony of the situation was that the coach expected to go far in the play-offs since they were so Senior laden. They lost the very first game.

Granted, there is something to be said for putting in the time whether it's JV or the bench but I guess I just don't get it. Putting in the time should not guarantee a spot on the field IMO.

As far as how we handle booster money, The baseball Boosters and us softball boosters join forces and split the money evenly from all of the joint fundraisers. Individual fundraisers by team will be split between the player and the booster club for the team. The player can then use those funds in their account against travel expenses when the team goes traveling for HS tournaments during Spring Break.

For example, last Spring Break we went to Myrtle Beach and played in a large tournament. The entrance fee, hotel rooms and meals were budgeted at $600 a player. Many players had raised the funds and had it in their account so it was covered for them. The several Freshman that were invited to go had to pay a majority of that $600 since they didn't have the number of fundraisers that the more established players did.

Is not placing a higher value on seniority over demonstrated ability typical of the culture found in most High Schools? Only rarely is there strict accountability for individual performance. In the event of a layoff the last hired are the first fired, instead of using it as an opportunity to remove those that perform poorly and retain those that truly excel. That is the view of those on the inside as to how things should work. As a result putting in your time and paying your dues to guarantee personal entitlement is the life lesson which is being taught both in the classroom and on the athletic field.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I wish our HS coach would put the best 9 on the field.

I think we all agree that the coach has the last word on who those 9 players are who are on the field.

Many will disagree with me when I claim the following... I don't believe for a minute that coaches, particularly HS coaches, necessarily have the best 9 on the field. I think it is impossible for most coaches to put aside vindictive and other such feelings, even to the point of losing, but they will seldom see that things like this caused the loss. I think it happens all the time. In fact, I would argue that it can keep teams from reaching the greatness they desire. Think of it as coaching decisions being clouded by emotions that should be put aside.

 

[thatcrazymom]

Our softball booster money stays with softball. The gate fees for the sports does go into a general sports account, administered by the athletic director. Baseball and softball do share locker rooms, batting caches, and concessions/score keeper buildings. In Georgia, baseball and softball are not in the same season here, so it all works out.

After the official tryout date, the coach talked to all the girls. He told them that he doesn't care about their name, grade, or family. He would be playing the best 9. I think if the players were to vote on the best 9, the same ones would be playing. It's the parents that have issues. The players are getting along extremely well. They get along better than any team I've ever seen in the 10 years my DD has been playing (since t-ball).

 

[thatcrazymom]

I think we all agree that the coach has the last word on who those 9 players are who are on the field.

Many will disagree with me when I claim the following... I don't believe for a minute that coaches, particularly HS coaches, necessarily have the best 9 on the field. I think it is impossible for most coaches to put aside vindictive and other such feelings, even to the point of losing, but they will seldom see that things like this caused the loss. I think it happens all the time. In fact, I would argue that it can keep teams from reaching the greatness they desire. Think of it as coaching decisions being clouded by emotions that should be put aside.

DD has been on teams that didn't play the best 9. Sometimes she was on the field and sometimes she wasn't.

 

[Doug Romrell]

DD has been on teams that didn't play the best 9. Sometimes she was on the field and sometimes she wasn't.

My DD was a starting player on varsity last year as a sophomore, but there were times that I didn't think she should have been a starter. Some of it was that the head coach was trying to secure her as a player on his summer TB team. She decided to not play on his summer team. Therefore, I fully expect her to either be cut this next season or to be demoted to JV, all as punishment. I guess he has the right to do so, he's the coach.

Let me add that I think it is great when the nine the coach has as starters are the same nine the players themselves would pick. But coaching is not a democracy, nor should it be, in my opinion. Democracy in softball, like anything else, is sort of like two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. But then again, you could have a wolf as the dictator.