some people need some real issues to deal with

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May 6, 2015
2,397
113
text stream from one of the mom's of my players, basically accusing me of giving her DD's number to a late sign up to our team (LL softball, 10u, mostly 8s and 9s). In our league, after draft, coach calls his players to advise them of their team, verify uni size and number and spelling of name (this is supposed to all be on registration list given to each coach).

Basically the form I got listed her # preferences as A, B, and C. called this player and left message, when they called me back I was driving, couple of minutes from home. talked with her, she insists she said number B was preference, I recall A, but my memory is spotty (Ask my DW). Anyway, I submit uniform sheet with number A assigned to this girl. Late registration comes in, new girl wants uniform number B. I look at the uni sheet I submitted, see no B, so I text our equipment manager to advise him of the addition, with uni number B. Happens to be this girls played with me the year before, but I had no idea she was signing up until I got text from another BOD member assigning her to my team.

anyway, after one parent texts me asking if her girl got uni number X (cant recall which girl), I send out group text (this is mostly how I communicate with team parents) with list of girls and numbers.

Well this weekend the mom texts me about 6 times asking why her girls number got given to another girl. Says it is "special" for them (girl is 8). basically, by tone of all the texts, insinuation is that I switched when this other girl registered. without coming out and saying it, she seems to think I can/should switch the numbers (meanwhile, unis are done and in bag on my kitchen table).

then, when I send schedule out, dad emails me, he is upset, only one Sat game (OD). says he signed his girl up for town ball specifically because town ball is supposed to be Sat, this is how it has been. he works weeknights, cannot make weeknight games. that the boys all have Sate games every week. I explain to him that a) boys can all play in house, no interleague, so they are freer to set schedule b) consensus among softball coaches in our league and district is that Sat games are hard, many girls cannot make it. thing is, many girls play dual sports, and travel soccer is popular, and girls (including my DD) in travel soccer play on Sat (boys on Sun). so it is a lot easier for baseball to have Sat games then softball. I sympathize with him, but if we try to make a schedule to accommodate every individual, there would be no games. I will miss at least half of my older DD's games because her home games are the same evenings as the team I coach. and he closes by saying she did not get the number she wanted. we are holding Sat AM for rainouts.

It is entirely possible that on the phone Mom said B, but A was listed first on paperwork. I may have goofed, but it was honest mistake, and they are making it seem like I deliberately took this number from their DD to give to another girl.

not really sure what I am asking, mostly needed to vent a little, but am I crazy, or is this mom (dad subsequently emailed and said he was mainly venting too, he coached one year of coach pitch, I think when he sat back and thought about it he calmed down)? I really feel like saying if she can do a better job, take the training, submit a Vol app and $3 and coach a team. I think a lot of parents have no idea, even at LL/rec level, about all the crap a manager/coach has to deal with, besides just running practice and games.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I heard about a similar thing happening in our rec league. Big blowout over a jersey number, parents ended up taking the girl out of the program (league was like, yes, here's your refund, please go). Over a jersey number. Are there really 10 year old kids who care that much about a number? We had to pick a new number on our new team b/c my dd's number was taken already. It was very far from the most tragic thing we've ever experienced. Sounds really nutty to me.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
sad part is girl is good player, dad has obviously worked with her a lot, tiny, but can catch, throw, and make contact (not a lot of power on throws or hits, but accurate, and good swing). I hate that he cannot make weeknights as well, part of reason I drafted her when I did (she did not attend tryouts, same as most girls, so it was all based on if you remembered girl, I remembered dad, not her) was her dad had league required training, as he coached before. was hoping he would be assistant, but i understand, job has to come first.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I do not think DD would be upset about the number but if she was I would ask about it then leave it go.

I would complain about no Saturday games if it is a change from the past. I wouldn'the expect anything to change but I would be unhappy and would let you know. Once once only though.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
girls have rarely played on Saturdays except OD (maybe one or two a season at most) in my four years of coaching. Boys (and his girl I think played coach pitch baseball last year) play on Saturdays, but boys travel soccer is on Sundays, girls is on Saturdays. League is afraid if they make girls choose, most dual sports girls will choose soccer.
 

JJS

Jan 9, 2015
276
0
This is LL and most are 8 y/o. You are being too accommodating. You don't have to be harsh, but you are giving them too many options. You gave them an inch and they took a mile.

Have jerseys printed up #1-#12. Hand them out. No requests. Then if you really want to get them going, bat your lineup the entire season numerically based on jersey number(#1 bats first, etc).
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
more puZzled by number issue really, dad is just frustrated he will miss all the games, I get it. kinda hoping for a few rainouts for his sake, makeups will probably be Sat AM games (my daughter as Sat PM commitments).
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
Mom needs to relax. After commissioning in our league for 6 years, you start to figure out what is important and what is not. Suggestion: Apologize for the miscommunication and move on. Time to focus on the important stuff...uh like softball. If someone had a complaint, I would usually tell them that the organization can use some extra volunteers and I think you would be perfect! That either shuts them up or you get a volunteer. Win/Win.

In our local rec league the numbers were pre-printed 1-13. 1 is xs and 13 is Big girl size. We basically lined them up smallest to largest and handed them their jerseys and if they wanted to change with another player of the same size, no problem. High School is pretty much the same around here. 1-20.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
I did apologize, but she said she knows numbers can be changed. then when I replied back that unis were complete and I was handing them out that night (last night), she simply stated they were away and would not be there. tone of communication was I should change them, only way is to pay out of pocket for new shirts for two girls (league will certainly not pay), and strip this other girl of the number (she already has her shirt, I gave them out last night).

I guess I could tell her that she can have number, and just have two with same number (shirts have names as well, so no problem confusing them, and this girls is about half the size of the other girl)? Did that my first year of coach pitch, does anyone really care at this level if two kids have same number (as long as opposing score keeper is made aware).
 

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