How to handle almost entire team showing up late for game?

[_MIA_]

I would have agreed with that statement up to a year and a half ago when a local mother, still legally drunk from the night before (this was around 8am), went through a stop sign and killed her daughter.

Just be an adult and make arrangements for your kids if you are going to get after it that hard.

I said hung over, not drunk. But yes there is a fine line and if you aren't 100% sure then make arrangements. The fact is, drinking so much the night before your kid's game (when you know you have to be there early) where you wouldn't be sure is irresponsible to begin with.

 

[newnin]

I said hung over, not drunk. But yes there is a fine line and if you aren't 100% sure then make arrangements.

I am guessing most people can't tell the difference between hung over and still drunk at 6am after a night of partying. Honestly, I just wish the parents wouldn't do it, as it always causes some sort of problems on the team for me to deal with. But I have been doing this long enough now to know that will never be the case.

 

[_MIA_]

I am guessing most people can't tell the difference between hung over and still drunk at 6am after a night of partying.

Probably..I wouldn't. I probably have 1 beer a year..

 

[Eric F]

So the goal is instilling discipline in the parents? I think that's something a team ought to disclose before anyone signs up.

If everyone is at the same hotel, then the team should congregate in the lobby at an appointed time, and no one leaves until everyone shows up. That way you can coordinate carpools, make sure no one overslept and the team arrives as a unit as opposed to scattershot. And avoids the parental competition of who showed up first and therefore is the most dedicated.

If showing up at or before the time designated by the coach is a problem for you, then your DD shouldn't be playing TB. In all the years I've been at this, I have yet to see a single instance where there is any parental competition about who showed up at the field first.

If your team wants to meet in the lobby before going to the field, that's fine. Do what works for your team. My DD has been on teams that have done that, but it only really works if everyone is staying at the same hotel, which isn't always the case. I've also seen it happen where everyone leaves the hotel at the same time, and some kids are STILL late.

 

[Bullseye]

Looking for ideas on how to handle players showing up late. This is 12u so totally reliant on parents. One assistant coach is of the opinion that you can't punish the girls for being late since they can't drive. I'm in the opposite camp. Head coach told all the girls and the parents that were within range to be on the field reqdy to practice at 7am Sunday for our 8am game. Everyone was staying at the same hotel on Saturday night and our last game ended at 6pm so there shouldn't have been any excuses. My (assistant coach) DD and the head coach's DD were the only ones on time. We didn't even have 9 players until after 7:30, and one girl never showed up. My understanding is many of the parents got a bunch of beer and sat outside the hotel drinking late into the night. If it is just a few girls I would make them have to sit out the game, but can't play a game with only a catcher and an outfielder. Thought about bumping them all to the end of the lineup, but again that isn't much of a punishment if the entire team is late. Is making them run laps, etc the only option left?

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This isnt about showing up late. These are disrespectful adults. Hold tryouts. You know the rest.

 

[Eric F]

Probably..I wouldn't. I probably have 1 beer a year..

Not to worry. I'm covering the rest of your quota.

 

[_MIA_]

Not to worry. I'm covering the rest of your quota.

If I was going to drink at a tournament, it wouldn't be BEFORE the game..I can tell you that much

 

[Chris8]

So the goal is instilling discipline in the parents? I think that's something a team ought to disclose before anyone signs up.

If everyone is at the same hotel, then the team should congregate in the lobby at an appointed time, and no one leaves until everyone shows up. That way you can coordinate carpools, make sure no one overslept and the team arrives as a unit as opposed to scattershot. And avoids the parental competition of who showed up first and therefore is the most dedicated.

So the goal is instilling discipline in the parents? No it's not the goal. Nor is it the coaches responsibility. The coach isn't coaching parents. The coach is coaching a softball team. The parents have a responsibility to get their DD where she is suppossed to be on time.

I think that's something a team ought to disclose before anyone signs up.

I don't know anyone that thought a team should disclose the parents were responsible for getting their player to a venue on time. Out of town or in town tournaments the same, right? The coach doesn't rent a van and drive around to each players home and pick them up....why would a coach be responsible for meeting them in the lobby or arranging rides. Adults need to be adults and do the adulting thing.

It's not that people don't carpool and make arrangements. The point is the adults didn't act like adults and take care of the needs/arrangements for their children. If parents can't do that...then Travel ball (Or serious travel ball) is not for them. They should go back to rec. Other families have spent time/money/vacation etc to be on time to a tournament (in or out of town) not being on time (reasonable situations excluded) is disrespectful to the other families as well.

IF everyone is at the same hotel. so what if they aren't...then what? We just came back from Vegas 13 girls 12 families....9 different hotels....what then?


That way you can coordinate carpools, That's not the job of the coach, they do enough already. The implied expectation between the family and the team is that you get your DD to the venue on time.

And avoids the parental competition of who showed up first and therefore is the most dedicated. I've seen plenty of parental competition...but never this one. Who cares who's first? just matters you're there when you're suppossed to be. I'm pretty sure playing time and positions on any respectable travel team is not determined by who's kid got there first. I'm trying to imagine Mike Stith at OC Batbusters assigning positions and lineup based on arrival times.

 

[flash277]

Whereas we never missed a 7am field time, I'm not a fan of the hour before game workout (regardless of what time the game is). Half an hour should be fine to stretch, jog a bit, throw the ball back and forth, take a couple swings. It's a warmup, not an hour practice before three games.

 

[JayW]

I’m guessing that if the team has one dominant bracket pitcher and she shows up 15 minutes before game time she’s still going to start. Her punishment will have to wait until the next practice.