A Bit of A Rant About Clueless Coaches

[Sparky Guy]

14U age level. Two week ago I have a practice game set with a team. I get the field and umpire set up. The coach calls me up at 7:30 the night before and says they can't make it. He tells me he has 3 kids with their 8th grade graduation and another one who has to play in the band at a graduation. The kids told him at the end of practice. Called around. Needless to say there was no way anyone would commit their team on such a short notice. We end up practicing. Luckily I was able to cancel the umpire.

Fast forward one week. Have a game set up with another team. The coach calls me at 8:30 the night before and tells me has two kids going on vacation and his catcher got hit in the arm. Same situation. Can't find another team to play on such a short notice. We pay for a field to practice on. It goes without saying I'm quite surly about being dissed two consecutive weeks on super short notice. The real kicker was the coach who just cancelled sends me a text in the middle of my practice asking if we want to play next week. He's still hearing crickets.

My point is. How can you coach a team with a dozen families and not know about important dates like graduations, vacations, weddings or any other significant family events that would put you short players? I send out a letter to all of my families well before the start of the season asking for important family dates so I can schedule the team around them as best I can.

I understand things come up. But there are things families know about and plan for well in advance.

Sorry.... Just had to vent a little..

 

[02Crush]

Actually, I was thinking....How would a coach commit to an off schedule time or located event like a scrimmage without first reviewing with the families to confirm attendance. either way rude

 

[chinamigarden]

14U age level. Two week ago I have a practice game set with a team. I get the field and umpire set up. The coach calls me up at 7:30 the night before and says they can't make it. He tells me he has 3 kids with their 8th grade graduation and another one who has to play in the band at a graduation. The kids told him at the end of practice. Called around. Needless to say there was no way anyone would commit their team on such a short notice. We end up practicing. Luckily I was able to cancel the umpire.

Fast forward one week. Have a game set up with another team. The coach calls me at 8:30 the night before and tells me has two kids going on vacation and his catcher got hit in the arm. Same situation. Can't find another team to play on such a short notice. We pay for a field to practice on. It goes without saying I'm quite surly about being dissed two consecutive weeks on super short notice. The real kicker was the coach who just cancelled sends me a text in the middle of my practice asking if we want to play next week. He's still hearing crickets.

My point is. How can you coach a team with a dozen families and not know about important dates like graduations, vacations, weddings or any other significant family events that would put you short players? I send out a letter to all of my families well before the start of the season asking for important family dates so I can schedule the team around them as best I can.

I understand things come up. But there are things families know about and plan for well in advance.

Sorry.... Just had to vent a little..

I would tell him we could play next week. If he pays for the field and gets the umps lined up.

 

[PA SB Dad]

I would tell him we could play next week. If he pays for the field and gets the umps lined up.

And then send him a text the night before that you have to cancel...

 

[Crazy Softball Guy]

My point is. How can you coach a team with a dozen families and not know about important dates like graduations, vacations, weddings or any other significant family events that would put you short players? I send out a letter to all of my families well before the start of the season asking for important family dates so I can schedule the team around them as best I can.

I understand things come up. But there are things families know about and plan for well in advance.

Sorry.... Just had to vent a little..

I like PA SB Dad's idea of texting the night before to cancel, lol. Seriously though, that is just poor team management for which there's no excuse. I hope the coach continues to hear those crickets...

 

[Jackel2168]

Sometimes though parents are just dumb. I've had people say, oh, I'm graduating tomorrow despite practice being set for MONTHS. You cannot fault the coach for stupid and lazy parents.

 

[CoachKevin]

Sometimes though parents are just dumb. I've had people say, oh, I'm graduating tomorrow despite practice being set for MONTHS. You cannot fault the coach for stupid and lazy parents.

This is probably more of what happened than the coach just not knowing, or parents not emailing their schedule conflicts.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Sometimes though parents are just dumb. I've had people say, oh, I'm graduating tomorrow despite practice being set for MONTHS. You cannot fault the coach for stupid and lazy parents.

As a coach you MUST know your age group. At certain ages there are ALWAYS school, social or religious events that happen at certain times of the year. You have to get that information from the parents. You have to pester them for the information. As you said. They can be lazy. As a coach you have that responsibility to the team and all of the families involved with it to get the information.

I sent out a base schedule to my team before the season started. Each week I send out the schedule for the week. In the weekly update I ask the parents to let me know of any conflicts they have not told me about. My daughter says I send out too many emails and texts. I have yet to have a parent tell me they didn't know what was going on with the team.

When a coach commits their team they are not only committing their team families but all the families from the other team as well. You have to be sure. It's the easy way out blaming the parents.

 

[marriard]

Agree with parents just not letting you know as a coach long term conflicts, but if it is just a practice game I figure if I am down to 7 or 8 I am still showing up. We can always borrow an outfielder. It is just a scrimmage.

I have had scrimmages where I have borrowed pitchers to the other team. And siblings of players (both younger and older and even brothers.).

 

[cmspock]

Had a 12u game on the schedule since the beginning of the season yesterday. We only have 10 on our team and I knew 2 girls weren't going to be there so I had a sub scheduled so we would still have 9 to play. Friday night a parent tells me that another parent told him that her kid wouldn't be there on Sunday for a party reason. The parent never told me. I called on the parent Saturday morning and she told me she still wasn't sure. I called again on Sunday and no she won't be there.

On Saturday, I sent out a reminder to my team of the game, time, location, etc. Another parent replies and tells me they just closed on a summer house and they are spending the weekend there and she forgot to tell me.

And another one tells me Friday that their daughter is taking an unplanned 2 week vacation and they just found out about it.

Now it's Sunday morning and I am down to 5 of my players for a game that has been scheduled since April. I scrounged up 2 12u subs from other teams, 1 10u sub from another team, and the younger sister of one of my players who only plays slow pitch, but we rostered her so she could play just in case. I picked up and dropped off 2 of the subs because their families had other commitments.

I am thankful for the girls and families who really are committed to playing and to the team and wish I could just dump all of the other ones.