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

[FP26]

Played there for the first time in July, it was great. Traffic in and out for 31 fields sucks though.

Was there a few years back and my opinion was the same. Great complex. Fun tournament. Not a fan of highways around Columbus...

 

[FP26]

it gets to be a harder decision depending on how important the player is to the team. if you bench your only reliable pitcher, you’re punishing the whole team. i would probably wait until the next tournament to bench the pitcher, and in the meantime would lay out some ground rules.

Just like in other walks of life, the better players on the team are expected to meet certain baseline standards. They are essentially team leaders whether they want to be or not. (You do not need to be a captain to be a team leader). And showing up 45 minutes late without an excuse is not what I want out of one of my team leaders. That said, I was a volunteer coach. Yes, I am competitive and wanted to win, but once I had rules in place, I followed them. And not just when they were convenient to follow. All the players knew that. And all the parents knew that.

If I was a paid coach, maybe I would feel differently. For example, if I need to win a game to save my job and need to deal with an Antonio Brown type attitude, I would probably try to find a way to make it work. Luckily that isn't somethin I ever had to deal with.

 

[JayW]

that’s the key. set the rules in advance. doesn’t sound like OP did this. you’re right. we all know what nick saban or dabo swinney would do.

 

[PDM]

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.

So what is your solution? All you did was point out that it's the parents' responsibility to get the players to the field on time, but what if they don't? I don't see that answer here. At the end of the day, here is my answer: The sport is about the players, not the coaches and not the parents. If the parents can't get the players to the venue for warm ups, then the players suffer by not being ready to play. The coach doesn't really need to have the players there until it's time to write the lineup card. Warm ups are for the players. If I am the coach, I tell the parents and players that warm ups for an 8:00 game begin at 7:00, and that I use warm ups to decide which players are ready to play that day and at which positions. At 7:45 I write out the lineup card. Any player who can't be evaluated by then will to start. Anyone not there by game time will not play. If I don't have 9 on the field at 7:45, then I write out the lineup for those who are there, and add the remaining names as they show up. As a coach, why agonize over something that I can't control and something that really doesn't matter to me? The players suffer by not arriving on time, so it's their (and their parents') problem. The players and parents who are serious about the game will be there. They are paying good money to be part of the team and attend the tournament and if they want to waste that money, who am I to stop them?

 

[radness]

Definitely agree about pitchers/catchers needing more time. With our current team it seems like the catchers don't warm up enough. When they do the usual pregame grounders and fly balls the catcher just sits and watches until the starting pitcher is ready to start warming up. I would have her at a minimum fielding a few pop ups and grounders with her legs and helmet on. Just my 2 cents.

your points ☝ should be an entire post of its own

 

[IndyHScoach]

it gets to be a harder decision depending on how important the player is to the team. if you bench your only reliable pitcher, you’re punishing the whole team. i would probably wait until the next tournament to bench the pitcher, and in the meantime would lay out some ground rules.

I am sorry I do not buy in to the "don't punish the whole team" BS. If a player thinks they are that important that you will not bench them for their actions because it will hurt the team then you have zero integrity about enforcing rules. If you would bench the 12th player on the team for being late then you bench the best player on the team for being late. Do not have a double standard.

 

[radness]

How about this approach
~Notice to all other teams~
Please do not get to the field early enough to properly warm up.
Our team goal is to WIN!

 

[cleareyesfullheart]

it gets to be a harder decision depending on how important the player is to the team. if you bench your only reliable pitcher, you’re punishing the whole team. i would probably wait until the next tournament to bench the pitcher, and in the meantime would lay out some ground rules.

The rules are for everyone. If you decide by how good she is you are not teaching, you are just coaching for the W's. Teach life lessons.

 

[Bullseye]

I am sorry I do not buy in to the "don't punish the whole team" BS. If a player thinks they are that important that you will not bench them for their actions because it will hurt the team then you have zero integrity about enforcing rules. If you would bench the 12th player on the team for being late then you bench the best player on the team for being late. Do not have a double standard.

The fact this has to be said is a problem.

 

[cleareyesfullheart]

The fact this has to be said is a problem.

It's because they are more worried about the W than teaching life lessons.