How to tell a high school coach that she can't overuse my pitcher

[Cannonball]

An update!

So the problem, for the time being, has solved itself. DD's team played their first game of the season. Coach scheduled it against a private school with a powerhouse program (the whole team plays high level travel, and there are multiple P5 D1commits). DD's team, unsurprisingly, lost. No one managed a hit (DD was one of three girls to put the ball in play), and DD gave up a lot of runs (some of them unearned as there were a lot of errors). In the postgame talk, all Coach could talk was about how DD lost the game for the team with her poor performance.

I know I'm biased, but given what she was facing, DD did well. No walks, four strikeouts, a lot of weak popups - it's just that the big hitters got big hits, and when there are a lot of extra runners on base due to errors, those big hits were especially costly.

So now Coach is punishing her for the loss by telling her she isn't going to start anymore. Coach pulled up the JV pitcher for a start, and the JV pitcher struggled mightily against a team that wasn't good. She told the senior who hasn't pitched since 10U that she would start the next game, which will be against a strong team.

At this point DD is mentally checked out. No matter what Coach says or does, DD just shrugs and goes about her business. She says that she thinks Coach is trying to make her lash out and she won't give her the satisfaction. She's just playing out this season and she won't return to the team next year.

Why would you put up with this then? Take your dd off of the team. She can throw on days you want her to throw and sign up for some area fitness program.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Let me guess. The new coach is a former D1 player that has already forgot more about softball than you will ever know. Should have brought in the AD asap. But remember the AD hired this genius so they will be a little reluctant to admit their mistake and remedy the problem. Power in numbers. I am sure there are other players and parents that are not too happy with Coach Hardass.
Was this tongue lashing your DD recieved loud enough for you and other parents to hear?

 

[Lightning]

Why would you put up with this then? Take your dd off of the team. She can throw on days you want her to throw and sign up for some area fitness program.

She doesn't want to leave the team for two reasons: 1. She needs two years of PE credit for graduation and she doesn't want to have to take an additional semester of PE next year. 2. She loves the seniors on this team and wants to finish the season.

 

[DonnyS]

Your bigger problem is going to be when the coach reverses his decision and starts hammering your DD to pitch again/more.

 

[Lightning]

Let me guess. The new coach is a former D1 player that has already forgot more about softball than you will ever know. Should have brought in the AD asap. But remember the AD hired this genius so they will be a little reluctant to admit their mistake and remedy the problem. Power in numbers. I am sure there are other players and parents that are not too happy with Coach Hardass.
Was this tongue lashing your DD recieved loud enough for you and other parents to hear?

Yes, she's a former D1 player. She was not the AD's first choice, but the principal insisted that the coach had to have a teaching credential so she was the only option. (A couple of established TB coaches were also interested in the job.)

Her record as a coach is spotty. She has never kept a coaching job more than 2-3 years, never had close to a winning record, and she's had something of a problem retaining players year after year. I feel like if I could find this information about her relatively easily, the AD could have as well, but maybe it didn't matter because she was the only candidate with a teaching credential.

DD doesn't want me to talk to the AD because she's sure Coach would retaliate if I complain. She just wants to keep her head down and finish the season and be done with Coach.

I did not hear coach's little post-game talk. Coach is not dumb enough to do this in front of parents. But I could tell DD was upset and I saw several teammates go to her as she was clearing her stuff out of the dugout to offer support.

 

[Tatonka]

Yes, she's a former D1 player. She was not the AD's first choice, but the principal insisted that the coach had to have a teaching credential so she was the only option. (A couple of established TB coaches were also interested in the job.)

Her record as a coach is spotty. She has never kept a coaching job more than 2-3 years, never had close to a winning record, and she's had something of a problem retaining players year after year. I feel like if I could find this information about her relatively easily, the AD could have as well, but maybe it didn't matter because she was the only candidate with a teaching credential.

DD doesn't want me to talk to the AD because she's sure Coach would retaliate if I complain. She just wants to keep her head down and finish the season and be done with Coach.

I did not hear coach's little post-game talk. Coach is not dumb enough to do this in front of parents. But I could tell DD was upset and I saw several teammates go to her as she was clearing her stuff out of the dugout to offer support.

i'll also throw it into the mix that some AD's just don't give a crap about softball and their sole criteria seems to be get someone in the Coaching job and hope no one complains. With their head buried so deep in the sand they avoid this conflict at all costs. When we as parents can easily and quickly do a little due diligence and discover bad behavior, negative patterns, firings or "quitting mid-season it's a head scratcher why the AD can't do that as well. Then the cover up begins. Some of these types of coaches are planning theri exit before they take the job and will use any and all comments, info and hearsay to bring you and the school into a lawsuit which in reality is their hoped for compensation and retirement plan. It can get costly, time intensive and stressful...some schools don't care and will just provide a payoff to the Coach to make the go away. No regards for the players, team reputation or community.

People are afraid to be a squeaky wheel or raise a concern or an issue in this country these days. Get involved, ask questions and document everything. Be an advocate for the doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time!

 

[Rolling Hard]

Why can't the coaches contract state that he/she can be fired without cause at the total discretion of the AD. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a law against these type of agreements in California.

 

[Dabears17]

Why can't the coaches contract state that he/she can be fired without cause at the total discretion of the AD. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a law against these type of agreements in California.

My understanding is that in a California public school, a coach has all the union protections she has as a teacher if she is a district employee in another capacity in addition to being a coach.

 

[lostcreek1]

Why can't the coaches contract state that he/she can be fired without cause at the total discretion of the AD. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a law against these type of agreements in California.

In most places you can get rid of them as a coach, just not as a teacher. Kind of puts you between a rock and a hard spot.