Need some opinions.......

[casedawg51]

Here is the situation. All-Star Rec team getting ready for the State Tournament 2 weeks out. Had a couple girls drop out from Mission trips, other situations so the team was down to 9 players. Bad situation I know.

Coach gets another player who didn't play in the league to come aboard. Inserts her as starting SS. Domino effect moves original SS to 2nd, 2nd to OF. The original OFer moves to the bench. The only girl sitting on the bench. This girl had been to every league game and practice and all All-Star practices.

The addition and moves may help the team, but what do you say to the benched player and her parents? What does the parents say to the Coach?

 

[LAdad]

Someone should talk to the coach and explain that there is a problem (could be the parents in question, but maybe someone more neutral is better). If the coach is willing to at least rotate some of the players, that should be acceptable. After all, if the original team had stayed together the OFer would not have played every game either. There may be players who do play every game, that is kind of understood for an all-star team, but there should be some players who can take turns sitting out. Can't blame the new girl: she's helping a team in need, which she probably wouldn't do if it meant sitting most of the time on the bench.

Most tournaments aren't such nitpickers (they're happy to take your money), but the state tournament is the one time a year the ASA can enforce all of their rules (in addition to taking your money). I'm not current with them, but I'd double-check that the new girl is even eligible to play; isn't there some rule that requires that she played in the rec league?

 

[barlowjames]

My daughter is the exact girl you are talking about (as in she has been in the same situation). I don't get involved in the all star games beyond making sure she is at every practice and being there if the team needs anything. She is good enough to make the team but has not yet found her inner drive to really push herself to stand out.

A few years back she was on the all start team and there were also three travel ball players. Their commitment to their travel teams took precedent over the all star team so they missed most practices and a number of games. She understood that they put the team in a better position to win and she was OK with that, or at least she acted like she was. I asked once if should would like to play for a loosing team or sit for a winning team. She said she would rather play for on a winning team.

She played when the travel girls were not there and sat when they were. She understood this would happen and seemed somewhat resigned to it. The hour after a game she would be upset about being sat but it didn't last long. The season ended, they had fun, and she moved on.

It took a few weeks but eventually she opened up to me about it and said the part that really hurt was how much the coach fawned over these girls when they did show up. She said he seemed more upbeat and ready for the game when they were there but when it was just the regular team who practiced all week he was different. Like most men was concern was she would be upset about being sat, which she was a little, but that was not what bothered her the most.

After reading what I just wrote I realize it will not really help the original poster but I just wanted to give a different view of what you may be dealing with.

 

[Doubleranch]

Most State Tournaments go to a lot of trouble verifying that the girls are eligible. Did you have to provide birth certs and proofs of residence? The penalties would be on all the girls. Better be safe not sorry...this would be bad for the girls, new girl included. Most have requirements based on amount of league play and residence.

 

[Ken Krause]

This is an unfortunate situation all around. Unfortunate that the team is left in this situation by players/parents who presumably made a commitment to the team, and unfortunate that the coach has decided to sit one of his own to accommodate the guest player.

A few years ago I was in a similar situation heading into Northern Nationals. Despite carrying 15 or 16 on the roster I ended up with eight players available two days before we were supposed to leave. I made a couple of calls and ended up rounding up enough to go. I had discussions with the extra players, who realized they were extra players, and used them to fill in around the others. I think everyone was satisfied with it.

The point of playing is to play. To all of a sudden bring someone in from the outside and sit a player who has been a regular contributor all season doesn't seem right to me. I would use the extra player to shore up the team in different areas in different games. In other words find out what she can do and split the sitting time.

 

[JAD]

The use of pickup players is pretty common in TB, but most rec all-star teams that I follow do not use them.