Opinions

[jnochta]

I am an assistant coach for a travel team. The girls have been together for 7 years and are now mostly senirs. During our summer season our #1 pitcher decided she did not want to play summer ball at all this year and we were notified two days before our first game. We only carry 11 players so this left us in a difficult spot. Besides other girld on the team had oportunities to play on club teams but chose to play on our team instead, so we had to scramble to get the team back to full strength. Now that fall ball has arrived I recommended to the head coach that we send a message to the player who left us short by not starting her as our number 1 pitcher as the girls that gave up their summer had some hard feeling about her comming back as if nothing happened. I told the head coach that by sending the message he would be showing the rest of the team that he appreciates the sacrifice and he has their backs... any thoughts on this

 

[lawdawg]

I've always thought the best way to send a message is to send the message. Communication is the key. Why not have a meeting with the girl and parents and explain the hard feelings and how she needs to re-earn the trust and respect of the team - which may include moving to no. 2 role for a while. You may consider urging her to talk with the girls - they usually work things out pretty well if we get out of the way.

 

[jacketsfan]

I had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago. 2 sisters on our team went to spend most of the summer with their grandparents. I told their parents that I'd have spots for them when they came back. They assumed that meant they woudl still be starters when they got back. However, the players that were there over that 2 months, practicing and playign tourneys, took precedence for playing time, up to and until the team felt like they had earned their way back in. The parents were really mad and me, and was really upset about their playing time. I told them they had spots - against some of the players wishes - but that they had to earn their way back into consistent playing time, much less starting. The parents had a hard time with that, but I thought it was important that the players who were there killing themselves all summer were rewarded for that effort.

I think your team chemistry will tell you the right thing to do. Also, if she has been off all summer, her pitching can't quite be back. It doesn't matter how much you practice (if she did), it's different throwing to batters. I would think it would take time for her to be ready to assume the leadership role.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

My personal opinion is that a 16U or 18U team never carry less than 13 or 14 on the roster. Most of the girls on this team are probably between 16-18 years old and aren't as reliable as the younger girls, some of them decide that boys-cars-party's-etc. are more important than softball.

That being said; Send the message not to the girl but to the entire team that a spot on the roster is earned. The girl in question has not played for the team in a few months so she should have to earn the #1 spot all over again.

 

[sluggers]

Unless there was some kind of serious emergency, I wouldn't have taken her back. Life is too short to put with that nonsense.

But, she is back on the team, so...I would treat like she just started playing, and that she has to prove herself. The #1 pitcher is the one who pitched over the summer.

Totally agree with jacketsfan...

 

[mudbug]

I dont know what kind of team you have, or what the reason is, or what chances you have to replace her. But, summer is why you play travel ball, fall-ball is not. Unless there were extenuating circumstance, injury, money problems, school problems, etc. , she would be OFF most teams, and not taken back. Travel teams are for girls that are committted, want to play, improve, and be seen and recruited , not for girls that "decide they dont want to play this summer" when a team is depending on them to honor their commitment.

 

[Greenmonsters]

I'm not sure if you'r talking about a travel team or rec league. If rec, give her whatever spot she earns, but travel would be a different story. Unless there was an very good undisclosed reason, giving 2 days notice is a real crappy way to show the teammates you've played with for 7 years how much you care about them and what may have been their key exposure summer season. If its a travel team, I'd leave it up to her teammates to determine if, and under what circumstances, she could be welcomed back to the team.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Taking a summer off to do something else instead is no big deal, but giving two days' notice isn't cool.

I'm not going to be mad at her for exploring other opportunities at this time if softball has essentially owned her summers the 6 previous years (doesn't matter what 'everyone else' does), but she didn't give her team reasonable notice before taking her leave. Maybe you had no stated/written contingency in place for this because you never expected it to be an issue, but a 16-17yo has to have enough awareness to know her team is counting on her.

But, keep in mind that you would've been in the same position over the summer if she'd been injured.

That being said, you made the choice to allow her to re-join the team for fall, but it's not difficult at all to start her as your #2 or #3 pitcher.