Pick up Player Politics

[Screwball]

Can someone explain this guest player thing to those of us in places where everyone knows everyone and would check rosters closely or protest....

 

[lawdawg]

In USFA (which is most competitive assoc in our State), the roster is tourney by tourney - no kid can be on more than one roster for any single tourney. Also, you can add 2 players to your roster after State Tourney to bring to WS. It is common for teams to pick up other players to fill injury/vacation gaps. Some kids will play on a team which travels and will also play on team that stays local when their primary team isn't traveling. Also, in Fall we often see teams combine and unite to field Fall team when not all kids will commit to playing Fall ball. Don't really know about USSSA or ASA.

The problem we often encounter as coaches - having to pick up a kid for a tourney - is the expectations of that kid and her family. If we are going 300 miles to play and have to bring a pick up player - I'm not going to bring that kid and sit them on bench. They are helping out our team by going - I will give them playing time. I do have team meeting and discuss the pick up and if there is a problem we will either not fill vacancy for tourney or will draw out of tourney. We have had parents and players express reservations about picking up some kids for tourney (usually they don't want a certain kid because of attitude issues).

 

[PlanoHeat]

We had this happen two weeks ago. Coach picked up a player half way through a tournament and to say she had a sub par day is an understatement. Meanwhile two of the teams girls sat on the bench. The next week the team folded and the coach went to another organization.

Amazing some of the people out there that call themselves "coaches".

 

[Hollyrockartist]

Very same thing happened with DD in a tournament hosted by the organization for which she played. It was the last tournament of the season. As parents, we worked our tails off doing concession duty and front gate. Coach brought 2 guest players that weekend. DD and one other "regular" team member rode the bench ALL weekend long. DD cried and cried - it was terrible. Husband said something to the coach the last game of the night. He told him he was "here to win a tournament and the two I brought can do just that". Without a second thought, we left that organization after that tournament and never looked back. He has since started a new team - basically with the ones he had from the old organization (which included those 2 guest players). Noticed a few weeks ago that he is looking for 4-5 players. I asked someone in the "know" what happened...apparently, he told 4-5 of the PLAYERS they just weren't good enough, he wanted true, all-star athletes and they just didn't fit the bill and sent them packing. Now, with the Fall season nearly over, he cannot field a team. Oh, boo hoo. That karma, she'll get ya every time!

Sometimes as parents we want our children to find their own way, fight their own battles, etc.. However, in an instance where he/she has been obviously slighted, I would ask questions. If the coach respects you as much as you respect him, he will explain himself and, hopefully, y'all will be able to work it out. If not, there are plenty of other teams out there!

 

[andyh64000]

I think guest players should only be sought if roster players will miss most or all of the tournament and you would be short handed without them. But when they do get added they should be played as if they were regular roster players. Essentially meaning everyone's playing time would pretty much be the same as if the regular team was there.

 

[sluggers]

Screwball--

It is simply a matter of logistics. At a large tournament, you could have a 120 teams. No one is going to take four or five hours to cross-check rosters. Most of the time, the tournament director is lucky to even get a roster.

 

[lalamom]

Well, I talked with Coach. He said he did intend to pitch her the 4th and 6th games. But, her bad attitude towards playing OF changed that. He said he couldn't reward her pouting. I agree with that 100%. I know her well enough tho and know that her pouting was more about making bad plays (forgetting back ups, cut offs, etc...) and poor at bats than it was about the position she was playing. I have talked with my daughter about the importance of OF positions. Heck, her dad is a baseball scout and sees her more as the prototypical CF or RF than he does as pitcher (since she's not big and overpowering). I'm hoping she gets it.
Coach also asked her yesterday if she would want to pick up and play this weekend with his other team (2000 and she's a 99 - but both still 10U.). So that was nice that he thought of her. He said he hasn't given up on her as a pitcher - he thinks she's coming along really well - but that he couldn't reward her bad behavior by giving her the ball. So fair enough and I'm glad I called him.

 

[lawdawg]

Well, I talked with Coach. He said he did intend to pitch her the 4th and 6th games. But, her bad attitude towards playing OF changed that. He said he couldn't reward her pouting. I agree with that 100%. I know her well enough tho and know that her pouting was more about making bad plays (forgetting back ups, cut offs, etc...) and poor at bats than it was about the position she was playing. I have talked with my daughter about the importance of OF positions. Heck, her dad is a baseball scout and sees her more as the prototypical CF or RF than he does as pitcher (since she's not big and overpowering). I'm hoping she gets it.
Coach also asked her yesterday if she would want to pick up and play this weekend with his other team (2000 and she's a 99 - but both still 10U.). So that was nice that he thought of her. He said he hasn't given up on her as a pitcher - he thinks she's coming along really well - but that he couldn't reward her bad behavior by giving her the ball. So fair enough and I'm glad I called him.

Thank you for sharing the honest outcome. I wish I had more parents like you who are willing to talk directly to coach and not start firestorm in bleachers and who also understand the hard decisions coaches have to make. I did the same thing with pouting girl a few tourneys ago - her dad understood and forced her to apologize to the team. I didn't think it was necessary - he did and I appreciate that.

 

[Dusty]

Well, I talked with Coach. He said he did intend to pitch her the 4th and 6th games. But, her bad attitude towards playing OF changed that. He said he couldn't reward her pouting. I agree with that 100%. I know her well enough tho and know that her pouting was more about making bad plays (forgetting back ups, cut offs, etc...) and poor at bats than it was about the position she was playing. I have talked with my daughter about the importance of OF positions. Heck, her dad is a baseball scout and sees her more as the prototypical CF or RF than he does as pitcher (since she's not big and overpowering). I'm hoping she gets it.
Coach also asked her yesterday if she would want to pick up and play this weekend with his other team (2000 and she's a 99 - but both still 10U.). So that was nice that he thought of her. He said he hasn't given up on her as a pitcher - he thinks she's coming along really well - but that he couldn't reward her bad behavior by giving her the ball. So fair enough and I'm glad I called him.

Hmmm, I could be wrong about this, it wouldn't be the first time, but I suspect there's more to it than what he said to you. Were the guest players older girls, '98 instead of '99's? If so, he likely invited them to play knowing he would be at a huge comptetive dissadvantage playing a 12u tournament with a new 11u team without brining in a few ringers. It doesn't mean he doesn't think your dd will ever be good enough to pitch for his team he just knows she's 10 or 11 and new to travel which is a recipe for a long day in the circle in a competitive 12u tournament. If true, or possibly true, I wouldn't confront him about it, just file it away for later.

When he invited those girls to join the team for the weekend he probably knew exactly what he'd say to you or any other inquiring pitcher's parents, it doesn't take long for travel coaches to learn what to say to new travel parents.

 

[Wookie]

I'm glad you spoke with the coach about this, but I'm concerned that he didn't mention something to either of you sooner, like on game day. He admitted that he saw something was bothering your DD but decided not to address it with her. To me, this shows a lack of ability to communicate with a child of the age that he is coaching.

A similar situation happened to my DD this past year. She started every game and then towards the end of the season she didn't start. She looked at me, I nodded for her to ask the coach. His answer, and I agree, is that she wasn't hitting nor getting on base (she has a good eye and walks a lot) so she wasn't helping the team offensively. She understood that, eventually got in the game, and promptly walked and hit a single to the outfield that would have been extra bases if not for the tall grass. She got the message immediately and took corrective action. Since then, she has learned to ask everyone when things are different than what they should be - us, the parents, her teachers, friends, etc. And she's the same age as your daughter, so encourage her to ask "why" in these situations.