Playing Time

[erniekru]

College coach and travel coach here. I have 15 girls on my travel team. Everyone has missed at least 1 to 2 practices.
Sat pool play day...every girl plays two of three games (some play one in field and one just hitting). 3 girls play all three. Even sat 2 of my best players last game!!!
We go 2 and 1...play great...girls are happy. Parent at end comes up and says some parents are unhappy with how I do playing time since some girls are always here and some aren't!! And that we all pay the same amount!! Are you kidding me?
Vent over! Thanks!!

Man, I feel for your situation, but I have very different views to most on here. You're the coach, stop looking for validation from the parents. These parents are sharks, they will leave teams where they have no power and will find places where they can exert their influence. As parents, they don't pay for playing time, they pay to have their kid on the team and they are paying you to make them better.

Kids get better from kick rear practices and shared playing time. Nothing motivates kids like seeing someone else play their position. Teams want the kids and parents who buckle down (aka @ericf story above) when the player is facing adversity (new team, injury). Some will fold and find other teams and this is the wrong message to send our kids who want to continue to play the sport.

My DD had similar story.. She plays on a team with a roster of 17. Last year, she came from a bottom of the pack team and made an org's big team in 12u. Was struggling in finding her niche and raising up to the speed of the new set of girls. The worst was 2 weekends in a row she played 2 innings and got 1 at bat in 3 friendlies. Got no playing time and no at bats in a tournament. My DD did not tuck tail, doubled and tripled down on hitting and working hard. Finished out the season as a starter and batting 5th. Never sat an inning in KC and PGF. That is the life lesson that will stay with her.

Just my .02

 

[uncdrew]

Sometimes. Sometimes moving teams is avoiding the real issue.

True.

 

[Xplode22]

In the book The Matheny Manifesto, Mike Matheny says he always said the only way he would manage a travel team is if it was a team of orphans. So true sometimes.

 

[Phandle]

For girls at younger age groups, 10U and 12U, play them if you picked them. There is no way they will get better by riding the pine and you can't punish them for not coming to the practice because their parent's make that decision for them. Coaches have to do a real good job during tryouts, don't pick players that are not right fit for your team and your coaching style.

No parent in their right mind would spend couple grand to see their kid sit the bench or go on a out of town trip and play 2 inning and get 2 ABs. That would be an expensive way to teach the kid a life lessons.

When the kids graduate up to 16 and 18U, they learn their role in the team and accept their skill level and act accordingly.

 

[djcarter1966]

At 18U the only things parents need to do is make sure the check does not bounce.

Probably majority of girls at this age are running around doing a million things with school and life.

They should be more than capable of having a discussion with the coach about playing time.

I also institute a strict 24 hour rule....I simply will not talk about playing time, position what happened on any play or absolutely anything that occured during a game with any parent until 24 hours after the game/tournament. Now if one of my girls wants to talk I'm always fine with that because they don't come with attitude they a TRULY interested in the why and will listen to what I have to say, parents usually come with an agenda, raised voices a chip on their shoulder and rose colored glasses.