Stick to one idea....

[softball_chic_12]

I'm sorry. I just need to rant about this. There was a coach on my TB team last year who caused some issues (let's call him Bob). On a weekend we had a 2 day tourny. Saturday "Bob" stayed out til 3 am drunk, and came to the tourny on Sunday. The head of the organization (lets call him Jim) said that "Bob" would no longer be coaching. This year I go to try out for the team again. My dad came home saying that "Jim" said "Bob" is coaching the 16's. And I have the option to play 16's or 18's. It just makes me angry that people say one thing and do another. There are plenty of other, expierenced parents willing to help. And all the coaches that were apart of the team last year were coming back. And we had more than enough coaches last year in my opinion. So, why does "Bob" have to come back???? Grrrrr.....I just HATE that we were all told one thing, and the complete opposite happened.

 

[Ken Krause]

Before you get too angry, was this a regular occurrence/indication of behavior or was it a one-time thing. Anyone can make a mistake, and if they are genuinely sorry they should be given another chance. I'm sure you would hope for the same if you did something stupid.

If this is an indication of the individual's general behavior, though, then you have every right to be angry.

Either way, "Jim" should not have made a statement he wasn't prepared to back up with action. If it was a one-time thing he overreacted. If not, if that behavior was typical, he has bigger issues to address himself. If there are options in your area I imagine you'll be looking at them.

 

[Dusty]

I'd have to disagree with Ken, what you've described is far more than a mistake, it's a serious case of bad judgement on Bob's part as well as Jim's part for bringing him back to coach. I can't believe Jim would just bring him back at tryouts without any consultation with the returning players and their parents.

Did your father say that an explaination was given to him about why they brought Bob back?

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

I'm sorry. I just need to rant about this. There was a coach on my TB team last year who caused some issues (let's call him Bob). On a weekend we had a 2 day tourny. Saturday "Bob" stayed out til 3 am drunk, and came to the tourny on Sunday. The head of the organization (lets call him Jim) said that "Bob" would no longer be coaching. This year I go to try out for the team again. My dad came home saying that "Jim" said "Bob" is coaching the 16's. And I have the option to play 16's or 18's. It just makes me angry that people say one thing and do another. There are plenty of other, expierenced parents willing to help. And all the coaches that were apart of the team last year were coming back. And we had more than enough coaches last year in my opinion. So, why does "Bob" have to come back???? Grrrrr.....I just HATE that we were all told one thing, and the complete opposite happened.

A couple of questions I would ask is do coaches have curfews during tournaments? and did his behavior effect his coaching abilities the next day (i.e. was he still drunk by the time he got to the field?). I tend to agree with Ken, that maybe he did make this one mistake and was reprimanded by the head of the organization by losing the team for the rest of the season. Maybe "Bob" has tried to rehabilitate himself during the off-season and has shown that he is capable of coaching a team again?

 

[starsnuffer]

Eh, one of life's lessons is that when it comes to peoples daughters, there are no second chances. Managers/head coaches should err on the side of caution. Maybe Bob's a great guy and totally capable of coaching again, but you know, maybe he isn't. The crux is that Bob is replaceable and he used up his one chance. That's life.

-W

 

[druer]

"BOB" can't coach if all of you as players agree that he isn't going to coach you. The reason Bob and Jim get away with this is that parents/players back down and allow this kind of behavior to occur.

If the behavior is offensive enough then those that are offended need to step up and say "if it means not playing, then we won't play." Or if parents are upset enough, then they will drive you 1-2 hours to another town as needed to practice and play.

In terms of Jim, guess what? He's replaceable to. If his decision making as the league director are suspect, then the parents can get together at the league meeting and vote him out.

Unfortunately parents don't understand the statement they make to their children when all the children hear is "It's more convenient for us to just play close to home so deal with it." "We don't really want to make a scene it's not that big of a deal." Their actions have to match the level to which they expect you to want to avoid that kind of behavior in your own life.

Glad that as a player you hold your coaches to a high level of character out of respect for this sport. That's great for you.

 

[softball_chic_12]

"bob" had made poor judgements that upset many parents. such as playing girls so their parents would stop yelling at him, not playing the best girls. And explination was not given to my father, as far as i know. If there was, he didn't say. Coaches don't have curfew as far as I know, and if they do, it's after the players so I would not have seen this happen. He was drunk at the field the next day. And losing the team for the rest of the season? well it was our last tourny of the year. and we were doing pretty good in that tourny. which is why it upset people as much as it did. Maybe "bob" has gotten better. I'm not sure. I don't see or talk to him much in the off season. But we all had a hunch he had a bit of a drinking issue. Once he starts, he's at it for a while. Or so it often seems. I'm not sure how other players feel about "bob". I haven't even tried talking to them about it because I don't want to be the one to stir things up. I had gone directly to "Jim" last night to ask him a few questions before tellling him what league I was interested in playing in this year. I asked him who was coaching. if "bob" was coaching and if so, where he'll be coaching. and other things that "bob" said that just didn't seem right or true. Turns out "bob" is coaching again, and it was said that he won't have any authority over anything. Maybe I'm missing something, but coaches have authority. If 'bob' won't have authority, how's he a coach?

 

[Lozza]

Sounds like Jim is a wuss.

From my experience ANY coach who went out drinking during a tournament would never get any team ever again. Even seniors.

 

[sluggers]

No matter what we (a group of Internet bystanders), doesn't matter. Jim is calling the shots, and he wants Bob to coach. End of story.

You can't control what other people do. You can only control what you do.

Quit the team. If you don't like Bob or Jim, then find somewhere else to play. I must warn, you though, that bad coaches are the rule, not the exception.

Spending time worrying about it isn't going to change anything--the sun will come up tomorrow, and Bob will still be coaching.

 

[softballphreak]

If Bob came to the field as a coach and was drunk then Bob should not be allowed to coach again! Period.

Bad coaches ARE the exception; NOT the rule!

What Bob does is his own business as long as it does not negatively influence or put the kids at risk.

As John Wooden said "coaching is a sacred responsibility." Any coach who doesn't understand that should re-evaluate why they coach.