Run26, this thread isn’t ridiculous. My daughter spent 11 very long months apart of Ohio Stingrays 06 and it was worse than what the op has said. My family appreciates what the op is trying to accomplish here. Unfortunately, this shouldn’t be on the op or myself to warn families. The Ohio Stingrays should have removed the coach, Joanna Talbott at the end of last season.
I have only spent time on the softball zone as a guest looking at tryout information and tournament information. My use of this form has strictly been for that purpose and nothing more. I officially “joined” a few weeks ago when I was alerted to this thread. I felt that I should comment with our experiences, but have refrained till now. I do not want this thread dismissed the subject is to important. Our family had high hopes that Ohio Stingrays would remove this coach. It’s shocking to us that Miss Talbott is still allowed to hold a coaching position. The amount of complaints that the organization has received warrants Miss Talbott’s removal if stealing our money doesn’t justify her removal. Yes, I am proud owner or at least part owner along with 10 other families, of a very nice trailer. I do not know why this wasn’t a huge red flag to the organization. However, nothing was done and she remains coaching.
I am aware that things are bad again for the families that joined for the 2019-2020 season. I agree that this shouldn’t be allowed to happen. It is every organizations responsibility to make sure that they have coaches and staff in place that represent the organizations and families to the best of their abilities. This responsibility is no different than running a background check to keep convicted felons or pedophiles out of our dugouts. Everyone knows that sometimes the true stripes of people aren’t exposed till later, but when the Ohio Stingrays President Mike Marcum and incoming President Chris Back, receives multiple emails from just our seasons parents alone (2018-2019) and nothing is done, that is a problem. In my opinion, they have now allowed a coach to stay in a position to further hurt other young girls.
The wrong doings and complaints do not just involve our season of families alone. Mr. Marcum and Mr. Back received plenty of emails about problems her very first season coaching. If things had been properly handled, my family would have never been in the position we were in last season. We could have quit at the end of the fall when we started seeing red flags. However, Miss Talbott made clear that we would lose all of our money paid in and we are not in a financial situation to be able to walk away from that money and have some left to find another team. The team fees, which was a 12U team last season, were 1100 along with 3 fundraisers that we were expected to participate in or pay for.
Our daughter loves the game and just wanted to play. That was a huge mistake on our end for allowing her to stay in the situation because of money. Our daughter was a shell of herself by the end of summer. Miss Talbott is not a yeller or screamer, so it’s very hard to see what’s happening on the outside. However, when they receive the number of complaints received, including the head of another prominent organization calling Mr. Back to complain about her conduct at one of his tournaments, what else can be done?
Our family was and still is extremely disappointed in this organization. We realize fully that people are good at hiding their true selves and did not hold any ill will towards the organization at first. I feel it was fair to say they didn’t know who she truly was and did not purposely put her in a coaching position allowing for her to do what she did. However, our disappointment is in Mr Marcum and Mr. Back continuing to keep her as a coach heading into the 2019-2020 season. At that point, the Ohio Stingrays made a conscious decision to stand by a woman that caused so much heartache for so many families and young girls and have allowed her to continue doing it. A total of 19 families have been affected by Miss Talbott, the organization is fully aware, and chose to do nothing. I only have my facts on the 2017-2018 season from parents that were apart of that team and have shared with myself or my wife, not personal experience. Our season, 2018-2019, I share the facts, our personal experience, as we lived them. I believe the op is apart of this current season 2019-2020. Therefore I think it’s fair to say that we are sharing facts. Not rumor. Not speculation.
I know the fear in coming forward publicly, for many of the 19 families affected, is the repercussions against them and their new team. We were all told in not so many words, if we ever talked bad about Miss Talbott or the organization, we would be black balled from any good team and from ever playing in the Ohio Stingrays tournaments. Miss Talbott assured all of us that she alone has the power and say on who gets into the 06 age group and on who doesn’t.
A gentleman, who holds a position in another organization, was talking to us regarding this whole situation and said it best... “The only way for the Ohio Stingrays to save face and show they do not stand behind the actions of Miss Talbott is to remove her. I am sure a public apology to those 19 girls is to much to expect, but she needs removed from any contact and any coaching in any capacity of kids. There was already the scandal a few years ago with their 02 team where a coach was removed. It seems to me that they should start doing a better job of vetting their staff. ”
We agree.
*edited to add names. Miss Talbott is looking for players and we don’t want anyone else affected.