Coaches who utilize subs PLEASE READ!!

[daboss]

i have been in this position as a parent and a coach if you have 9 u need 10 just in case and as a parent i understood my kid was a sub and its not her team and there 9 girls are more important to there team i am there for free and just grateful for the free reps and as a coach if u are going into a tourney with 9 u need 10 just in case but i have always played my girls over the sub the subs will hit and play too but at the end of the day if u keep bringing in subs and playing them over ur normal kids you wont have any kids left but with that said i am usually up front with it so they know

You can play with 9. You can play with 8. Injuries happen. If you bring in a "spare" just in case, you can utilize the flex, DH, DP, or whatever extended active line up gimmick available. Don't sit a sub for a day or weekend because she was simply a spare. If you start the weekend with 9 and somebody gets hurt, go to work to find a replacement only after you are assured that "pay to play" player is no longer available.

Bottom line; I get wanting to plan ahead to be sure your roster is always complete but the mentality should always be to let a sub play regardless of any situation. She's there to help the team out due to circumstances. Her and her family went out of their way to help out. Don't bring them in and alienate them.

Travel ball is a "Pay to Play" environment. Not a "Pay to Watch" season. Having said this, the regular roster players need to know if the make a conscientious decision to miss for whatever the reason and a sub needs to be called, they will forfeit their playing time to a sub. Don't change your mind and have a miraculous recovery after efforts were made to bring in another family. Don't come back early from s****r camp and expect to suit up and play.

I never berate a player for doing something else during the summer but paying their money and not being there every weekend is on her-----not the team. You tell me in advance you're going to miss because you're going to the county fair, I'm going to find a sub for you if I don't already have 9 players. You show up because your pig didn't win, you sit the bench and become the extra for the weekend. Next game, you may get to be involved in the extended roster but I will not pull your sub because you got there in the 4th inning. I will not pull her out of the active playing position the rest of the day because your horse show isn't till tomorrow. No hard feelings. Just the facts.

 

[wpaguy]

My DD is pitcher and we get requests to guest all the time. Most teams carry 3 pitchers . It's really hard for me to justify coming to guest if the team still has 2 pitchers. Yes we have won some games for the team she guested played on , but it seems like you also took away some innings from that player trying to improve and they paid money to have that chance. Its a double edge sword sometimes the coach is happy , but parents could get upset. If you have 9-10 players , fine get a guest ...But I question teams that bring in guest when they have 12-13 players available. I understand Pitchers and Catchers may be a little different situation , but If I'm taking days off , paying for hotels ...I would expect my daughter to play and bat a equal amount of time, so I would never guest for a team that has 12 + players for the weekend.

 

[eddienite]

This is same topic is the reason we left a team. The coach would bring in a Sub and start her in the first game of pool play. Girls that paid the teams fees sat. Her reason " I need to play the subs or they won't sub for me." Horsesh!t. Like a few others that mentioned in this thread, those starting 9 paid their team fees should get the most playing time.

Let me also point out that we have subbed for teams. In those games, my DD sat the first innings, was the last batter and saw little playing time. And you know what, I was fine with that and so was she. She just liked being at the field for the weekend and making new friends. I will go one step further and tell you last summer we went out of town to Aunt Rosies. We subbed for the team the weekend before and was asked to come back. We paid the hotel costs and all the extras that come with out of town. The team did have 12 players including my DD. She was the last batter when she got in. Was the base runner for a game. Saw little field time. But what bothered me was that my DD did play a little more than 1 of their players. Yes, being on the other side where we left a team because of subs we were doing it to someone else. Needless to say, that girl left the team at the end of the season.

I will never again entertain the idea of subbing and paying hotel costs for the vary reason of seeing her not play. My one experience where we did it to another girl that did pay the team fees and didn't play and also paid the hotel costs was enough moral conscious to see the pain it caused her.

Why travel more than 1 hour for a tournament to be a sub? There are plenty of semi - local tournaments that you play but it seems you want to be on the best teams. You are sub - not the MVP of the team even if you have the best batting average or have a good defensive game. It's not your team!!

I respect any coach that requests a sub but plays his/her players first and more often. We are there in case of injury. Before agreeing to any sub position, I contact the coach and ask why they need a sub. If they are at 9 or less, then there's a good chance we will come. 10 or more players then no thanks. It's also understandable when it comes to pitchers/catchers there are special rules.

I have a lot of emotion about subs. Like or not they are part of travel softball. You don't know this when you try out for a team. If you think subbing is a way to tryout a team and your DD plays more than the other girls then there's good chance if you join that team it could be your DD sitting the next time the coach wants to bring in a sub.

 

[Derek White]

If your daughter is on an A level team she really shouldn't be subbing for a B team and especially not a C team. These teams are listed in classes for a reason and when there are legitimate C class teams using A or B class pitchers then those teams are basically trophy hunting and a huge problem with travel softball. Tournament directors need to monitor subs more closely.

 

[yocoach]

As a coach, I feel there are several legitimate reasons to bring in subs for a tournament and some others, well, not so much. With that said, I treat my subs the same as any of my other players when I ask someone to guest play. I have very little trouble finding subs because of this. If my parents get upset about a sub getting the same playing time as their DD, or starting over their DD because it's her turn to sit the bench for an inning and it's the beginning of a new game...too bad. They were told my policies on subs before they signed up and again during the parent/player policies/team rules meeting at the beginning of the season.

 

[Anonymous]

My daughter (14U) has subbed for a team here in Cincinnati (1-tournament, multiple scrimmages) for the past few weeks. She has never been a sub before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The Coach uses us when he has a player on vacation or hurt, his current roster is 10. Our experience has far exceeded my expectations. She typically sets the bench the first inning but has played every inning there after. She has made a new set of friends and the Coach knows to call us if he needs us. This gives her reps until tryouts start in our area. Glad our experience has been a positive one.

 

[josie]

My daughter was asked to sub on a team this year. She did not want to play this year, (bad experience last year-so didn't tryout anywhere) so when her BFF asked her to sub due to injuries, she was hesitant but reluctantly agreed, primarily so she could see her friends, who she had not seen since March! After a week they asked her to stay for the season, and I am glad she did because she is learning to love softball again, even though she says she is still out of "softball shape. And yes I will pay some fees. I think there is a big difference in subbing when you are already on a team, and subbing when you are not playing anywhere else.

 

[Coach03]

If your team has needs do to injury an you need subs do to absence I totally get it. But also agree if you pick up subs you have to play them. If you pick up subs an dont play them leaves bad taste all around an is diservice to all. Not sure how elite teams do it at nationals without fallout. But have played teams at asa/USA in past that have other teams number 1s stacking rotations for deep runs. An carrying 16 to 21 kids. I guess at that level everyone expects that. But still hard for those who put in the time an money all year long. So it's a double edge sword I guess. But agree with24 Gahanna lady lions 7 on that being more managing than coaching.

 

[ALLPH0]

Some subs are essential. I hate to see a sub brought in and sit the entire time. Some coaches will explain the situation completely to subs and the players on the team. All girls deserve a chance, but girls on the team do get the majority of playing time. Those girls are there full time.