Opinions on non committed players

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We have a good player on our team, has been for a few years. Lately, and I mean even during winter practices and the entire season this year, everything has been more important than Softball, ALL other sports and extra curricular activities take presedence. She has missed lots of practices and was becoming a distraction to the rest of the team (you know how these girls talk) Plus trying to fill her starting position. Recently this player left a tournament on Friday night, was a no show all day Saturday, then strolls back in Sunday morning as if nothing is wrong. The reason for leaving???? She wanted to play in a 1 day Volleyball Tourn elsewhere. I guess it's better than the last tournament she disrupted by leaving for a dance competition. The mother thinks this is perfectly ok. The head coach allows it. The team is already having a bad year. Most parents and players feel it will only get worse. At what point do you say enough is enough! Good luck elsewhere. Do any other teams tolerate this behavior? Oh and because of her other activities she is so worn out by the weekend her skills have diminished tremendously!

 

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Don't walk away.........RUN! This year, had a girl and family who came to 2-3 practices since tryouts and would be a no show at certain games because she did not want to pitch against certain teams (an old team she played for). All finally blew up in Orrville and she was released. Team improved through simple subtraction.

 

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Talk to the coach about your concerns for next year. If you don't like his answer your family has a decision to make. Sounds like you already have come to the conclusion you can't tolerate it another year. Good luck in future.

 

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Like nac said, addition by subtraction is sometimes the best for everyone involved. I would not tolerate it, it's not fair to the other girls on the team to have a non-committed player.

 

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DD is on a team with multi sport athlete's, it's a very good team but girls miss tourney's for one reason or another. Would love to see this bunch play if all were just committed to softball at least all summer. A lot of teams I know are the same way don't know what to do about it, other than the obvious and find something else but we really like the coach , families and the girls.

 

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I guess my thought is this.....there are a lot of girls that try out for these travel teams. It isn't right that someone that really doesn't give a **** holds one of those spots and doesn't show up half the time. There are plenty of girls out there that would be 100% dedicated but don't have the opportunity because of people like the ones you speak of. I would talk to the coach and let him know how you feel. Tell him that you are going to take your daughter elsewhere if he doesn't make a move. It isn't fair to the TEAM that one player doesn't care enough about the other members of the team. Its quite horrible for the girls that are there all the time working their tails off to see someone that gets the same playing time while giving 1/2 the effort. Its just a bad message for all the kids involved.

 

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its funny that this post makes it look like I said a profane word lol....I honestly said cr@p haha

 

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Don't walk away.........RUN! This year, had a girl and family who came to 2-3 practices since tryouts and would be a no show at certain games because she did not want to pitch against certain teams (an old team she played for). All finally blew up in Orrville and she was released. Team improved through simple subtraction.

Ouch! Good advice too.
You can't control what the coaches will do and you can't assume they will do anything different.

 

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Read front page of Valley Storm website. Has some hardcore info about trying out for our teams. VALLEY STORM FASTPITCH - (Tipp City, OH) - powered by LeagueLineup.com

 

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The coach is your problem. I would finish the season then find a new team. Find a coach who requires commitment.

 

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Sad to say it but it nice to know we are not the only group to have the same issue.

I also say RUN ...... let her go her own way if there is that much of a distraction to the team.

For the past three years, both of my DD's have been 100% committed to fastpitch ..... 12 month players.

We have always tried to give full committment to the "in season" sport; however, fastpitch seems to always be the sport which wins our time when schedules conflict. (we have yet to have an actual game or tournament conflict with another sport ... only practice vs game or practice vs practice)

As much as I have complained about the "lack of committment" from other players/parents, I now fear my own DD's will be put in a position where fastpitch will "sometimes" have to be second choice. Both of my DD's are very strong athletes who are above average in both S o c c e r and Basketball (to the point where their respective HS coaches are talking athletic scholarships) ...... now that they have reached 8th and 9th grade, there is an elevated level of pressure being put on them to attend s o c c e r / basketball camps and workouts through the summer months ...... each coach understands the money and committment which has been spent on fastpitch softball so on one side of their mouth they are saying it's okay that they miss and on the other side they speak as if they choose not to show that they may not play.

Both women's softball and men's baseball seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to the HS programs. I now see our own HS football program (D5 State Champs) basicly telling their players that they must run track versus baseball during the spring months and also require the players to attend 7 on 7 camps through the summer ... taking players from any type of summer baseball program.

Overall, while I am dissapointed that there is so much pressure FROM EVERY SPORT to be 12 month players ...the ultimate decision is in the hands of both of my DD's ........ they will have to chose which sport they love and want to pursuit more than the other ..... while I hope it remains fastpitch .... the ball is in their court, in their glove, or on their field.

 

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My DD is a multiple sport athlete and I get upset because the AAU BB and JO VB schedules run into June, major SB time. My DD can only play select sport because of this. I will not allow her to play any more than one as it is not fair to the other teammates.

 

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The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.
- Vince Lombardi

 

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I think we are forgetting that these are kids. Kids don't really know what the heck they want to do from one day to the next. So, we can't really blame the kids.

Who we can direct our displeasure at are the parents who will not teach their kids about committment, at least for the current season.

Maybe if coaches spent more time at try-outs talking with the kids and parents, they would pick-up signals that might be a red flag that the family is over-committing.

 

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Had the same problem last year and the year before. It was really stressful for my daughter, and in fact last year she was ostracised by her team because she didn't want to deal with the non-committed girl's drama. This year went to a team that is comprised of all girls that are or want to play in college and work hard. Major difference. This has been her best year ever because of the change. My advice is to get out now before it ruins your daughter.

 

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My oldest DD is going to be a freshman. She playes basketball, volleyball, and softball. The amount of pressure she recieved from the basketball coach to miss softball tournaments to attend "optional" summer activities got to the point we had to speak with the coach and tell her if she didn't back off a little my DD may decide that is the sport she has to cut. Our DD recently informed us softball was not something she wanted to do in college and this was her last year of Travel. While disappointed I totally understand she just got to the point where she could no longer keep all the balls up in the air!

 

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While disappointed I totally understand she just got to the point where she could no longer keep all the balls up in the air!

I know what you mean..... I believe both of my DD's are afraid to tell me that softball is not their favorite sport. As disappointed as I would be, the decision is theirs to make.

I'm thinking I might be okay as long as they never learn that there are other things they can be doing all summer long.

 

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There are "other things" for them to do in the summer? What are these "other things" of which you speak?


:lmao:


I vaguely recall having a kid miss softball practices and games for other sports - she didn't hang around too long so it wasn't much of an issue. I think we've been lucky!

 

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My girls went to small school. Coaches never pressured my DD for missing 'optional' basketball summer league and missing beginning of s o c c er season. She quit basketball because she couldn't stand the coach after her sophomore year (yet she has had offers from d3 schools). Finished her ****** career as 2nd all time scorer for her school and numerous accolades (had serious looks from d1). We must of been lucky with no pressure even from travelball coach. We basically told her high school coaches they need to understand because they didn't have a choice.
believe it or not, everyone understood our kids will do everything possible to keep every commitment if possible but know that our family and other families have life outside of sports and understood if someone missed a practice or tournament.

 

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There are "other things" for them to do in the summer? What are these "other things" of which you speak?

things like a regular summer vacations or trip that does not include worrying about an 8am first pitch..... a social life with fellow teenagers, sleep overs, the local strawberry festival, graduation parties, pool parties, simply going to the movies with friends, yadda yadda yadda

So far softball weekends out trump every other event ...... when softball play is lousy or when a few "non committed players" force your team to pull out of tournaments ...... all of those other "things" sure sound inviting