Practices and Keeping to the schedule

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okay, coaches and parents here's one for ya..

practice is scheduled from, say 2:30, ends at 4:30
parents assume to pick kids up on time, and besides clean-up and field maint., what time is too late to keep kids after practice is over? or what about the high school coach that reschedules practice times at will...(maybe in high school since most of the girls drive themselves, oh well? what about the time you show up, and coach a and coach b get together and throw an impromptu scrimmage..now practice ends 30 min later...and then, do you just sit in the car and deal with it, maybe say something, or figure, hey, might as well be pracricing than on myspace...i know there are other statparents out there that juggle little kids and pick up times and wonder if coaches are aware of keeping to a schedule or do they assume that every practice runs over so who really cares

 

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I almost always end practices on time, or within 5 minutes. If the kids run late, then we might run late. I am better about this for school ball than travel, but still try to end things on time almost all the time. I think it's disrespectful of peoples' time to go over 15 or more minutes, barring an emergency.

 

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What I tell the girls if we have practice from 2:30 to 4:30 then They need to be at field by 2:15 and be ready at to go at 2:30 and they can be picked up at 4:45 I know that seems like a long time but this allows for anything that might happen out of the ordinary...But I will always try to end at 4:30 to give the girls enough time to pack everthing up and go.

 

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I like to see coaches that keep to their time frame. I understand that there may be times when things run over but keep in mind that softball is only part of the equation of life for families. I coach jr. high football and we end the desired time each day. If I expect a parent to have their child there on time then I need to end when I say I will. Nothing worse than a coach who says be here ready to practice at 3:00 and then makes the player run for being a few minutes late but then runs practice over by 20 minutes. I am one of those parents who has to manage 5 different ball schedules for each of our 5 children. I do appreciate when a coach ends when he says he will.

That brings up this. What about how often to practice and how long each practice. My son recently practiced 5 days in a row. This is 12 years olds. I like to see practice no longer than 2 hours. If organized right a lot of things can get covered in those 2 hours.

 

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Our coach will send out a text if the practice time changes. Sometimes things are out of their control like a scheduling issue with the gym or the field. I find it's best to just be prepared for a 1/2 hour either way on the start end/time. If practice runs over, I kind of enjoy the few extra minutes of quiet that I have while waiting for the dd & unwinding for the day. (that may not work for everyone if they other little ones with them ) It's also nice that dd has made friends with another older player who lives in our subdivision & sometimes I get the message that she has a ride home already. I don't think I would say anything unless it's an every day occurance that the girls are supposed to done at a certain time & they aren't.

 

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Keeping to the schedule as much as possible is helpful & respectful to busy families who have other schedules to keep but more importantly coaches keeping on schedule, kids being on time, getting there early and being ready to go at start of practice is a great LIFE lesson for the kids. I like the rule one coach my DD had, if late to the warm-ups for a game you sit on the bench. Had my DD freak'n about being late to anything. Drove her mother nuts!

 

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making practices isn't much of the issue, thank goodness for carpooling (we wouldn't get home until after 4, and we don't live close to the school for walking purposes)

the good thing in the summer, travel coaches we've had have been to the dot almost always...and parents always make good phone trees in case of weather/cancellation

 

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We have been lucky about most practices/activities ending on time~now if I could just get my daycare parents to understand that it is ball season and I need to be done on time. I am not here at all hours so that they can go to the store without their child because it is easier!Oops lost my self there..... But on the rare occasion that things run over and I need to have her/him somewhere or I need to be somewhere with one of the others I nicely tell the coach I am sorry to interrupt but I need to take "insert child's name" now we have to be at "insert other practice/activity". I have never had a problem with that with any of their sports. Same if we are going to be a couple minutes late. I mention it to the coach earlier in the week. Currently we have a conflict with track practice and scrimmages. So we have been a little late.

I do appreciate coaches who follow schedules and as do the schedule juggling only 3 kids but the older two are on multiple teams/sports. Thank goodness the youngest (6) only does dance.....she says she will never play softball she would get all sweaty.....

 

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thats funny, my grandaughter played local ball one year when her uncle needed another player, that was her answer, softball made her sweat and she wanted to just stay with dance.