When is it OK to take a player from another team?

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I looked at the "Teams Needing Players" page and there are quite a few teams still looking. I have recently had a parent ask if I had any roster spots open because it is getting very late and they are uncertain about their current teams situation. Their coach has said everything will be fine but they are still in need of several players. They are getting very nervous about being shutout and they want to build some sort of team chemistry before the season starts if their current team folds. The problem is, if they do leave their current team, they will most likely force the team to fold because she is their #1 pitcher. My team is full so I can't help them but some other team might be able to help them. Is it fair to label the new team a team killer or scavenger or worse when they were the ones approached. At what point is it OK to absorb players who's team is in serious jeopardy of folding?

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

Ringer, I now have player that suffered from that same situation a year ago. Coach said same thing, and then May came, and no team. There are a lot of teams that need players, but how many could've had a player or two and snubbed due to skill level? On the other side, with teams that need 4 or 5 players, why not contact another team in the same need as yours in the same area and combine the two.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

This is a fair question to ask.

There are many requests on the "Coaches Looking for Players" board and deafening silence on the "Players Looking for Team" board. This tells me that there are many (yes, many) teams out there that are not carrying full rosters. My DD's team is operating with 10 girls right now, and we wouldn't mind having one or two more.

Teams that are carrying between 5-8 girls right now, with the thought that they will pick up some more girls in the spring, are probably operating under some wildly optimistic assumptions. There are not girls to pick up. There certainly aren't many talented girls simply waiting to commit - whoever you find will most likely be a rec caliber player at best.

If I were a parent in that situation right now, here is what I would do:

Ask the team manager to show me confirmations that the team has registered to play in tourneys. Don't accept a list, ask for the registration confirmation. (A team that has gone through the motions of registering has a better likelihood of continuing. And it is your money they are spending.)

Ask the team manager to call a mandatory parents meeting. Discuss YOUR problem. (Yes, it is your problem too.) How many girls are you short? Who knows someone? What is the chance of finding more people before the first tourney?

If things look really grim - fold now. It is the best outcome for the girls - there are lots of teams looking for players. Also, the best chance to get tourney refunds is now - most tourneys are filling early, so they are more receptive to full refunds.

If there is a chance - get everyone working together to solve the problem. It is not just the coaches problem - it is everyone's problem.

But - decide by the end of March which direction your team is going. There is no worse fate than folding in May.

I hope that both parents and coaches can put their emotions aside and make an rational decision that will best benefit the players.

We would love another pitcher and a maddog outfielder and a skilled utility infielder. But we aren't in the team-killing business.

Parents - if you have doubts - take the high road and get some answers.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

Ringer you might confuse people with the phrase "take" which some may see as unsolicited advances by a conniving coach. If a parent and player want to jump ship I don't see a different coach or team crossing any ethical boundry by accepting them as long as they didn't entice them over.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

We had a player decide not to play this year. Now at 10 the Wild thangs could use one more also. MD

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

If she came knocking on your door, and she fits what you're looking for, don't feel guilty about it, take her. Not sure I know any coaches who wouldn't take her in this circumstance. Key is her having come to you. We're in the exact same position right now. We have 11 but one of our players can only play 4 out of the 9 on our schedule, much to our suprise. So we were thinking of adding a 12th. Girls parents came to us a week ago and inquired about a spot. If she decides to come, we're accepting her, not "taking" her. We didn't solicit her at all and wouldn't have because she is on another team. Haven't even tried to push them into coming aboard. Left it as if they decide to leave wherfe they're at, we have a spot for her. Her parents contacted us, so we're not going to turn her away just for that reason alone. I really don't see anything wrong with it if it happens as I described above. Especially in the case you're talking about where she is thinking leaving due to her current team maybe not having enough players to begin with. At this point, March 10th, at the 12u level, if you're at 9 players or less I think the parents should be told this and given the option of leaving. It's only fair for the girls. Even with 9, thats a big chance to be taking.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

As long as you are not recruiting the player what can anyone have to say. Your question is with your team is this a positive or a negative, are you carrying to many people understanding 12 as the norm. Did people expect to get playing time and this girl put them on the pine, now they wish they would have moved on themselves. If we could all get together and support girls softball by some sort of convention to meet and get to know people from other organizations and help the teams that are short and have quality coaching. Too many girls are riding the pine just accepting that fate or the politics of a team. More teams could be filled if they would just say I'm playing too.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

I agree with what many people have said here regarding accepting a player who contacts you. Obviously if they are doing that they are looking to move. I also think that prior to looking to move it is the responsibility of the parent to contact the coach and let them know of their concerns. If I was currently connected to a team that only had 5-8 players I would contact the coach and give them a date. For example, if the team did not have at least nine players by April 10, I would have no choice but to begin looking out for my daughter's best interests and looking into other teams. JMHO but I do not want my daughter left without a chair when the music stops, so to speak.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

I would have to agree with many of the responses above....at this point, if you don't have at least nine girls (enought to field a team), it's probably time to consider merging with another team in the same situation, or releasing the players so that they can find new "homes". ? In which case, accepting a player from a team in this situation wouldn't really be "taking" or "stealing" them, especially if you weren't actively recruiting them. ?

I think sideliner's suggestions are very good. ?It is definitely everyone's problem. ?Any coach worth his/her salt should be focused on the players and act in their best interest....whether that is seeking the help of the parents, etc... to find additional players, or making a decision to disban so that the girls can play elsewhere. ?I suppose I am a bit biased as we would love to pick up one more player (to make 11), but I can honestly say, if my DD were in that position, I'd express my concern to the coach, discuss the possibilities in a realistic manner, then move on from there. ?Bottomline, DD is my priority and it's my job to act in her best interest as well. ?JMHO

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

Sideliner offers some very good advice.

Take it from one who has been around for a while. ?If you only have 8 or less girls at this point... it is time for a reality check. ?As one poster mentioned - a merger is possible. ?If you choose not to seek other alternatives (such as a merger) or do not release the players to seek other teams - who are you hurting - the players? some egos? or both?

I cannot tell you the number of heartwretching stories I have heard, received via IM here or by email of those who were left with little or no alternatives due to ?commitments to teams that were "living on hope" until it was too late. ?If you are at 9 or better, hope is realistic and you may find players, but below that - you might want to consider doing the right thing.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

I feel that it seems we've had over the past several years an increase in the number of travel teams which of course is good for the sport as a whole but can lead to this situation where it is sometimes hard to fill a roster. I noticed this in particular a couple of years ago when it seemed that we had very large turnouts for tryouts and then suddenly the number of girls showing up dropped off dramatically from what we had and this was a good travel organization. Correct me if I'm wrong but there are only so many players to go around but also some teams are short because they want studs and really top shelf talent can be in even more short supply.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

Ringer you might confuse people with the phrase "take" which some may see as unsolicited advances by a conniving coach. If a parent and player want to jump ship I don't see a different coach or team crossing any ethical boundry by accepting them as long as they didn't entice them over.

Yeah you are probably right hockeybuck, the word "take" isn't really the best word. They are in a rock and hard place because they feel like the keystone. If they leave, well then it is over and they are the "bad guys" and they let all those other players down. I got the impression that the coach is using that guilt to keep them around.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

My position on this topic is this. If a player want to leave a team for whatever reason and the player leaving betters your team take her. The whole purpose of fielding a competitive travel team is to field the best players as posible. Anyone telling you they are doing this for the kids to play is pulling the wool over your eyes, or fielding a team for the sole purpose of their daughters to start and play every day.

Many say that the cut throat style of coaching is bad for the kids but I beg to differ. If its done in a harsh demeaning way than its wrong, but if its done competitively then thats the whole purpose of competitive sports.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

[quote author=hockeybuckeye link=1205183138/0#3 date=1205184672]Ringer you might confuse people with the phrase "take" which some may see as unsolicited advances by a conniving coach. If a parent and player want to jump ship I don't see a different coach or team crossing any ethical boundry by accepting them as long as they didn't entice them over.

Yeah you are probably right hockeybuck, the word "take" isn't really the best word. They are in a rock and hard place because they feel like the keystone. If they leave, well then it is over and they are the "bad guys" and they let all those other players down. I got the impression that the coach is using that guilt to keep them around. [/quote]
If the coach is possibly using guilt then is he honoring his commitment to the players and their parents for fielding a team which obviously is what they came on board for? Those of us on OFC usually tend to look down on those who jump ship suddenly for a better offer or a coach who tries to "steal" players because those situations leave somebody in the lurch and their ethics usually show they're not the kind of people we want to be around. But if the coach can't come up with the goods so to speak and assemble a complete team then he better come up with an alternative quick or everybody should consider themselves free agents and get somewhere so they can play. Just how long is reasonable to give a coach time to come through? He may be a really decent guy for all we know and didn't antcipate this problem but ultimatly you have to do what's right for you.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

I must disagree with Daddy Dice.

To adapt a quote from The American President - "This is all about character."

As a parent, it is my job to teach my daughter that honoring commitments is something that matters. If they commit to a team (which means I commit to a team) then we stay until our agreement is up, which is usually the end of the season.

If a team is unable to honor its commitment, then she (we) can be released from ours, as both parties have made promises. Greener pastures is not a valid reason for walking, in my opinion.

Softball is simply the vehicle with which we are learning those lessons right now. When she was younger, my DD showed pigs and cattle - that worked fine too.

When an agreement is broken or can't be honored, then everyone needs to go their separate ways. But to say that this is simply the competitive nature of things really misses the point of what I am choosing to teach.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

I agree with most posts on here. I would encourage her to talk with the coach and give him a date that she needs to see at least 9 girls on the roster. The comment about all coaches being there not for the girls is untrue. There are coaches out there willing to develop athletic girls who want to play competitive ball into softball players at least at the younger level-hence being there for the girls.Yes he wants them to be competitive that is why he has had them practicing hard all winter long. And no the coach who did the tryouts was not a father of a player. His daughter is one of the older teams.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

An awful lot has been written on here over the years about coaches stealing players and players looking for greener pastures and leaving a team in the lurch. Now it seems that we have reached at least one gray area where many are not so fast to criticize. I am only posing these as questions for discussion.
Player commits to a team that promises "exposure". When the final schedule comes out NONE of the higher profile tournaments for the area are on the schedule.
Player commits to a team playing 10 tourneys, when schedule is finalized it is only going to be 6.
Player sticks with a team that has only 10 players only to find out a few weeks before the first scheduled tournament that team is going to need to pick up whoever they can for 1/2 of scheduled tournaments in order to field a team for those tournaments.

I am sure there are others, but these are off the top of my head, or situations I have seen over the years, that at least for me seem a little gray.

 

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Re: When is it OK to take a player from another te

Dogsdad poses some good questions. If you consider your commitment to play for a specific team a "contract", then a misrepresentation by the coach or director of a team would violate their end of the contract and void it, thus making your DD a free agent. I think we all know what is ethical and not as far as players from other teams. What a shame we all aren't ethical.