Winter practice attendance

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I have players that are playing Volleyball, then basketball. The games conflict with our winter indoor practice times. Ive told the parents if they miss practice their DD will be behind and could effect playing time and position. At 10u this is not going over well at all. To the point of one parent saying that they will find another team that will allow her DD to play Basketball.

Any advise or input?

 

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Kids need to play more than one sport, ask any college coach! DD plays multi sports all thru school and still signed to play softball in college. Ever team she played for understood that policy and allowed kids to miss practice for those reasons. I will try to find a post by Carol, it covered this subject in team rules. At 10U I think you would really have issues, since most kids have no idea what they want.

 

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At 10u a team was chosen for our DD that allowed her to play volleyball over a team that first stated winter practices were mandatory and expected to take precedence. If you push too hard dont be surprised if someone wants to leave. After all they are 10.

 

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Let them play other sports. At 10U kids need to try different sports to find their best fit.

 

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http://www.thesoftballzone.com/vb3/general-softball/43748-attendance-policy-2.html#post414334

Here is the post

 

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DD wanted to play s o c c er in college when she was younger. 10U in my opinion is too young to choose one sport.

 

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Here is my opinion on this, take it or leave it.
In all honesty at the 10U level I agree with the parents. There is no way that a child that age should be put in the position of having to choose a sport. Encourage them to play as many sports as possible to help their overall athletic ability. There is plenty of time later to focus on just one. I think that at 10U the goals should be less about winning( which is the impression I get from your answer to the parents, sorry if I am taking that wrong) and more about teaching the girls fundamentals as much time as they are able to commit, as well as helping them develop a love for the game.

A little side story here, sorry if it gets long winded. My daughter at 10U and 11U(she is now a freshman playing in college) played for a team that did not win many games, but the coach let everybody have a chance and play multiple positions. She left him after 11U to seek a different level. But when she was fortunate to be chosen HM All-Ohio as a freshman, that coach was one of the first people she wanted to call and thank because he taught her to love the game. 10U and 12U coaches please keep this in mind. I believe that no player who does not develop a deep love for the game will pay the price and do the work to play at the collegiate level. Don't take that away from kids just so some trophies can be won.

 

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SO if Susie misses 3 mnths of indoor practice/BP thats 24 hrs of missed practice that the other players have had and teams we are playing against are doing, thats ok? I never once said she shouldnt play another sport, I did say it will effect her position and batting order, unless she is just a stud and can keep up with everyone else with no practice. Infact I said if she misses her 2 hours that week she needs to get into our center some time that week and make it up. This is unreasonable?

 

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At 10u, yes, it is unreasonable. They are 10u. If you force that hand, they will either hate you or hate softball. And if they are true athletes, they won't get that far behind. The only way it should affect her playing time is if she is VERY noticeably behind the other players. But it is your job as coach to bring her up to speed when she is "yours" again.

 

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IMO it is not softball season. If she has legitmate conflicts she should not suffer any consequences from it unless this was communicated at tryouts or when the offer was made.

Once softball season comes around you make a determination of who should be playing and where. It is our job as coaches to adjust to the needs of our players not the other way around in my opinion. One of the biggest lessons I think coaches and parents need to learn is that " It is about them not us".

 

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I 100% disagree, ive been on the other side of not seeing the girls again till march and have no winter work out. The teams that practiced all winter killed the teams that didnt. Hard work, dedication, striving to play at your best, playing at an elite level in your sport I guess are all things that are frowned on in todays parents. todays 10u is the next 12u and so on. I dont buy just because shes 10 she shouldnt train.

 

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I believe you are being unreasonable and pushing 10u players to hard. Just my opinion on what you are saying on here. I am coaching 14u and 15u kids and I am still encouraging them to play other sports. I practice on Sunday afternoons so school sports do not interfere. Maybe you just need to arrange your practice times or have multiple practice times for each player. All schools must give one day off and that is usually Sunday, that's why I practice on Sunday. I am not saying give in to the parents or players but making new arrangements can avoid you having a team or not also. Just my two cents worth.

 

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And it was told to everyone at tryouts and in the contracts that they signed we would have winter workouts. its what seperates teams from the pack, girls that hit year round are stronger hitters than those that dont. Do your pitchers take off from lessons and only pitch during season? I didnt think so

 

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I believe you are being unreasonable and pushing 10u players to hard. Just my opinion on what you are saying on here. I am coaching 14u and 15u kids and I am still encouraging them to play other sports. I practice on Sunday afternoons so school sports do not interfere. Maybe you just need to arrange your practice times or have multiple practice times for each player. All schools must give one day off and that is usually Sunday, that's why I practice on Sunday. I am not saying give in to the parents or players but making new arrangements can avoid you having a team or not also. Just my two cents worth.

I agree, and thats what I said I'll personally drive the 45min away that our building is on another day to work with you, but you have to put the work in not just pick up your bat in March.

 

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Coach Ferrigno-
I will leave out whether this was reasonable or unreasonable. thats another debate. I respect the fact that you are coaching 10 year olds, that you have a winter schedule, and that you have set certain expectations for your players. The parents and players have equal opportunity to take advantage of what you are offering and when the summer season rolls around, hopefully those players who trained with you will benefit by getting more playing time and getting better batting opportunities. If the parents of the players that played BB and SCCR are unhappy, then so be it. They had their shot.
The only "mistake" that you have made is telling the parents of this possibility ahead of time. I would let them frankly come to their own conclusions once summer rolls around and they see how these other kids have developed.

 

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Coach Ferrigno-
I will leave out whether this was reasonable or unreasonable. thats another debate. I respect the fact that you are coaching 10 year olds, that you have a winter schedule, and that you have set certain expectations for your players. The parents and players have equal opportunity to take advantage of what you are offering and when the summer season rolls around, hopefully those players who trained with you will benefit by getting more playing time and getting better batting opportunities. If the parents of the players that played BB and SCCR are unhappy, then so be it. They had their shot.
The only "mistake" that you have made is telling the parents of this possibility ahead of time. I would let them frankly come to their own conclusions once summer rolls around and they see how these other kids have developed.

I agree, but I was trying to nip it in the bud now. Worst part is shes my best friend and her dad is our teams sponsor.

 

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I have been doing this for 12 years. All I can tell you is good luck! Kids take hitting lessons and pitching lessons that make them good. Most practices at that age were team based. Sometimes you need to bend with the wind as a coach, because there are many choices now in terms of teams to play for.

 

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Players that want to be seperated from the pack will put their work in, as for they know what they want to do with their softball career. Once we are a true 16u team I will expect more from my players and parents. At 10u I do not think their are any elite teams and the players or parents do not know what direction they want to go yet. Yes, there are very good 10u teams out there, I know that, but none of them are elite. This is a very difficult subject at the 10u level. I feel sometimes the coaches want it more than the kids or they are trying to live the game still through their daughters. As you get older age groups you will find out that it is about competing at a high level and not all about winning. Everybody wants to win but it just does not work that way. My kids are just now saying, you know we might not have won but we played really well and just came up short. The opposing team does deserve props now and then.

 

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I'm not saying I'm even right, thats why I asked. I just dont see how a kid who is already struggling will get any better by missing 2-3 mnths of practice.

 

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I would think that player will train in their own time and if she is athletic I would think she will catch up pretty fast. If she doesn't, then you will have a good athletic player on the bench.