| OT A little humor for the weekend: A parent and coach have a conversation about playing time.
- Thread starter TerryP
- Start date
That is why I never coached beyond T ball. The parents were bad enough then.
BamaFan334
Member
This is why I worry about coaching my young son. I don't have a filter with things of this nature. We want everyone to play, but we also want to be competitive. My daughter absolutely hates losing, at six years old, even running to the truck with my son every day she gets upset when she doesn't win. Taking into consideration "feelings" is not what sports are about. Go play a solo sport or one your kid excels at if you want them to play.
I once had a parent approach me following a big win to question me about his son not playing in the game. Now, just to give some information to set this story up for y'all. I held a parent meeting at the beginning of the season and explained the procedure to discusss their sons role on my team. This parent was a no show so I had no clue as to who this guy was.
He approached me from behind and grabbed my shoulder and spun me around demanding I explain to him why his child didn't play that night. I'm holding my fungo bat in my hand, so it really wasn't smart on his part to begin with. I asked who he was and who was his son. He told me and still demanded an answer. I explained to him my rule which he missed at the mandatory parent meeting that he blew off and told him I wouldn't discuss it right now. At this point, the guy is pissed. I explain to him that now wasn't the time because some feelings would get hurt and I guaranteed that the feelings getting hurt wouldn't be mine. Now, I was a 24 year old, greenhorn and this was a dad in his early 40's. He didn't appreciate my remark at all. I explained that he needed to sleep on it, call he school in the morning and set up a conference with me if he still felt his son was wronged, because this conversation wasn't going to end well with him pissed off and me all jacked up on adrenaline from the win. Still he demanded. I said " well, you asked for it and don't say I didn't warn you!" I grabbed my scorebook and showed him his sons' stats through the first 3 games. 0-10 with 10Ks and 4 errors in the field. I turned and asked if he had any more questions and did he need anymore explaining. He dropped his head and just walked away. Never heard from the guy again.
I have taken a different approach now that my son plays. I look at him as a player being evaluated by me as a coach and not my son. I shoot him straight about his playing time. I tell him that he has to work harder because some of these guys are just more talented. I tell him that hard work, effort, and coachability will trump talent and little effort everytime!!!
He approached me from behind and grabbed my shoulder and spun me around demanding I explain to him why his child didn't play that night. I'm holding my fungo bat in my hand, so it really wasn't smart on his part to begin with. I asked who he was and who was his son. He told me and still demanded an answer. I explained to him my rule which he missed at the mandatory parent meeting that he blew off and told him I wouldn't discuss it right now. At this point, the guy is pissed. I explain to him that now wasn't the time because some feelings would get hurt and I guaranteed that the feelings getting hurt wouldn't be mine. Now, I was a 24 year old, greenhorn and this was a dad in his early 40's. He didn't appreciate my remark at all. I explained that he needed to sleep on it, call he school in the morning and set up a conference with me if he still felt his son was wronged, because this conversation wasn't going to end well with him pissed off and me all jacked up on adrenaline from the win. Still he demanded. I said " well, you asked for it and don't say I didn't warn you!" I grabbed my scorebook and showed him his sons' stats through the first 3 games. 0-10 with 10Ks and 4 errors in the field. I turned and asked if he had any more questions and did he need anymore explaining. He dropped his head and just walked away. Never heard from the guy again.
I have taken a different approach now that my son plays. I look at him as a player being evaluated by me as a coach and not my son. I shoot him straight about his playing time. I tell him that he has to work harder because some of these guys are just more talented. I tell him that hard work, effort, and coachability will trump talent and little effort everytime!!!
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