Player Leaving Mid Season!

[KT93]

Instead of sending an email to the coach, the player/parents should stand in front of the whole team and tell them they are leaving. That's who they are hurting the most.

Couldn't have been said better!

That dont turn out pretty either. When DD was 11 she was pitching for a team & we both had lost all respect for the head coach. Her words... ill NEVER play for that man again... I worked with the pitchers, kept the books etc so I felt we owed the team an explination. I told the coach what was going on & that I would like to inform the team of our decision to leave. Long story short he called a parent meeting & more or less blamed us for everything. During the meeting I stood my ground, gave reasons for our decsion & all hell broke loose... Other parents felt the same way & told the coach... He wound up refusing to coach anymore after that meeting. Actually that is how I became a head coach... The remaining 2 tournaments of the season were very unplesent. He left his daughter on the team for the last 2 tournaments & did nothing but complain & stir up troubel. If I had it all to do over again I would have just let DD turn in her uniform & explained the reasons to anyone that asked me....

[Phantom]

If my DD as well as my family commit to your program you as a manager must also commit to us.

CORRECT!!!!!

[D00bie]

I dont have players sign agreements, I dont have parents sign any team rules. If you pick a player that is dedicated, team rules are not really needed. Some things just dont need to be in writing. You set the tone as the coach and I feel that issues that come up, everybody will know exactly what is expected. Somethings just happen, and you deal with those issues as they come.

The more hard line rules you need, the less actual control you must have. Just take things as they come, use some common sense, and running a team is really not that hard. But, maybe it is, because so many teams seem to struggle with the easiest of tasks???????????????

The potential issue with the way you are doing things now is that it always works until the day it doesn't work. It works until you needed the clarification. I don't disagree with player agreements and their purpose. They are less about rules and more about setting expectations. If expectations are set right, with the same language and with little or no ambiguity, that can go a long ways. You probably have had issues that you dealt with swiftly but they could've been avoided too with a concise player agreement where everyone was on the same page.

This doesn't have anything to do with little girls sports per se either, it is just a basic tennet of contract law ("meeting of the minds") and applies in any field. I would also advise you to have a player agreement for your protection in other areas where you could be culpable under law. Again, doing things loosey goosey always works until the day you needed something concise and then it is always too late.

Good luck.

[Coach11]

Yes, you're right again, and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain and the 300-500 "rare" (daily) posts on eteamz in the CA region alone looking for players. Sorry, I just can't talk to people who are not grounded in reality.

Just as well. I can't talk to folks who feel a need to exagerate while attempting to prove a point.

Did you even bother to read the information you linked? 300-500 a day? And that the majority of posts were anouncing friendlys, tournaments, instruction, etc.

[Sam]

At the end of the day, you have to do, as a parent, what is right for your daughter. If that means leaving pre-season, mid-season, post-season. Then so be it. I would never apologize or feel the need to explain to anyone for leaving and doing what I feel is best for my kid. If the team only had 9 girls and leaving means the team is left with 8, then it is probably a crappy team anyways and a crappy coach. I would Inform the necessary parties, do my duties to return uniforms, pay back fees, etc. yes, absolutely. But nothing beyond that. Just like I don't expect some coach to give my kid a free ride and not cut her if she needs to be cut. I haven't signed a player agreement yet that didn't have weasel language like "a roster spot doesn't guarantee playing time..." or "players are expected to do XYZ to maintain their roster spot..." or "paying doesn't guarentee playing time or a starting position..." . If they want to keep it business like, I will do the same, in my head I have my own player agreement too.

The OP talked about a kid leaving for a "better opportunity." A kid who played all the time and whose parents had never complained.

This isn't a business...nobody makes money volunteering to coach your kid. This is a travel coach's second job and it takes about 40 hours a week to do it. The language you reference states minimum requirements for each TEAM MEMBER and informs you that your precious DD will always be competing for her position and PT. Its part of organized competitive sports. I guess you can go from team to team if you don't like it...but here's the rub...coaches talk...and I'll bet theres a lot less coaches where you are than there are out here....after a while, you run out of teams...then what do you do? Start your own team? Well what happens when the only players that will play for you have parents exactly like you? Change sports?

Everybody wants to do what is best for their DD...thats why you should know the team and coach BEFORE you have your DD try out in the first place. Once you commit to a team, show your DD what integrity means and live up to your commitment. After the season, make the change. Otherwise, you'll next find yourself up at the HS every week complaining about a teacher, wanting to change teachers, then changing schools, etc. It won't end. Sometimes what is best for your DD is making her actually have to deal with adversity.

[Coach11]

Damn Sam....we've had our disagreements in my short time on this board....but that was dead on.
Well said.

[Sam]

Damn Sam....we've had our disagreements in my short time on this board....but that was dead on.
Well said.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not smarter than I look.

[Coach11]

Damn Sam....we've had our disagreements in my short time on this board....but that was dead on.
Well said.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not smarter than I look.

That's a shot at me, isn't it?

[Iluvblue]

The potential issue with the way you are doing things now is that it always works until the day it doesn't work.



That is correct, but as we have seen from the HUNDREDS of posts or stories, doing things with contracts certainly doesnt work.


It works until you needed the clarification. I don't disagree with player agreements and their purpose. They are less about rules and more about setting expectations.



Agree, but I think expectations are set by a coaches actions, not by a piece of paper. Like they say, actions speak louder....



If expectations are set right, with the same language and with little or no ambiguity, that can go a long ways. You probably have had issues that you dealt with swiftly but they could've been avoided too with a concise player agreement where everyone was on the same page.


Actually no. Missing an occasional practice is about it, and that is not a problem in my book, on my team. Multiple practices and we would have a problem. But again, they all know that, and it isnt an issue.


I would also advise you to have a player agreement for your protection in other areas where you could be culpable under law.


Now I didnt say i was stupid:) We have release of liability, release for treatment and stuff like that in place.

Again, doing things loosey goosey always works until the day you needed something concise and then it is always too late.



Dont misinterpret what i said as things are "Loosey goosey." They are not, things are pretty tightly ran, but it is actions, consistency, and communication that make things that way. Not some agreement on paper. This isnt my first time around the block and I havent had any issues to deal with, so I just feel no need to do what others do. especially when we see all the problems people have. Ultimately there has to be a mutual respect between the player, coach, and parent. Without that, no player agreement will save that relationship.

[Phantom]

Ultimately there has to be a mutual respect between the player, coach, and parent. Without that, no player agreement will save that relationship. [/b]