a rec coach decided...player contracts

[FP26]

the rules of what rec and travel ball are are not written in stone and some immutable truth though. There exists kids, and I'd argue many, that want a little more serious softball experience but don't want or can't manage what's required for the more serious competitive travel ball stuff. (Here, travel is really just rec it just means we keep playing into the summer)

Do kids not have the same desire for the sport, or do they simply desire other things more (or do their parents) and don't want to potentially give up other things in their life, at 11? Summer vacations, other sports or activities, etc. It seems to me sports goes from like 10%-110% real fast and too early.

there's no good/easy answer for this of course, but taking rec a little more seriously and trying to get as many kids to commit to at least a practice/game schedule and show up is a big first step.

All good points. My daughter was asked to join a travel ball team at 10 but refused because she didn't want to give up all those "other things". The same offer came when she was 11, and again she turned it down. Finally when she was 12, she realized that our local rec league would not provide her what she was looking for and she decided she wanted to try travel ball. DW and I supported her decision at each point.

I don't know what the answer is either. It would be great if our children had more opportunities, but sometimes all you can do is deal with the choices that are available.

 

[4Martini]

I think the problem of making rec more stringent at the older ages is the best athletes still playing rec are largely the multi sport athletes that are on a travel team for another sport, at least here. When she was 11 we played my daughter up to 14s in rec to see if that would give her better competition. It worked pretty good in spring- but the fall season had very limited pitching and hitting. So she was not hitting or fielding much. It was the absence of soccer and volleyball kids. So, we did travel tryouts -because walking around the bases was not teaching much.

I think adding more flexibility with options might help more. Have one team practice and a number of skills sessions they can go to as fits their schedule- but say they need to do 1 a week or more. We had a spring team that a travel soccer coach coached because so many of her kids wanted to play - but the schedule conflicts were too much- so they formed a team for them to avoid the conflicts.

Higher level rec needs to embrace the multi sport kids- somehow.

 

[CoachCeetar]

All good points. My daughter was asked to join a travel ball team at 10 but refused because she didn't want to give up all those "other things". The same offer came when she was 11, and again she turned it down. Finally when she was 12, she realized that our local rec league would not provide her what she was looking for and she decided she wanted to try travel ball. DW and I supported her decision at each point.

I don't know what the answer is either. It would be great if our children had more opportunities, but sometimes all you can do is deal with the choices that are available.

Sometimes it's too many opportunities. It's walking that fine line between making rec softball fun and engaging without making the commitment too much that kids who view it as their second or third favorite activity decide to drop it. That includes multi-sport athletes that are currently prioritizing something else. Seems to me that softball suffers early because it can be much less engaging to a 6-7 year old, particularly than something like soccer with constant movement, but the time you get to 10-12 or so, those same soccer-first kids might find they actually like softball better.

Often coordination between the various rec sports in a town goes a long way, but it's hard to pull that off, especially when it seems like most sports are making it up as they go. It sucks to try to preemptively say plan tuesday night softball practices and then suddenly a week before the season starts soccer finally gets their act together and schedules tuesday games.

 

[FP26]

Sometimes it's too many opportunities. It's walking that fine line between making rec softball fun and engaging without making the commitment too much that kids who view it as their second or third favorite activity decide to drop it. That includes multi-sport athletes that are currently prioritizing something else. Seems to me that softball suffers early because it can be much less engaging to a 6-7 year old, particularly than something like soccer with constant movement, but the time you get to 10-12 or so, those same soccer-first kids might find they actually like softball better.

Often coordination between the various rec sports in a town goes a long way, but it's hard to pull that off, especially when it seems like most sports are making it up as they go. It sucks to try to preemptively say plan tuesday night softball practices and then suddenly a week before the season starts soccer finally gets their act together and schedules tuesday games.

I agree completely. Bold above especially. DD developed into a softball first kid while many of her friends developed into soccer first kids. The result was that many of our rec softball practices only included 6 to 8 kids because the others were off playing club soccer. When she was prepared to make a bigger commitment to the sport, her friends were focused on other things.

What really changed things for DD was her experience with All Stars. She was selected to an All Star team when she was 11. There was a dramatic difference in how interested the players were at practice and in the games, and it was something that DD noticed and appreciated right away. Practicing and playing with 11 other girls that loved softball as much as her pretty much ruined any interest she had in returning to rec ball. That's when she decided to join a travel ball team. That following spring she did both, but focused much more attention on travel. It got to the point that she didn't even want to go to the rec ball practices or games but did because of the commitment she made. That was her final spring of rec ball.

 

[RADcatcher]

Maybe when people read the word *contract they started thinking of some legal binding form. Rather than considering a rec ball level of contract???


After finding this Youth contract,
* of which does not have any repercussions written into it,
I have shared it with some other City/rec League coaches and parents.
They have responded liking it,
seeing it's purpose, and a couple responded by saying they will implement it. One person who is the president of the city League said it does not cross any guideline boundaries for the league. I also see it as purposeful and not overstepping what could be considered a basic team standard.

 

[4Martini]

I think you’re right about how people interpreted it- because the definition of a contract is a document intended to be legally enforceable. So that’s where people went.

ETA- my daughter’s first travel team the coach got arrested. The player contracts became part of the investigation- since he had collected money but not fulfilled his part of the contract (we all got interviewed and had to submit documents- I’m not sure what happened with it). Her current travel team contract calls out what the financial repercussions of certain decisions are for the family vs coach. These are legally enforceable including potential criminal cases when not followed through on.

I just think it’s watering down the concept of the term to use it- so maybe the next time someone doesn’t take signing one seriously- but there are serious legal repercussions.

 

[RADcatcher]

I think you’re right about how people interpreted it- because the definition of a contract is a document intended to be legally enforceable. So that’s where people went.

ETA- my daughter’s first travel team the coach got arrested. The player contracts became part of the investigation- since he had collected money but not fulfilled his part of the contract (we all got interviewed and had to submit documents- I’m not sure what happened with it). Her current travel team contract calls out what the financial repercussions of certain decisions are for the family vs coach. These are legally enforceable including potential criminal cases when not followed through on.

Guessing that Team contract had more than just attitude and effort in it?
Are you glad there was a contract?

I just think it’s watering down the concept of the term to use it- so maybe the next time someone doesn’t take signing one seriously- but there are serious legal repercussions.

Agree in how things are communicated.
The Approach to solution is often essential!

 

[4Martini]

In reality- the contract probably helped future families more than us - as I will be shocked if I see any money back ever - but he will probably not coach again. It’s still working through the courts. It was a key in holding him accountable - there was other stuff going on too- so this was only part of the mess.

The experience taught my daughter she wanted to be on a better team and lit a fire in her. Sometimes adversity builds strength - so I see that as a big silver lining of the whole ordeal. She is a stronger and more driven player and person with a purpose she didn’t have before.

 

[FP26]

I agree that I would not consider this a contract. It reminds me of the Little League Pledge with some other items added. Honestly, everything on the list should be understood without the need of spelling it out. But that's today's society I guess.

 

[Cannuck]

Just read through this thread. Much thanks to @RADcatcher for the thought provoking thread. Thankfully my organization is adopting a Code of Conduct for parent or guardians. This has to be signed by all parent who register children across all rec and competitive teams. With parents hopefully having a guide to base their actions on it is easier to focus on the important part, the players. For my rec team the Players Code of Conduct is 4 simple rules 1. Have fun. 2. Be a good teammate. 3. Sportspersonship is required. 4. Have fun. The finer points of these rules are discussed as the season happens. The level of opt-in at rec varies. It my job as coach to provide opportunities and remove barriers for players to enjoy the sport. My Player Code of Conduct is much more developed for our completive team and underlines requirements of participation and dedication as well as confirming the guiding principals from my rec team. It is my job as coach to challenge these players to be better in all facets of the game including hard skills, IQ and life lessons. I do not have either group sign a form as the principle of putting your name to paper is not fully recognized in this day and age and especially by this age group. I truly believe that the leading by example combined with personal interactions and refinements offered by a coach are the key to obtaining the behaviors that you seek. The issue is polishing your coaching craft to be able to seize the vast majority of these opportunities in a compressed and time limited environment.