DDs see no honor in being called up to varsity, and riding the bench-hear me out.

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May 15, 2016
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At the parents meeting before the season started the HC said there are freshmen (DDs) who should be playing varsity and upperclassman who should be playing JV, then said he is playing all of his returning players from last year. For the third game of the varsity season he called them up and the rode the bench, watching girls who are clearly weaker than them play. There are two juniors and one senior who play travel ball, the rest are all girls who only play during school ball.

They see no value riding the bench. They say they would rather be home practicing with me. I told them they have to play the politics of the situation and do as the HC asks.

The AD said to me they should be honored to be called up to varsity. One DD is playing on a showcase team this summer, and this weak varsity team means nothing to her. The best case scenario the varsity team is going to be one-and-done in the playoffs.

Am I doing something wrong that DDs see no honor is being called up to varsity?
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
It's odd they pulled them up during the season to ride the bench. I know they have a cutoff date for our JV team to finish so they can pull up some girls to experience the post season but will not play a single inning.

It's really a school by school thing.
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
It's odd they pulled them up during the season to ride the bench. I know they have a cutoff date for our JV team to finish so they can pull up some girls to experience the post season but will not play a single inning.

It's really a school by school thing.

Full disclosure, they were both pinch runners, in separate games. One of them substituted at second for one inning. In the five varsity games they were asked "to play" they got a total of one at bat each.
 
Last edited:
May 20, 2016
433
63
That's unfortunate. Our JV team has 7th graders starting ahead of 10th graders. After modified it should be based on skill alone.
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
Sounds like your DDs are not team players... "They see no value..." "They are playing in a showcase..." "They would rather be doing something else..."

Not sure why coach called up JV players, only to have them ride the pine... Maybe he thought they would be needed... maybe he is thinking about next year... Maybe he sensed their entitlement, and is teaching them some humility? IDK...

Either your are on the team, or you are not. If you are on the team, show up ready to play, with a good attitude, and be prepared to do whatever the coach thinks is best for the team.

IMHO
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
Sounds like your DDs are not team players... "They see no value..." "They are playing in a showcase..." "They would rather be doing something else..."

Not sure why coach called up JV players, only to have them ride the pine... Maybe he thought they would be needed... maybe he is thinking about next year... Maybe he sensed their entitlement, and is teaching them some humility? IDK...

Either your are on the team, or you are not. If you are on the team, show up ready to play, with a good attitude, and be prepared to do whatever the coach thinks is best for the team.

IMHO

The first time they were called up to play varsity they were very excited about it but became disillusioned, they see no reason to be there. They would rather be playing JV. They like the girls on that team, have fun with them.
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
Maybe he sensed their entitlement, and is teaching them some humility? IDK...

He said at the parents meeting, he is going to make it easy on himself, and simply play the returning girls from last year. This when he admitted there were freshmen who should be on varsity and upperclassmen who should be on JV.

What kind of respect should they show him when he says they should be on varsity, but puts them on JV?
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
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Dallas, Texas
They see no value riding the bench. They say they would rather be home practicing with me.

Am I doing something wrong that DDs see no honor is being called up to varsity?

In a later post:

In the five varsity games they were asked to play they got a total of one at bat each.

So, they were brought up for five games, and they sat the bench? This wasn't "they were brought up and sat the bench for 20 games", right?

The place to start is to teach them about "teamwork"...it doesn't have anything to do with honor.

TB coaches run the team in order to keep the parents and kids happy. So, the schedule/playing time/position is all subject to approval of the parents. TB kids (and parents) never learn anything about teamwork--because they are never really asked to sacrifice for the team. (Heavens, asking a kid to bunt on a TB team is a major faux pas.)

Teamwork requires that the kids do things they would rather not do...which often means sitting the bench, pinch running or playing out of position.

The HS coach made a decision that he needed your DDs for a few games. It doesn't sound like the coach is endangering your DD...so, they have to learn to accept it.
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
The first time they were called up to play varsity they were very excited about it but became disillusioned, they see no reason to be there. They would rather be playing JV. They like the girls on that team, have fun with them.

As individual players, I get that they would rather be in the game. As members of a team, it doesn't matter if they see the reason or not. The coach has a reason...

If your girls have ambitions to play at the next level, they should either leave team, and focus on TB, or BUY IN 110% and be members of the team. It would be a shame for a College coach to call the High School coach about your DDs and get a "Yes, they can play, but.... " story.
 

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