High school softball

[nixxy311]

This may get long...
I have talked about this before but DD is in JROTC. She can't join the drill team because it interferes with high school softball. She played JV her freshman year and started a lot of games on Varsity her sophomore year. This year she has mostly played every game but isn't one of the top 6 that won't sit any part of a game. It's fine - she gets playing time. We already have issues with how the coach does things but we've dealt with it.
So she is actually on a team in ROTC that is supposed to have monthly meetings. Which she misses because of softball. She's told her sergeant about it and he is fine with it. In the beginning of school email from ROTC it said there would be a town parade that ROTC would march at and it was required for all cadets. So I checked our SB schedule and it's only supposed to be individual practices - so no game and it sounds like maybe 30 min practices for each player.
So we thought DD could make the parade.
She emailed her coach to let him know about it and that she'd miss practice. He replied and said - the parade wasn't required so she couldn't go. And then she said that her sergeant got an email from a coach asking if the parade was required. He said no - it wasn't because I guess if something was more important he wouldn't be forcing them to go. DD texted her coach back and said - she thought that since it was just a short practice, it'd be okay for her to miss. Her coach replied "I don't see how that makes it okay?"

So at this point - DD says she wants to not play high school sb her senior year. I just don't know what to do anymore. She goes to practice every day - is a team player - misses out on anything else. Has to stay up late to just get her homework done because she is gone from 6am-9pm when they have games. It'd def make next year less stressful but I hate the idea of her missing her senior year. But I don't know how to get through to this coach and why he is this way.
It clearly seems to him that softball >>>>> school, life, sleep, etc
But we aren't great - if we were on a team that had a chance to even make it to playoffs it'd be one thing - but we won't make it.

I'm literally shaking with how upset I am about this. I honestly thought this year was going to better.
And I know - high school softball sucks.

 

[IndyHScoach]

I am sorry for what you have to deal with. I do not agree HS softball sucks, I think that your coach has issues and that is not fair to your DD.
Personally, I would have made sure your DD was able to make all ROTC responsibilities. It is a shame that she is willing to give up her senior year due to the coach. I do understand the frustration of you and your DD. I am sorry that you feel it is a HS softball thing and not a coach issue.

 

[nixxy311]

Yea - I'm sure there are some high school softball teams that don't. But it's just that because of how it is - this is what she is stuck with.

 

[bmakj]

possibly talk to AD or PRincipal (since one of the orgs invovled is not under the AD)? to me the school either supports the multi activity student (ie by accomodating to a reasonable degree), or they do not, in which case students have to pick. have this exact discussion with principal, make them say which environment they want to foster. I am on the ledge about doing same for one of DDs coaches (because she most definitely does not support multisport athletes)

 

[quincy]

Seems like both sides know what is going on. Sounds like HC is an a**.

From your OP I would advise DD to go to parade.

She is old enough enough to make her own decision just lay it out how you see it and let her decide.

 

[cnardone]

I understand there is backstory that I don't know. but from this story it sounds like
1) you have coach who want your dd to make softball the priority
2) she does not have another required activity at the same time. She has something she wants to do.
3) coach expects her make required softball activities over things she wants to do.

 

[nixxy311]

I understand there is backstory that I don't know. but from this story it sounds like
1) you have coach who want your dd to make softball the priority
2) she does not have another required activity at the same time. She has something she wants to do.
3) coach expects her make required softball activities over things she wants to do.

A little bit of the backstory - last year, he was upset that she would be taking ROTC still her junior year because he wanted all of the players to take a weight training class instead. We have some issues with him dictating her school schedule. She would have had to give up ROTC or her foreign language to do it. She gets weight training and PT in ROTC.

 

[quincy]

Sounds like this is not a one time missing practice or Team activities?

 

[nixxy311]

She always puts softball first - she has never missed a practice/game - well she did miss one week last year because she had covid (and that was not even during the actual sb season)

 

[_MIA_]

With regards to not playing her Sr. year, most humans say things they don't necessarily mean when they are upset. She may change her mind once things calm down..