I've encountered a situation that affects several of my players. I have an athlete who plays multiple sports for the school. For about a month, she'll have a conflict and won't be able to attend either of our two practices during the week. One of the practices is missed for her school's softball team practice. The athlete has started for us for the last two years and is a middle to late in the order bat.
I believe that as long as the athlete proves that she's putting in adequate work on her own, we shouldn't necessarily reduce her playing time. The other coaches on our staff believe that she should drop at least one of the different school sports so that she can attend at least one practice per week or else lose her starting spot.
I'm interested in knowing other coaches' viewpoints on this. Would you penalize a player for playing multiple sports for their junior or high school if it conflicts with regular practice times?
I'd also be interested in how you, as a coach, would handle the conflict with your other coaches.
I believe that as long as the athlete proves that she's putting in adequate work on her own, we shouldn't necessarily reduce her playing time. The other coaches on our staff believe that she should drop at least one of the different school sports so that she can attend at least one practice per week or else lose her starting spot.
I'm interested in knowing other coaches' viewpoints on this. Would you penalize a player for playing multiple sports for their junior or high school if it conflicts with regular practice times?
I'd also be interested in how you, as a coach, would handle the conflict with your other coaches.