To the OP, dude...you're worrying about pissing off the parents? What fun would rec ball be if we couldn't give the parents back some of the grief they give us? 
Seems like I'm pissing everyone off
- Thread starter Osric
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This brings up a point I have struggled with for years.
What is better a zero miss policy or juding when an absence is appropriate or not?
I hate to be a mean coach with a zero tolerance policy knowing that school and some family matters are more important, but at the same time once you cross that line of judging who's excuse is o.k and whose excuse is not it can get ugly too.
What is better a zero miss policy or juding when an absence is appropriate or not?
I hate to be a mean coach with a zero tolerance policy knowing that school and some family matters are more important, but at the same time once you cross that line of judging who's excuse is o.k and whose excuse is not it can get ugly too.
To the OP, dude...you're worrying about pissing off the parents? What fun would rec ball be if we couldn't give the parents back some of the grief they give us?
thanks. I needed this.
yes, I knew there was going to be volleyball conflict. I didn't say a word to the kid or parents for the games they weren't there for volleyball. I didn't say a word to the kid or parent when mom decided to pull the girl with 1 out to go before we mercied our opponent in 4 innings (which resulted in a massive switch of players on defense, a rally on offense, and a 1-run win in 6 instead of a 10 run win in 4). I didn't say a word when she has missed every single optional batting practice. I didn't say a word when she missed the practice after the incident of leaving a game early so she could get to volleyball.
But what I did do was sit her for 2 1/2 innings and played the girls who HAVE come to BP, who HAVE come to regular practices, and who HAVE been at every game.
The biggest problem right now is that there are TOO MANY players. I have a roster of 13. I really don't want to bat more than 10. Last night, we played a good team where we managed a 10-8 win while batting 10. If I batted 11, we may win, we may not. If I batted the whole lineup? No way we win that game. I'm actually happy when a kid comes up to me and says they aren't feeling well or are hurt. Sucks for the kid, but makes my decisions a whole lot easier....unless I have a parent who is telling the kid, "you are fine, get in there and play dammit!"
Is winning so important to the girls on the team that they want one of their teammates not to bat so that they have a better chance of winning?
Just having a hard time wrapping my head around this league. It's not exactly rec ball (since you can't bat all 13), and I trust those such as yourself who are in the arena, building the relationships with the players, seeing it first hand. But gut says that a group of 13 girls would want you to bat the max, come what may.
That may be true, and I do understand your point. If this were a complete rec league, I'd manage it this way. But from the very first practice when I had the parents meeting, I stated that USSSA (ruleset we are using) allows 11 batters and that we had 13 on the team, so some girls would be sitting. Every other coach in the league is playing to win and batting their best girls. Why would I purposely put my team at a disadvantage by playing by a different set of rules than what the other coaches are doing.
Maybe I'm old, but I remember when I played ball. From age 8 on up, we fielded 9 and we batted 9. The only requirement was that all team members got to play in the field 2 innings and bat once. There was never even an option for batting 11 (or full roster)
We play rec and have to abide by PONY rules...we can bat 11 (2 EP) but I can't bat all 14 girls on my team.
Osric welcome to my world...I have too many player and too many GOOD players I have All Stars sitting on the bench while my rec girls are trying their best but can't help us win games, the team is demoralized because they all think we should be winning but always seem to fall short, I honestly have ZERO chance of being fair to all my girls, I can't let my All Stars play and can't really develop rec girls. Practice schedule is terrible between rain out and joint team practices (because not enough fields) I have not had real team practice in about 3 weeks, such is the rec world. We will see how things go in a few weeks when All Stars start maybe we will have better luck
Huskerdu
With Purpose and Urgency
- Sep 4, 2011
- 130
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Everyone here is correct, you have to push back regardless if it is rec or TB. I have a rule, no sleepovers the night before a tournament, I have one kid, who I can't coach anyway, her dad is the AC, but she is a great shortstop. They'll move on to another team next year (they've been on 5 teams over the past three years), and so I just pick my battles. Everyone knows she is the best shortstop and she is a good enough kid, I just make sure I keep all the drama in the back room so it doesn't have an effect on our team chemstry...
Now you've got me thinking. I can't remember if it was 'bat 9' when I played youth baseball. Now that I think of it, it probably was. I'll have to ask my friends from back in the day if they recall. ...
IMO, you obviously care about how you're running the team or else you would not have posted here about it, asking for second-guessing. My default position in rec is ''play 'em all,'' but as I said before, you're the one who knows those kids and their families. You're in the best position to make that call for your team. My comments are just food for thought.
