Suggestions on how to dismiss a player from the team

[PJR202]

If you had a discussion with them then they started talking about costs for the tournaments, it sounds like they want out. I would go with the orange socks plan.

 

[letsmow10]

Never heard of this. Usually seasons start anew in the Fall. Age brackets change at that point so teams generally do as well.

We play a lot of Top Gun tournaments in my area and their age runs from Jan as below.

AGE REQUIREMENTS
GIRLS 8 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 9 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 10 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 11 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 12 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 13 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 14 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 15 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 16 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 17 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
HS DIVISION CANNOT TURN 19 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2021

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[letsmow10]

No need to have a set amount of rostered players. What's preventing you from adding another player...or 2? End of the season should be the last summer tourney. November is excessive and unheard of. At 14U is when players/families is the age when they start figuring out if they want to do this or not. DD joined an already formed team full of 14U misfits that had almost all the previous players stop playing after a year. I was glad to leave that team.

I would have a "temperature check" with the family to make sure they want to be there. Hey Family, lil Susie has missed a lot of practices lately, and you said you won't be able to make some upcoming tourneys. I wanted to make sure our team is still a good fit for you. If you are not interested in playing with us or only want to be a part time player I need to know so I can make arrangements. If you don't want to play with us or don't want to play softball anymore, no hard feelings. I would hope that you would want to continue to play even if it's on another team.

You're right on not needing to have a set number of players but I don't like having 4 or 5 sitting the bench. 11-12 has just always been what I like to carry to a tournament. Also as I posted above we play a lot of Top Gun tournaments in my area and the birthdate cut off is Jan1 so you can play the entire year in the age bracket and don't have to move up until the following year. With all that out of the way I like the advice and that approach. I think I will try to have that conversation at our practice Sunday with an assistant coach present. Hopefully the come to practice or I'll call them. Thank you for the advice and taking time yo respond.

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[Orange Socks]

You're right on not needing to have a set number of players but I don't like having 4 or 5 sitting the bench. 11-12 has just always been what I like to carry to a tournament. Also as I posted above we play a lot of Top Gun tournaments in my area and the birthdate cut off is Jan1 so you can play the entire year in the age bracket and don't have to move up until the following year. With all that out of the way I like the advice and that approach. I think I will try to have that conversation at our practice Sunday with an assistant coach present. Hopefully the come to practice or I'll call them. Thank you for the advice and taking time yo respond.

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Start thinking about this and embrace it. As your team ages up you will need to carry more players on your team and there should be no reason that a player does not get ample playing time. No one should be sitting the bench. DD's TB coach made it work with a big roster.

As you have started to experience with one of your players, there will be other things going especially when they get to HS. Last year DD played 18u-never once did all players show up to games or practices. High level Gold team. This happens to all teams. Camps, college visits, SAT's, college prep, Homecoming events(only Seniors allowed), death in family, weddings, you name it. Also, Pitchers will start to transition to PO's as well. Kids will quit, team hop, move away, etc. You said 14 B. There will be players that will want more and will leave your team for an "A" team for whatever reason especially if your team is not part of an established program.

14U-14 players
16U-16 players
18U-18 players

 

[Hawk_]

Hmmm I would think there is more to this story on the parent side than you probably know....... like orange socks said, ask some questions and figure out what's going on.

 

[Bullseye]

Hello all,
I am the head coach for a 14u B travel team. I have a player that has either been sick or someone in the family has been sick for our last 3 practices. I even offered to go pick her up and take her home after practice when she wasn't the one sick but the parent declined. I will add that I have doubts about the sickness due to photos posted late at night on social media but obviously, I have no proof. This player is the weakest on the team both offensively and defensively and needs to be putting in the most work but that is not happening. Most recently, they are now saying they can't afford to travel to a couple of our upcoming 2-day tournaments that are about a 1.5-hour drive. I understand money is tight for a lot of us at the moment but I have to have committed players and I just don't think she is it, unfortunately. To make this even harder I have known this kid and her family for several years and I am struggling with how to handle letting her go even though I know it is the right thing to do for the team. I have never had to deal with this before so any suggestions from coaches who have experience in this area are greatly appreciated.

Since you have known this player for multiple years and have gotten to this point with the family as a coach you have let this happen. It was probably from over comfortability with each other. Apply conversation to straighten it out.

 

[PapaBear]

If you set rules and standards/expectations on the front end then it should be that. If the family is struggling financially offer to help blunt the cost where you can. Nothing wrong with saying you feel she would rather be somewhere else too. But if you're upfront then all you are saying is what they already know, nothing wrong with letting the kid go if that is what they want.

 

[Lance Steckler]

We play a lot of Top Gun tournaments in my area and their age runs from Jan as below.

AGE REQUIREMENTS
GIRLS 8 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 9 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 10 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 11 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 12 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 13 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 14 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 15 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 16 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 17 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
HS DIVISION CANNOT TURN 19 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2021

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ahh, those are the same ages that everyone works with. Season starts 1 Aug. you play 8U in August, as long as you are not 9 in 2022, then you play 8u, until August of 2023., etc, etc,.

 

[El Oso]

We play a lot of Top Gun tournaments in my area and their age runs from Jan as below.

AGE REQUIREMENTS
GIRLS 8 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 9 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 10 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 11 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 12 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 13 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 14 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 15 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
GIRLS 16 & UNDER CANNOT TURN 17 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2022
HS DIVISION CANNOT TURN 19 BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2021

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I'm just saying, its atypical to have your team season run from Jan - Dec as opposed to Aug - end of July.

Alliance, Triple Crown and others use USA age classification rules which also run from Jan - Dec but teams that play those tournaments have their seasons run from Aug - end of July.

 

[letsmow10]

ahh, those are the same ages that everyone works with. Season starts 1 Aug. you play 8U in August, as long as you are not 9 in 2022, then you play 8u, until August of 2023., etc, etc,.

Got ya, I understand what you're saying. My fault for the misinterpretation on my end.

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