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School Sports Play Time

Should all kids play in practice?

  • Coach knows what he is doing and having kids sit during all of practice

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .

jwstewar

Active member
OK, let me start by saying I'm not one of those parents that thinks every kid should play. I know there are going to be bench warmers and I know not every kid can start. But I do have a beef and I'm curious what other's feelings are.

I stopped at my son's football practice tonight. When I first got there, they were doing drills. Keagan was doing fine. Wasn't getting yelled at or anything. He was trying to do what they told him, but he is a little guy so he couldn't necessarily take the others down. We then walked over to watch my daughter at cheerleading practice and came back. They were now "playing a game." I should say, all but 3 boys were, yes, Keagan was one on the grass. That was fine. But they played this game for an hour. Not once did they even offer to rotate those 3 boys in. Again this is 3rd and 4th graders and Keagan is in 3rd. So they are smaller and the other boys are "better." My understanding is, he is on the bench unless someone gets hurt. OK, that is fine during the game, but why during practice? How are they supposed to learn and get better sitting on the bench? Well then the coach yells at them for not paying attention? Well duh!!! 3 boys sitting on the ground for 45 minutes watching other kids play. Yes, they are going to get bored.

I had a conversation with the President, maybe I went with too much attitude as he called it, but I was pissed and getting madder. Wife encouraged me to say "something" but then goes, hope you didn't make it harder on him. How can it get worse, he isn't playing and hasn't played in any practice so far - 3 weeks. Keagan is ready to quit, I would like for him to stick it out, but can also understand why he wants to. I also know that if he does quit, he won't improve and will never get to play.

So what say you!!!
 
Last edited:

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I coached junior legion baseball before the PC craze and everyone did not play during a game BUT I made sure everyone participated in practice no matter how practice was going. How in the hell are they ever going to perform when you need them, no matter what their ability. Shame on the coach!
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've personally been in your son's shoes at around the same age as him. To this day, I have still not forgiven that miserable SOB for sitting me out all the time. I remember personally asking him why I couldn't go on a tournment. His reply was that I was crippled. I asked him why he thought that. He said it's because I walk with a very slight limp on my right leg due to breaking it when I was younger and it being shorter. I could play fine and just as good if not better than most of the other kids.

This was at a so-called catholic school. It wasn't just in sports. The miserable SOB'n teachers there treated me like that in class too. Needless to say.....I was baptized catholic, raised catholic, went to a catholic school etc.... but I just can't bring myself down to that level and call myself a catholic. I'm better than that. When I was a teenager, I went as far as choosing to get re-baptized in a non-denominational baptist church. Sorry about turning this into a big religious rant but I felt a little background was in order as to what led me to vote the way I did.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Jim, I went down the same road with my eldest son when he was in sports as a wee one.
I think you did the right thing, absolutely.
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
practice is for everyone.
game time at that age should be as well, but I can understand how some folks let their competitive edge limit their ability to teach kids love of the game as opposed to their own love of winning.
 

Cowboyjg

Country Club Member
Site Supporter
You shoul have called the coach over while you were givin the Prez the Biz and made him stand there with his mouth shut and see how he likes not being able to play. Then you could have turned to him and given him grief for not paying attention...:yum:

Go JIM!!!!
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
If they are not allowed to participate in a sport how are they going to learn to be a team player in life? Youngsters need every chance they can get to be a part of a team and not just sports. Too many coaches emphasize winning and miss the real picture!
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
practice is for everyone.
game time at that age should be as well, but I can understand how some folks let their competitive edge limit their ability to teach kids love of the game as opposed to their own love of winning.

Agreed 100%.

I helped coach grade school soccer for the park district. The PRACTICE time should be for EVERYONE. The game time should be for the best kids, BUT even the non-athletic kids need to be rotated into the games, even if only for a couple minutes of play time.
 

ddrane2115

Charter Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I used to volunteer at a little league (all sports), every child got to play games and practice, no matter what............it was REQUIRED, and yes they did have a parent keeping check on who was in for how long etc. You were right in saying something, and I would have been upset also. I believe at this point your child needs to play, but he would NOT be in this organization doing it. When a coach is that hell bent on winning and not doing this for the kids.........he needs to be sidelined, and not allowed to coach.
 

jwstewar

Active member
I'm glad to see all of this support and that I did the right thing.

If the team won all of their games or hell, won a game that would be something else. When my daughter cheered for them 2 years ago, we didn't even win a game. Not 100% sure it is the same coaching team, but I believe it is. Not sure what they did last year as we were too busy with the new houes and the new baby to worry about games.
 

jwstewar

Active member
I guess my bitching must have done some good. I wasn't able to go to practice last night, but Monica said he was rotated in and out with frequency :clap: and actually got quite a bit of playing time.
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
I guess my bitching must have done some good. I wasn't able to go to practice last night, but Monica said he was rotated in and out with frequency :clap: and actually got quite a bit of playing time.

:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Out of 3 kids, only my son showed an interest in sports. So we signed him up for softball and I helped out however I could (I was never involved in sports as a kid...Dad thought it was a waste of time and money that we did not have). After the first season my 10 year old son said he was finished with sports because if you were not among the best, you were ignored for the most part, and left to "ride the pine." He was wise beyond his years.

Too many kids are in sports because it's the dream of the parent(s) that the child become a shining star, and not the dream of the child. This shows at the games when some parents challenge the refs and scream instructions to little Johnny from the sidelines, instead of letting the coach do his or her job. Don't you just want to smack some of those people?:biggrin: That's why I never pushed my son to return for another year of "riding the pine."

BTW, he went on to win a scholarship from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for Visual Effects & Motion Graphics. He now works as a video editor and graphics artist, and could care less about sports. Can't say I blame him.
 

jwstewar

Active member
I'm with you. I don't care about sports. I never played them, don't watch them, and don't really care about them.

Somehow, he decided he wanted to play.

I always like when the schools want a levy, we are going to cut sports. So....tell me again why I should vote for this levy.:ermm:
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
practice is for everyone.
game time at that age should be as well, but I can understand how some folks let their competitive edge limit their ability to teach kids love of the game as opposed to their own love of winning.

Very well said Erik!

I'm the sole dissenter so far about saying anything but then again I'm Canadian and we tend to not be as "in-your-face" as you Americans! I just don't think a shitty coach will change their ways if you complain to them. Many coaches are just wired to win at all costs and don't seem to care about the kids having fun or developing the more challenging players.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
I guess my bitching must have done some good. I wasn't able to go to practice last night, but Monica said he was rotated in and out with frequency :clap: and actually got quite a bit of playing time.


Looks like I was wrong! :pat: Glad your son got some game time! :thumb:
 
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