Chicago643 posted:ironhorse posted:Chicago643 posted:ironhorse posted:I see all points, but let's settle down on acting like keeping a senior who won't play much is akin to rampant entitlement. This is HIGH SCHOOL baseball and for a lot of my kids this is the pinnacle of their athletic career. This generally impacts only 2 or 3 kids every couple of years.
If the pinnacle of the kids athletic career is riding the pine, do him a favor and cut him loose.
It all depends on perspective.
Not sure of your "pinnacle" from most of your posts, but you come off as either a potential big league hall of famer, or a guy who never played but wants to sound like a big league hall of famer. Probably not in between. But pretty sure you've never coached teenage kids that you cared about.
So, were you a bench warmer in high school baseball or a regular player? If you were a bench warmer, did you enjoy the experience for the sake of being on a team, or were you dying inside to be out there. You can justify “the team experience” angle all you want, I talk to enough players, parents and coaches to know the “cumbaya” feeling you think these kids are getting by gracing them with the opportunity to sit on your bench is not as miraculous as you think it is.
I never insinuated I was anything, other than opinionated. As a parent, I can honestly say I would rather a coach cut my kid if they were just keeping them on to be humane instead of stringing then along in the name of giving them something to hang their hats on, my kid will move on just fine, thank you.
Are you a parent? Because parenting a teenage kid is a whole lot like coaching one, except you have to deal with the fallout of having to explain why a coach strung you along. Being honest with a kid and letting them have the opportunity to try something else is not a bad thing, Ironhorse. You aren’t every kid’s savior there hot shot, so you can save the attitude. Had about enough of that.
It depends on the program. Winning programs will attract more kids to be part of something. Loosing programs, well the work just isn't worth it.