There's always somebody on the bench, and it's always the coach's fault.
It surprises me how many people seem to think the fees parents pay to a travel program buy them a deed to the shortstop position and the third spot in the batting order for the entire season.
If the money you paid is guaranteeing your kid a spot in the lineup, then by definition you are playing daddy ball.
If, on the other hand, you have affiliated with a competitive team, the fees bought an opportunity to compete.
If the player finds himself sitting on the bench the last three weeks of the season, it's an indication of what he did with that opportunity to compete.
It doesn't mean the coach is a jerk or a crook or a trophy-crazed hyper-competitive maniac.
As for those who say they'd go to another program the next year: yeah, that's pretty much the message the coach is sending.
It's almost as if a coach telling a kid, "you aren't good enough," is detrimental to the kid. In fact, it's quite the opposite.