Will...how did we get from a kid who wanted to be excused from one game to take his girlfriend to a concert....to kids who miss "a game or 2", and the issue of kids who played in his place? None of this was in the original post!
No one has posted and said that if a kid misses a game he should not sit the bench when he returns.....that's up to the coach....have him sing or sit the bench.....who cares?
Committment? Yes....that's very important to understand and uphold...but in real life.....we stumble, we fall.....we make mistakes.....remedies are situational...and differ depending on the facts.....you have to look at the total picture...to do less can lead to....dare I say it again? Yes! BURN OUT!!!!