But it's NOT an excused absence by the definition that I have had in place for some time.
Telling me about it 5 months in advance doesn't make a difference. I mean, I certainly appreciate them bringing up the issue now so we can discuss it, but the point is that we are putting a lot of things ahead of our team and teammates. We want to have our cake and eat it too. We want to make the team, get to play all the time, but then when we want to miss practice or games for something that is PERSONAL to us, our teammates and coaches should just understand that and accept that we'll miss games to do what we want to do. And that we expect that there will be no consequences to our missing.
I'm not trying to make an example of this kid, I'm just trying to make everyone understand that the rules must apply to everyone EQUALLY, whether starter or role player, Junior or Senior, kid I know well or kid I've just met.
You insinuate in your post that maybe I want to make an example of him because I don't think he is a starter. Nothing could be further from the truth; I indicated in my earlier post that we brought him up as a Sophomore and he hit pretty well, so I certainly think he has some potential. No, I don't know for sure that he'll be a starter, but he has certainly given indications that he may hit as well as at least 8 other players. Please understand I would be going through these issues no matter who this player was.....