Thank you StanMusial for asking questions pertinent to my original post. You have restored my faith in the hsbaseballweb audience.
1. Check was made out to the organization. I have reached out to the organization and they have not responded as of yet.
2. I've got 20 seasons of select baseball under my belt at this point and feel like I have a good understanding of the significance of those "3rd Weekend in June Elks Lodge 5 Team 15U Consolation Championships" so I really don't care if the summer team finishes above .500 for the season. I wanted my kid to enjoy his summer.
3. Yes, unfortunately it was after I had already 'spoken' to the coach. I have apologized to my son for that one.
4. It makes me smile this 'you can't buy a position talk'. The parent is the customer, the baseball organization is the supplier. In a free market the customer can negotiate anything he wants. I was very forthright with every coach who offered a spot on his team about what I felt I was buying. I didn't want a jersey, I didn't want a two month tryout, I wanted innings at position "X". My son goes to a public high school where I've had other kids play and I've never spoken to the coach about playing time in 6 years. In the summer, we as parents are paying for a product. The coach could have said I'll let him play position "X" for 3 innings a game and it will cost you 50% of the full fee. I may have gone for that.
quote:
Originally posted by StanMusial:
Going back to the original issue, I think there are a few things that go undefined.
1. After the coach supposedly agreed to allow Jr to play "X" position, you “handed the coach your money”. Did you make a check out to the coach or the organization? If you made the check out the organization, then the organization has some responsibility for their coaches. Did you ever check the coaches credentials? Had he ever played baseball in college or professionally? If a coach had a good record in his professional career, then the organization would stand by their decision to hire him and would value his opinion regarding all of his players.
2. You stated that you wanted your son to only play “X” position. Isn’t a player more versatile when he is able to step in and assume other positions when needed? If my son only played third base, then shame on me as parent to not give him the opportunity to experience and fully learn the game from all key positions. In my opinion, that is where leadership comes, able to step in and play a ballgame and get the job done. Teamwork is the entire team, not just the ability of one player, in one position. A good coach will see the potential in the player and help him in the areas that need the attention so he can be a better ballplayer.
3. Did your son ever take the time to talk to the coach? Coaches respect a ballplayer that is able to effectively communicate any disappointment in playing time. A respectable coach will give any ballplayer the chance to prove himself, but ultimately it’s the players responsibility to do the job. If he can’t get the job done, there will be someone else that can. That’s just life.
4. Last, when reading your original post, my deepest concern is that you wanted to “buy” your son a position. What does that tell the other players and their parents? That each position on the team has a price tag? Thank God that there is a coach out there that can’t be bought and doesn’t put a price on his players/positions, because that gives my son a fair chance to compete for a position based on his ability as a ballplayer, not according to my pocketbook.
