More e-mails have come in and I now share snippets from them here:
"Nothing has ever changed at Bath and nothing ever will."
"...and why are parents letting the coaches be so controlling? There is a lack of communication between the parents and the coaches and administration. If there were enough people telling the coach the same thing, or if they approached the coaches in groups then there would be changes."
"We are an open enrollment family and love Bath schools...One sports experience in the high school was more than enough for us to push our kids toward band and away from sports for good."
"There are so many more important issues than sports. If you are not noticing that our kids education is lacking on many levels then you are not paying attention."
"Maybe our new superintendent will do something."
"I am the kind of guy who will say something. It only took me a few conversations with my daughter's coach to learn that there is nothing I can do to change her mind about anything. I have not said anything about playing time or how things should be run. The only things I talked about were things that aren't really important like fundraising ideas and weekend practice schedules. If there is nothing I can say to help the coach make more logical decisions about the stupid stuff then what in the world could I say to get her to change illogical policies? I also quickly discovered through observation that if you do say anything other than "you're a great coach" that your kid will be treated differently than they were before you said something."
"Who is going to step up to the challenges that are obvious? Boosters was disbanded, Dad's club seems to be breaking apart, football parents haven't done anything productive for years, no sport has any support doing anything effective, and the Athletic Director is taking advantage of this gap in support and is running roughshod with his own agenda. Somebody needs to get in his ear!"
"I haven't seen any mention of Coach Ford on this page. She has full control of softball at Bath and has consistently produced winning teams without the drama that these newer coaches have. Please Coach, teach the young how to properly create traditions of winning."
As promised for this blog all comments are kept anonymous.
7.10.11
Mom Speaks Out Against Youth Soccer
The following is an approved synopsis of a conversation that occurred between this writer (BSP) and a parent (Mom) of an athlete (Son) at Bath Schools:
Setting: Two parents standing together under cover from the rain at the Bath Football Game.
BSP: So, how is everything going with Son's soccer?
Mom: They aren't very good but he is having fun. That's what's important right?
BSP: Yeah. How bad is it?
Mom: They just can't win. Every game is close but there isn't any defense when it counts.
BSP: They'll be better next year.
Mom: I heard that last year. We were expecting things to get mixed up a little more but the coach of the other team got all of the better players. He keeps them together so that they will always be the winners that they were last year.
BSP: You do know that in these younger soccer leagues that the coaches hold a draft and choose their players in the fairest way possible.
Mom: Have you looked at the rosters? You can't tell me that team A and team B weren't picked to intentionally keep the better players together and put the losers together.
BSP: Have you asked the coach about this?
Mom: No. I can see it on the field. I've been around long enough to know that coach A is going to get the team he wants.
BSP: Go on, let it out. I want to hear it all and then I'm going to ask you to act.
Mom: Okay. There are certain family names that get passes. Their kids always get the best coaches and get to play on the better teams. Other kids whose parents drop a bunch of money on private lessons or elite leagues get their kids on the better teams or they'll take their kids out of the program altogether and just keep them in theses travel teams. These parents demand that their kids all play together from Kindergarten on. These kids will be the high school team when they get there. It always happens this way. My kids, if they got the right coaching now, could be the best by high school, but I can't afford the time or money to give my kids what the other kids get to be the better players.
BSP: How would you fix this?
Mom: I don't know. It would be nice if somebody who knew the sport, knew how to help kids, and didn't have their own kid involved would coach. And, I want the teams of younger kids to be more mixed up. Winning and losing isn't the most important things, but somethings wrong if one team always wins and the other always loses.
BSP: Are you willing to get involved in the organization that runs youth sports?
Mom: I don't have the time.
BSP: Would you coach or help coach?
Mom: No, I don't know anything about soccer.
BSP: What will you do?
Mom: I want to see some changes and will support whoever will make those changes, or I'll steer Son out of soccer.
Setting: Two parents standing together under cover from the rain at the Bath Football Game.
BSP: So, how is everything going with Son's soccer?
Mom: They aren't very good but he is having fun. That's what's important right?
BSP: Yeah. How bad is it?
Mom: They just can't win. Every game is close but there isn't any defense when it counts.
BSP: They'll be better next year.
Mom: I heard that last year. We were expecting things to get mixed up a little more but the coach of the other team got all of the better players. He keeps them together so that they will always be the winners that they were last year.
BSP: You do know that in these younger soccer leagues that the coaches hold a draft and choose their players in the fairest way possible.
Mom: Have you looked at the rosters? You can't tell me that team A and team B weren't picked to intentionally keep the better players together and put the losers together.
BSP: Have you asked the coach about this?
Mom: No. I can see it on the field. I've been around long enough to know that coach A is going to get the team he wants.
BSP: Go on, let it out. I want to hear it all and then I'm going to ask you to act.
Mom: Okay. There are certain family names that get passes. Their kids always get the best coaches and get to play on the better teams. Other kids whose parents drop a bunch of money on private lessons or elite leagues get their kids on the better teams or they'll take their kids out of the program altogether and just keep them in theses travel teams. These parents demand that their kids all play together from Kindergarten on. These kids will be the high school team when they get there. It always happens this way. My kids, if they got the right coaching now, could be the best by high school, but I can't afford the time or money to give my kids what the other kids get to be the better players.
BSP: How would you fix this?
Mom: I don't know. It would be nice if somebody who knew the sport, knew how to help kids, and didn't have their own kid involved would coach. And, I want the teams of younger kids to be more mixed up. Winning and losing isn't the most important things, but somethings wrong if one team always wins and the other always loses.
BSP: Are you willing to get involved in the organization that runs youth sports?
Mom: I don't have the time.
BSP: Would you coach or help coach?
Mom: No, I don't know anything about soccer.
BSP: What will you do?
Mom: I want to see some changes and will support whoever will make those changes, or I'll steer Son out of soccer.
4.10.11
More Than Soccer?
It has not even been 24 hours since the first post to this blog which was nothing more than a copy of a letter that was sent to certain parents of High School Girls Soccer players only. The responses have been suprising and shall remain anonymous. The following portions of responses indicate that there is a bigger problem at Bath than this writer may have originally supposed:
"... JV should NOT be under rules of Lashaway..." anonymous comment
"Participation of the player is always determined by the coach. Good coaches inspire greatness in their players and bad ones make rules to control them. ...and I do not believe that the Athletic Director will do anything about it." anonymous e-mail
"It's not just soccer and not just high school." anonymous e-mail
Bath High School Girls Soccer Issues?
This is a copy of a letter that was recently sent to certain parents of student athletes involved in Bath High School Girls Soccer.
Dear Concerned Parent:
This letter is being sent to you to solicit your input regarding issues that may, or may not, need to be addressed with Bath High School Sports. This particular letter is being sent to those parents of students who are involved with the Girls Soccer Program at Bath High School.
It has come to our attention that Head Coach Morgan Lashaway has instituted some rules for her Girls Varsity Soccer Team and that the Junior Varsity Coach Rachael Warrington has been asked to have her team abide by the same. These rules are not those of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Western Buckeye League, the Administrative Rules of Bath Schools, or the Code of Conduct of Athletes for Bath Schools. The Athletic Director of Bath Schools allows varsity coaches of each sport to create and institute team conduct rules of their own as-long-as these rules do not conflict with any imposed regulations from one of the authorities listed above.
In order to understand the issues with rules set forth by Coach Lashaway and how they might be affecting the experience of your children, please respond to this request via one of the following methods:
· Visit our Blog at http://bathsportsparents.blogspot.com/ and post a comment
· Email us at bathwildcat@gmail.com
All responses will be kept as confidential as possible unless/until we receive your permission to use them as may be needed. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bath Sports Parents
Dear Concerned Parent:
This letter is being sent to you to solicit your input regarding issues that may, or may not, need to be addressed with Bath High School Sports. This particular letter is being sent to those parents of students who are involved with the Girls Soccer Program at Bath High School.
It has come to our attention that Head Coach Morgan Lashaway has instituted some rules for her Girls Varsity Soccer Team and that the Junior Varsity Coach Rachael Warrington has been asked to have her team abide by the same. These rules are not those of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Western Buckeye League, the Administrative Rules of Bath Schools, or the Code of Conduct of Athletes for Bath Schools. The Athletic Director of Bath Schools allows varsity coaches of each sport to create and institute team conduct rules of their own as-long-as these rules do not conflict with any imposed regulations from one of the authorities listed above.
In order to understand the issues with rules set forth by Coach Lashaway and how they might be affecting the experience of your children, please respond to this request via one of the following methods:
· Visit our Blog at http://bathsportsparents.blogspot.com/ and post a comment
· Email us at bathwildcat@gmail.com
All responses will be kept as confidential as possible unless/until we receive your permission to use them as may be needed. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bath Sports Parents
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