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.
1 comment:
I can tell you as an insider in the soccer program for years that the selection of teams is a farce. On several occasions I went to "team selection night" when you pick your teams, only to see new coaches bullied into taking not just certain players, but sometimes entire teams. I saw the director of the program hand some one their entire team. The other team in that division had been hand picked by another coach. Sad thing is that this goes on at other schools ( Shawnee and elida as well. It definitely happens.
I think club soccer is a great sport. Not for everyone by any means, but if the child has some ability and you have the time/ money to play, the development in club is much better than recreational soccer. Not for everyone. The main issue with Bath youth soccer is you either love or hate the director. I don't care for the way the program is run. But what can you do? He is trying to make himself one of the "names" at Bath. The shame is it just might work as he bullies his way through the majority.
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