Submitted by Evelyn Twomey.
Wondering if I am the only one who feels this way about children sports… My 9 year old great grandson, signed up for football this year on the Parkland, Spanaway team. He loves football, and loves to play, and wants to learn to be a good player.
So, two weeks ago was their first game, Conner did not get to play at all. After the game, which they lost, Conner asked why he did not get to play. The coach told him he was not good enough to play. Well, we thought that was why we signed him, to learn.
How mean to tell a 9 year old he was not good enough. That remark may stay with him the rest of his life. So this Saturday was the 2nd game. He was allowed to play the last 2 and 1/2 minutes. To add to the problem his father paid $400, so his son could play and learn.
These children, are young and there to play a game, not necessarily to win. It does not sound like Conner had any fun at all, sitting on the sidelines and learning nothing. And terribly disappointed. He said, if I can’t play, I am going to quit.
Unfortunately, some of the coaches that they recruit already have an agenda and their own team that will get all the playing time. They just don’t like any other players assigned to their team. It is about their kids and their buddies kids to further their ability to play in junior high, high school, and maybe college. It sounds like Conner ended up on one of these teams. I am sorry he is going through this. I would go back to the commissioner of this league and demand a refund or have him/her evaluate what this coach is doing and who his/her favorites are and the connection outside of football. Just my thoughts. I would post the teams name and the coaches name so other parents can make sure their children don’t get treated like this.
I experienced this with my children and they bought quit playing all sports because of this attitude. Sad situation that they hire coaches like this one.
Unfortunately, this does happen especially in youth football, as coaches are very competitive. However, that is not defending what was said.
Maybe he meant that your son is not quite ready. Maybe he is concerned about your son’s safety?
As a youth coach in the past (baseball), it was always hard to deal with the question about playing time. However, it is also about the practice and training time. A lot can be learned from watching the game.
If you were to approach the coach, don’t ask “why is my son not playing” but point it in the direction “what can we do to improve”. I am not personally big on quitting, that is a very difficult decision to make. As for the $400, that is fairly cheap considering the cost of football. Treasure it, my son has been playing baseball since he was 4 and now $4000 a year is the norm.
I echo the other replies and add that many lessons are learned from sports. The best lessons seldom have to do with the game itself. What lesson do you want him to learn from this?
This is just plain stupid the Dad shouldn’t have had to pay the coach anything for his kid to play, yes there is a registration and insurance fee, but that should be it. When I was playing little league we had an “A” string “B” String and a “C” String, the “C” String was for the youngest boys typically that was 8 & 9 year old, the “B” string was a step up and the “A” string was for the boys 11-13 depending on skill level sometimes 11 year old would stay on the “B” string and if the 13 year old got to big or went over the weight limit they couldn’t play in that league, but there was another league for the middle school age group that those kids could try for most didn’t and just skipped that year. That coach crushed the poor kids heart and I’m sure it will hurt for a while, but kids out grow things like that if they are encouraged to keep trying or to look at a different sport.
Back in the 60’s when I was a Freshman in HS, I joined the Frosh Football team. After a whole season of not playing and being trashed by our tyrant coach and used as “fodder” for the 1st string I finally quit just before the last game. Bad mistake.
I went out the next year for Junior Varsity and managed to get on 2nd String Offensive halfback & 1st String Defensive halfback. My Junior year was with the JV as well, even though I was proving to be a really good defensive half….the “quitter” label was hanging on tight.
Finally, my Senior year I was a Varsity player, by default. The Varsity coaches (same ones in that position when I was a Freshman) tried to make me a quarterback….just to get me out of the way and I think they thought I might quit again….especially since I was low-quarterback on the totem pole. I was a really lousy quarterback….probably because I had never played the position before.
However, a new head coach was hired and somehow he heard I was a very-good defensive half-back. I played that position the whole season and was well-known by all of the district teams that I was someone to contend with. In my next-to-last game, in the first play I was singled out by the other team’s coaches and knocked off my feet 3 times, but managed to get up each time and catch up w/the guy with the ball. He made a touchdown, but I did get to tackle him right before the goal line.
Results of that game for me? 18 un-assisted & 35 assisted tackles.
I never quit anything again in my whole life. That was the lesson I learned.
Words hurt and have a long lasting effect, especially on children. When my son played sports it was a group fathers who were coaches and they were a tight group. Their sons always got the plum positions and were allowed to play more. This is not how children nor anybody should be treated. Common courtesy and respect is always called for.
Whoever this lousy coach is from the Parkland, Spanaway team that treated this child like that shows that this entire program is only a Bait And Switch Game aka Ponzi Scheme to con innocent kids (& their parents) who want to learn the game and play like others. These kids were all spammed into a con game by this coach who had his favorites and only wanted to recruit new players he never intended to use just to get the money from the entry fees for his little pet players.
This idiot and Ponzi con artist should be fired, he has no morals or respect!!!
Kellie