Advice needed on dealing with sports parents

[Erin1700]

It has been a long time since I posted, so you know this is important!

I am on the board of a youth sports team. There are 3 sessions for this team throughout the year, each separate and not always the same group of children. The amount of kids involved in any session can be over 60. The Friday before each session starts, a transportation list needs to be turned in and no one can be added after that day. We have 2 regular sign up days and then if we get a few stragglers, I will pick one more night and give them a 30 minute time slot to meet me at the park to sign up. This isn't advertised, just a way to help those people out who truly could not make the other dates.

Our problem is the few people who are regulars who do not go to sign ups at all, do not contact us until the last possible minute and expect us to chase them. Here we are a few days before cut off and they haven't contacted us.

In your youth programs, do you have cut off dates and do you chase people who you are pretty sure want to participate? It is really getting to be a pain. While we hate for the kid to miss out, it is the same parents who do this all the time. What do you do?

 

[hereyago]

Do not chase them down. Cut off dates are made for a reason. Good luck.

 

[aaarcher86]

Our cut offs are strict. A session of missing out because of their own making will work wonders.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You do not cater to them and stop making the "extra day" unless it was an emergency or prior arrangements had been made.

 

[mamacatnv]

Our cut offs are strict. A session of missing out because of their own making will work wonders.

This - be prepared for some whining and begging but if your board holds their ground the message is sent and next season the parents might pay a bit more attention

 

[Ceila]

Stick to your cut-off date. If you don't, you are going to alienate the people who DO make the effort to sign up on time. Those are the people you want to keep around.

 

[Art 1]

It has been a long time since I posted, so you know this is important!

I am on the board of a youth sports team. There are 3 sessions for this team throughout the year, each separate and not always the same group of children. The amount of kids involved in any session can be over 60. The Friday before each session starts, a transportation list needs to be turned in and no one can be added after that day. We have 2 regular sign up days and then if we get a few stragglers, I will pick one more night and give them a 30 minute time slot to meet me at the park to sign up. This isn't advertised, just a way to help those people out who truly could not make the other dates.

Our problem is the few people who are regulars who do not go to sign ups at all, do not contact us until the last possible minute and expect us to chase them. Here we are a few days before cut off and they haven't contacted us.

In your youth programs, do you have cut off dates and do you chase people who you are pretty sure want to participate? It is really getting to be a pain. While we hate for the kid to miss out, it is the same parents who do this all the time. What do you do?

A cut off date is a cut of date. Same with a starting time, things should start on time. Once the word gets out that this is how things will be you will have less problems with the above.

 

[Erin1700]

Thank you. I am so tired of these select few parents yelling about how "busy" they are. The first sign up was actually held at practice on one of the last days during the spring session. How much more convenient can we get?


I just wanted to ask a neutral audience for their feedback! Sounds like all of you have cutoff days.

 

[debster812]

Set the cut off date(s) and stick to them. I was Registrar for our Town's soccer program for 3+ years, for both our in house rec and travel programs. My first year, there were 4 kids who showed up on Opening Day asking 'what team they were on', despite not being signed up. The line from both sets of parents (2 sets of siblings), our kids ALWAYS play soccer, everyone knows that, they should have been put on a team. Yeah, no.

If you don't keep to the cutoffs, you'll always have people charging in last minute, expecting to be placed.

 

[cleverclovers]

Set the cut off date(s) and stick to them. I was Registrar for our Town's soccer program for 3+ years, for both our in house rec and travel programs. My first year, there were 4 kids who showed up on Opening Day asking 'what team they were on', despite not being signed up. The line from both sets of parents (2 sets of siblings), our kids ALWAYS play soccer, everyone knows that, they should have been put on a team. Yeah, no.

If you don't keep to the cutoffs, you'll always have people charging in last minute, expecting to be placed.

So after the parents finished their rant about how the rules don't apply to them, what did you do?

 

[CF'er]

I have to ask.... are these kids some of your better players? Are they allowed to come late because of their talent and the coaches have to have little Homer on their team?

 

[scrapquitler]

It has been a long time since I posted, so you know this is important!

I am on the board of a youth sports team. There are 3 sessions for this team throughout the year, each separate and not always the same group of children. The amount of kids involved in any session can be over 60. The Friday before each session starts, a transportation list needs to be turned in and no one can be added after that day. We have 2 regular sign up days and then if we get a few stragglers, I will pick one more night and give them a 30 minute time slot to meet me at the park to sign up. This isn't advertised, just a way to help those people out who truly could not make the other dates.

Our problem is the few people who are regulars who do not go to sign ups at all, do not contact us until the last possible minute and expect us to chase them. Here we are a few days before cut off and they haven't contacted us.

In your youth programs, do you have cut off dates and do you chase people who you are pretty sure want to participate? It is really getting to be a pain. While we hate for the kid to miss out, it is the same parents who do this all the time. What do you do?

I don't think you should be chasing anyone down. If they don't get the information to you before the deadline, then they don't participate. End of story. Especially if it's the same people every time. Let the kids miss out on one session and they will get the message, and you won't have to worry about them not contacting you before the deadline the next time.

 

[debster812]

So after the parents finished their rant about how the rules don't apply to them, what did you do?

Told them we'd be happy to re-evaluate the teams in their children's age groups, and if there was space available, we would place them. For the Registration fee, and late charge. They declined, as we (the board) would not guarantee that the cousins of the same age group would be on the same team, and we would not guarantee they could have their requested coaches.

But, they registered on time the next year.

 

[Erin1700]

In our situation, there was a time a few years ago that the president took all the power and allowed parents to mail, drop off or come to her job and give her the money. Or she just let them show up the first day with no papers or money, etc. It turns out that this lady and her husband were stealing A LOT of money. So you can see why she had no rules, as long as she had your money.
For the past 3 years, the organization has been taken over with lots of checks and balances and rules were put into place. This isn't new anymore. Last year we lost 2 boys who were very good and who we really needed, because they would not follow the rules. We didn't kick them off, they left when they realized we were serious.

I just can't deal with these few parents who are "too busy" to get to sign ups. Guess what? I am busy too.

i appreciate all of your input!!

 

[okeydokey]

If you have their emails I would send out one reminder and tell them that the cut off dates will be strictly enforced from here on out. If they are used to you to bending the rules then you have given them a heads up. Then stick to the cut off date.

 

[slo]

I used to be on the board for our towns softball league and I understand your aggravation.

We had a firm cut off date because uniforms needed to be ordered and teams needed to be formed. The only time we would bend the rule would be for someone just moving to town and didn't know about the cutoff.

As hard as it is to stick with a cutoff date it really does need to be done. Good luck!!

 

[StitchBuddy]

Stick to your cut-off date!!! It will be a good lesson for the parents and children.