Need opinions: Teens sporting question

[Nancy O]

I need opinions regarding something that happened in our community.

You have a sporting team. The coach/program director had been fired the previous year. It is somewhat unclear the reasons so that is really another post. The team loved the coach and were shocked when they were were told the coach had been terminated just before a major event. The person that is replacing the coach/program director is a former team member who just graduated collage in May.

The teams consist of kids ranging from elementary school through high school. They are divided into 3 levels, mostly based on age and ability. Some of the team members have been part of the program since 5th grade. They are all very close and consider their team their second family. There are five team members that will be entering their senior year. Last year's the premier team consisted of 16 members and there were were two seniors to give you an idea of size. The five seniors have mostly moved up at the same time and had been skating on the highest level team since their freshman year. You should also know that the team won a national championship in 2017.

The coach did say they were going to change how they selected teams. What they didn't say was that they were only going to look at the performance at tryouts and take only the top 10% of the scores for the premier team for a total of 10 teams. They are also allowing 1 of those members to be a former teammate whose family moved out of state for three years due to the father's temporary relocation for a job (non-military). They graduated high school this May and will be attending college in the area. I think that they will have to re-establish residency before starting but I am not certain about that. This years premier team will have 12 members.


Yes, you guessed it .....2 of the seniors have been sent back to a lower level for teams and competition level. They will be on a team with those that they have never worked with before and are much younger. They will not even be able to use some the skills that they have been using for the past three years when they skate at this level.

Thoughts?

 

[Hrhpd]

Any chance the old coach can field his own team? We had that happen in one of our children's sports (lacrosse.) A coach quit/was fired (depends on who you talk to) at the end of the season right before the biggest games. He must not have had a non-compete clause in his employment contract because he turned around and started his own organization for the next season. The first year, he had at least half his old team follow him. 3 years later, he was huge and a force to be reckoned with, giving his old organization a run for their money due to the fact that many, many defected.

 

[Allison]

Disappointing for them but you aren't guaranteed anything in sports. Different coaches have different methods.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I need opinions regarding something that happened in our community.

You have a sporting team. The coach/program director had been fired the previous year. It is somewhat unclear the reasons so that is really another post. The team loved the coach and were shocked when they were were told the coach had been terminated just before a major event. The person that is replacing the coach/program director is a former team member who just graduated collage in May.

The teams consist of kids ranging from elementary school through high school. They are divided into 3 levels, mostly based on age and ability. Some of the team members have been part of the program since 5th grade. They are all very close and consider their team their second family. There are five team members that will be entering their senior year. Last year's the premier team consisted of 16 members and there were were two seniors to give you an idea of size. The five seniors have mostly moved up at the same time and had been skating on the highest level team since their freshman year. You should also know that the team won a national championship in 2017.

The coach did say they were going to change how they selected teams. What they didn't say was that they were only going to look at the performance at tryouts and take only the top 10% of the scores for the premier team.

Yes, you guessed it .....2 of the seniors have been sent back to a lower level for teams and competition level. They will be on a team with those that they have never worked with before and are much younger. They will not even be able to use some the skills that they have been using for the past three years when they skate at this level.

Thoughts?

My thoughts are, if you didn’t make the cut, you didn’t make the cut.

 

[robinb]

I need opinions regarding something that happened in our community.

You have a sporting team. The coach/program director had been fired the previous year. It is somewhat unclear the reasons so that is really another post. The team loved the coach and were shocked when they were were told the coach had been terminated just before a major event. The person that is replacing the coach/program director is a former team member who just graduated collage in May.

The teams consist of kids ranging from elementary school through high school. They are divided into 3 levels, mostly based on age and ability. Some of the team members have been part of the program since 5th grade. They are all very close and consider their team their second family. There are five team members that will be entering their senior year. Last year's the premier team consisted of 16 members and there were were two seniors to give you an idea of size. The five seniors have mostly moved up at the same time and had been skating on the highest level team since their freshman year. You should also know that the team won a national championship in 2017.

The coach did say they were going to change how they selected teams. What they didn't say was that they were only going to look at the performance at tryouts and take only the top 10% of the scores for the premier team.

Yes, you guessed it .....2 of the seniors have been sent back to a lower level for teams and competition level. They will be on a team with those that they have never worked with before and are much younger. They will not even be able to use some the skills that they have been using for the past three years when they skate at this level.

Thoughts?

Well, that does suck for those two kids. As a parent I would be disappointed for my child.

The team lost only 2 seniors due to attrition. It sounds like the new coach wants to use the best players for the premier team and kids from the lower level moved up and bumped out 2 of the remaining seniors. That is what it's like in team sports. Kids don't always get to be varsity or on the elite/premier team just because they are the oldest. Sometimes they need to earn that spot.

My DD was a swimmer and while it is primarily an individual sport, had to earn her way into every single team relay. She also had to earn her way onto the elite training group on her club team by showing talent and dedication. She was bumped down two levels on her club team as a senior in high school because she was no longer willing to put in 6-10 practices per week. She swam with kids 2-5 years younger and did extremely well her last season, qualifying for the big Speedo mutli-state swim meet in multiple events. It was difficult for her to swim with younger kids and leave her friends behind in the elite group, but she was still successful.

 

[Nancy O]

Any chance the old coach can field his own team? We had that happen in one of our children's sports (lacrosse.) A coach quit/was fired (depends on who you talk to) at the end of the season right before the biggest games. He must not have had a non-compete clause in his employment contract because he turned around and started his own organization for the next season. The first year, he had at least half his old team follow him. 3 years later, he was huge and a force to be reckoned with, giving his old organization a run for their money due to the fact that many, many defected.

There had been talk of that happening but without the support of the park board I don't know that the team would succeed. It should also be noted that there are no other options for this sport for over a 100 miles.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

A couple of questions about the new coach. He was a player himself? In college, too? What was his reasoning for doing this?

 

[Nancy O]

A couple of questions about the new coach. He was a player himself? In college, too? What was his reasoning for doing this?

Quote from the coach "That's how they do it in the NBA" (This isn't a basketball team)

 

[Southernmiss]

I'm betting the board had a good reason to let the coach go.

We lost a travel soccer coach because of inappropriate relationships with a player (not our team).

We lost a high school coach because he was dealing drugs

On teams with tryouts no one is guaranteed a spot from year to year.

As to the age of the coach, that's not an issue with me.

Tough to be the kid or parents, but that's how it goes

 

[sam_gordon]

Let me get this right...

Last year there were 16 players on the team, 2 of which were seniors. There is a new coach this year, a former player for the team. There were 5 juniors last year, and they'd be seniors for this upcoming season. Of those 5 seniors, only two of them got selected to the top team. The other three were put on a lower team. Those three (and presumably you are one of the parents) are upset.

A new coach means a different selection process. The new process may not work at all and the coach will learn from it. Or, the new process may work out fine.

I agree in sports there is no guarantee of a spot on a team. It sounds like this coach wanted to go in with a clean slate because he didn't know anyone's skill (if he just graduated college, he'd been gone for four years. He might know the kids but not their current ability). I think the three who didn't make the top team need to decide if they want to play the sport or give it up.

Is there a chance of moving up midway through the season (maybe because of injury of a top player)?

 

[Nancy O]

Let me get this right...

Last year there were 16 players on the team, 2 of which were seniors. There is a new coach this year, a former player for the team. There were 5 juniors last year, and they'd be seniors for this upcoming season. Of those 5 seniors, only two of them got selected to the top team. The other three were put on a lower team. Those three (and presumably you are one of the parents) are upset.

It is the opposite. 3 seniors on the team. 2 are off.

A new coach means a different selection process. The new process may not work at all and the coach will learn from it. Or, the new process may work out fine.

I agree in sports there is no guarantee of a spot on a team. It sounds like this coach wanted to go in with a clean slate because he didn't know anyone's skill (if he just graduated college, he'd been gone for four years. He might know the kids but not their current ability). I think the three who didn't make the top team need to decide if they want to play the sport or give it up.

The coach used to be on the same team with some of the teammates. The coach had been on two teams their senior year as they didn't have enough for the middle team. I hope that makes sense. By the way the coach will not be the "official" coach. They are the director of the program and are not allowed to coach. They made the decision on the scoring system and how they were were selected but only had said there were changes and the some skaters may be on a different team. The thought they would do this to seniors never occurred to me. The official coach had very little say on how the team was selected but knows the team members and their ability very well.

Is there a chance of moving up midway through the season (maybe because of injury of a top player)? NO

 

[robinb]

Is there a chance of moving up midway through the season (maybe because of injury of a top player)?

I had this question too. Can the bumped seniors move back up if they prove themselves or if there is an injury?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Quote from the coach "That's how they do it in the NBA" (This isn't a basketball team)

You didn't answer my questions, though.

Was/is he a player himself? Did he play the sport in college? And did he, other than the NBA quote, give any rationale for why he's making these changes?

ETA ok I see he was a former player. Still want to know answers to the other questions, though.

 

[Nancy O]

I honestly think that what upsets me most is the following:
1) They were not told that they would only be taking the top 10% of those who tried out for the premier team. I'm pretty certain preparations would have been handled differently. If they didn't do what they needed then that would indeed be on them.
2)The addition of someone who graduated high school already.
3)They did not have the decency to explain to those who were not going to be selected directly. We had to find out at a letter. Once again this is a very close knit group.

 

[mjkacmom]

That does stink. How it works here is that seniors can’t play JV, so if an incoming senior isnt as skilled as younger players, I’ve seen coaches cut them, so they can’t play at all, or talk to them and give them the option of making the varsity team but not to expect a lot of playing time (but still practicing and attending games with the team, getting some play time if they were winning by a lot, or senior day), or not playing at all.

 

[sam_gordon]

How many players play at the same time? You say the old team had 16 players, but the new one only has 12. That's quite a cut.

Close knit nor history with the team makes a difference. Presumably you knew it was a new coach. The boys should have put their all into tryouts. If they tried to "coast" through tryouts, they got what they deserved.

 

[gillep]

I honestly think that what upsets me most is the following:
1) They were not told that they would only be taking the top 10% of those who tried out for the premier team. I'm pretty certain preparations would have been handled differently. If they didn't do what they needed then that would indeed be on them.
2)The addition of someone who graduated high school already.
3)They did not have the decency to explain to those who were not going to be selected directly. We had to find out at a letter. Once again this is a very close knit group.

So you are saying that these seniors assumed that because they are seniors they would be on the premier team, and therefore did not give their all at the tryouts, and as a result did not make the team, but if only they had known that they needed to try their hardest then they would have put the work in???

 

[amcnj]

After years involved with sports teams, each coach has their own philosophy and their own allegiances to certain players/families. And when a coach leaves/is let go, that next year can be a totally different experience for the players from the previous season. Some may no be longer be starters, some may no longer even be offered a spot on the team. And it can be most upsetting to seniors who thought they knew the plan and path for what they hoped would have been a big year for them.

It's a tough break, but unfortunately probably won't be the last time something similar may happen to them. The choice left seems to be is the sport important enough to just keep going on and giving your best or not. It doesn't sound like there is a choice to try a different team right now, which I have seen be the option taken by some facing similar situations.

 

[Nancy O]

That's is how all premier sporting

Was/is he a player himself? Did he play the sport in college? And did he, other than the NBA quote, give any rationale for why he's making these changes?

ETA ok I see he was a former player. Still want to know answers to the other questions, though.

Yes, for a while until the program was cut from their college after the coach was fired for embezzlement (rumor only). No rationale was provided. The only thing we were told was that the tryouts would be done different. A packet was sent out with a few new moves that needed to be performed. I thought that is what they meant when they said changes. We were told that some teams may not look the same. Them doing this to seniors who had participated for 3 years already on the premier team never occurred to me or anyone else. My child did participate in this sport when we briefly lived in another city when child was in the 8th grade. That is not how that team did it and I am pretty sure when that coach hears of this she would agree that is not how things are done in this sport. I would imagine that there are teams that do it this way but not at this level. This is done more for recreational purposes. They have always taken on the theory that we try to improve the performance as the year goes on and coming in first was not always the goal. It sure was nice when it happened. The shocked faces on the teams faces when the they saw that they had won will be one of the highlights of mine and my child's life. Now I'm rambling.....

 

[Allison]

Being a senior guarantees nothing. Such is life.