Why is it hard to get volunteer coaches for kids’ sports?

So I can understand what is typical...

On a team, is there sometimes, or regularly a kid or 2 that seldom gets a chance to play?

I understand the coach wanting/needed to put in the best player at a decisive moment, but don't they try to get every kid to play their fair share over a period of a few games?

Maybe they don't play much one game, but in the next one they do?

How does this work?

BTW, a huge "UGH" about parents who do things that attract attention to their kid, in this way. Meaning the yelling advice, yelling at the coach etc.

I can understand how the kid must be mortified.

Well you will love this - my husband got the "talk" well the email from my daughter's basketball coach.

He would yell instruction to you during the games. The coach wrote him a "nice" but firm email of how that was affecting her coaching. My husband did say he was sorry and would refraim (it wasn't easy for him either).

The next season after the team was selected she wrote an email to all the parents with clear expectations of the kids AND parents. She made it clear that parents would not be able to attend games if they did not adhere to her rules.

My husband was well-behaved and a model parent after that.

I think it really depends on the league.

In our league, yes, everyone got an equal chance to play. We took it a step further and everyone rotated among different positions (except for pitcher). The other teams in our league would typically put the best players at first, for example (since that's the position that usually sees the most action). You'd see the same players in the same positions each game. We sometimes had totally pitiful people at first, and suffered for it. But we won the championship anyway! (Go awesome coach.)

I understand that travel leagues are more competitive, with more of an emphasis on winning. (Sozlet isn't in any travel leagues, we know some people who are though.)

In a "rec" or "in house league" all kids are selected for a team. They all get equal play - although better players will be earlier in the line up and play key spots on the field. The coach will typically move a lesser player in field during the games to give them experience, but most of the game these positions will be played by the stronger players. The object is to teach the kids the game and sportsmanship.

Travel is like an all star team - the kids from the rec teams try out and the best make the team. Often times, like in our town, they will have an A and B team so that pretty much whoever tries out does get on a team. The A team is the competitive strong team (usually made up of kids that really want to play the sport and will most likely play in high school).

So in this team, the rules are - you have to play each child on the team at least two innings in a game and they are always in the line up to bat. Most of the teams have 12 - 14 players and only 9 play on the field at a time. You have so many because of vacations/getting hurt, etc. Because this is competitive and supposed to be the best in the city (for their age group) you do not get equal billing. You need to be good. This league's objective is to teach the sport/sportsmanship and competitive play.

In my opinion both leagues serve a purpose and one is not better than the other - it is what the child wants.

I didn't want my younger one to play travel - I thought she was too young, but she insisted.

So both daughters made the playoffs. Yesterday night, my older daughter’s team played. Yes, the one with the bothersome parent. Well now another parent got into the mix. I did see this parent during the game interrupt my husband (at least she was quiet). He spoke with her briefly and went on with the game. It was a close one, the squeaked it out 6-5 to go onto the championship. He had his best infield players stay in their positions for the entire game. The remainder of the girls, he rotated in and out equally in the outfield.

Well this mom was complaining that HER daughter did not get to play 1st base the entire game. Well the girl that did is best at that position and they barely won.

In the last 2nd and 3rd games of the season, we were killing the other teams so my husband played these “lesser” players more than the stronger players during those games. And they played key in-field positions. My daughter, only played one inning in one of these games – I complained to the coach that he didn’t put her in for the required two inning minimum. (of course giving hubby a hard time). None of the parents of these stronger players complained or said boo.

What the heck, does every parent actually think their child is best? Even when it is obvious this 1st base player rarely makes errors. The mom was claiming to my husband that the in-field were making lots of errors – which was untrue.

OMG, that reminds me so much of the soccer games we've had when Jane was little. Her coach through the years was Italian (his kid was in the game too) and we were always afraid he could get a heart attack, that's how much he was involved in the game. He was so with the game, no parent was able to approach him during a game, but I am sure he got his fair share of complainers too.

We used to have the most problems with the opposing teams and parents. Catholic schools have tons of Mexican kids playing and they were so much more serious about soccer. When our team won, we sometimes thought
the parents are going to come over and beat the crap out of us.....it was
even worse when my daughter's team won in the play-offs, out of ca.
20 other catholic schools - some of the parents of the opposing team got into a real shouting match with a few of our parents.

Ah, I miss those days......

fortunately we haven't had much problems with the opposing teams. I've found most are pretty good.

The only problem I've heard and this more from the other coaches as our team has been doing pretty well - is there are certain teams that will push up the scores even when they are so far ahead the other team has no chance. For example, keeping all your best players in the in-field/stealing bases when you are already ahead by 20 runs. My husband has repeatedly been given compliments by opposing team's coaches about his sportmanship and thanking him for not running up the score.

Reminds me of a book about italian soccer by the famous or infamous Joe McGuinness:

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion-Folly/dp/0767905997/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312319473&sr=1-6

The erudite Tim Parks also writes about the calcio in italian life. Ah, never mind.
(He's a long time favorite author of mine, and I've recently found out he's been very sick. Aack.)