Balancing School Activities and Select

dallas 1968 wrote:This is an ongoing problem for many of the girls playing both club and high school. I feel most club coaches NEVER consider their players hs commitments at all when scheduling practices. Some high school coaches do allow their girls to skip hs practice or leave early to attend club practice, should they be involved in both.

This seems to be the best solution as 'over training' can be a big issue for these young women, not to mention travel from school to club practice, often over several miles, then having to get home, eat, do homework, sleep and start it all again the next day.

We should be (but often aren't) keeping the best interests of these young players in mind. In my experience, the girls do enjoy playing for their schools with their friends and classmates. We should not lose track of this fact.  

What does this have to do with illegal immigrants, Donald trump and sharia law? I think you're on the wrong board buddy. Take this silly soccer talk elsewhere.

dallas 1968 wrote:This is an ongoing problem for many of the girls playing both club and high school. I feel most club coaches NEVER consider their players hs commitments at all when scheduling practices. Some high school coaches do allow their girls to skip hs practice or leave early to attend club practice, should they be involved in both.

This seems to be the best solution as 'over training' can be a big issue for these young women, not to mention travel from school to club practice, often over several miles, then having to get home, eat, do homework, sleep and start it all again the next day.

We should be (but often aren't) keeping the best interests of these young players in mind. In my experience, the girls do enjoy playing for their schools with their friends and classmates. We should not lose track of this fact.  

Most of the club coaches move practices for the HS age teams to the 7:30 or so time slot to avoid HS practice conflicts but almost all (other than the paycheck coaches) insist that Club take precedence.

Some of the HS coaches are control crazy and intentionally create conflict, but they usually don't win much in HS anyway. Many of the other HS coaches have their hands tied by attendance rules but have figured out how to make it work if they want to.

Both high school and club coaches will find a way to make it work especially for good players. They both want the best players on the field come game time. If a parent or their DD is upset because little Susie is starting again and she always misses practice because she's an awesome volleyball player too, then that's as good a lesson to learn as any. The world isn't as fair as we would like it to be so get use to it.

Sho'nuff wrote:Who's a good illegal alien coach?

Personally, I'd go with Beldar, but since he's French, do we really care if he's here illegally or not?

CBTeamworks wrote:

CUZete90 wrote:

Packrabbit wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:I say let the coach handle it on a case by case basis. If the parents don't like it they can either take it up with the coach, live with the coaches decisions or find a new team next year.

What if the coach doesn't speak English?

He can help with their Spanish homework, thus leaving more time for practice.  It's a clear advantage over the English speaking coaches.

If you want your daughter coached by an illegal alien that's up to you. If there are illegal aliens who are reffing soccer games in our various leagues then that needs to stop. Being able to speak English should be a requirement for communication purposes but the bigger factor is that they have broken our laws and it should prevent them from passing any background checks unless they lied about their SSN. I understand that some of you don't care but why have background checks at all if they serve no purpose?

How are refs paid in the various leagues? I know in PPIL they're paid by the teams instead of the league. Why is that?

Warning: Falling Soapbox coming...
You obviously have more insight into this illegal referee mafia thing overtaking NTX than the rest of us. However, you are in a somewhat of a self-centered, ignorant type of bliss to think this the first time this country has been "victimized" by the immigration scourge.  

Over century ago, english couldn't believe the Germans came uninvited to their country... the Germans were outraged when the Irish stole all their jobs, who then dispised the dirty WOP (WithOut Papers) Italians, who stole everything ... Who then fought with the Slavs, who snuck in after the Bolshevik revolution, Bc they were willing to work the 100 work-week in the coal mines... And after WWII IT WAS A REAL MESS-you would have lost your mind! Back then, they lived in their own little neighborhoods, which only spoke their own language... it generally took 3 generations before a group fully accepted English as their primary language. By some estimates, "illegals" constituted 25-30% of the eastern seaboard... And the country survived... (Gasp )Thrived. And will do so now.

If you want to fight illegal immigration, you could pick up a mop, a lawnmower, brick & lumber, fruit and vegetables and take those jobs back! Personally, I rather have a few more workers around to support me when I retire.

You can keep on blaming, whining and complaining - it's your right since you were smart enough to be born in the right place... But you can't do it in self-centered ignorance anymore.  

Now, soccer jack... What are your views on taxes, healthcare and most important- CPP?

I dont here too many people talking about healthcare and taxes but cpp is the devils work and must be stopped immediately. When I build the wall around utd to keep the Mexican refs out I will ban the cpp players also. After I send the refs back to Mexico I will send the cpp players back to the suburb they came from. Swift and decisive action my friends, is what this league needs.

Political disclaimer: I equally despise both political parties...so i am running as an independent for lh commish. After elected I will start my own corrupt party.

Well, like all government pyramid schemes, I am happy to get in ground level then shovel it off on my friends...ignore my avatar (unless it helps).

Now Eye'm upset. U drov rit past mii an dent stop tu bi enithyng?

Its all a balancing act and how organized your child really is. My daughter learned over the years to do homework at any given free moment in her day. She does it in study hall, lunch, in class during free time, etc... Many of drives to and from practices she is doing homework. This year she is lucky all her school practice are before school but with XC & track this is all year round training on top of soccer. She opted to not play HS soccer this year because she wants to explore other sports she can't due weekend restrictions.

A good coach will figure out the girls school sports commitments for games and work practices around the majorities schedule. Ex: MS or HS games are on Wednesday night then practices are on Tues/Thursday.

As for school practices I am not aware of any schools that have team practices later then 5-5:30 pm. So that shouldn't be an issue for missing team practice.

Again at the end of the day if your child loves the sport they learn to adapt and juggle for the game.

As the girls get older, the coaches practice less in seasons where MOST of the girls are going to be overworked...like HS soccer. Younger dds may have to make decisions, but if you are up front about it with coach at signing, it works out...the ones that don't work out are when the expectation is different.

Our coaches are fine up to a point, but constantly missing can create drama...Pretty much, just know the level of commitment you are walking into...if it isn't a match, then that is something you need to discuss before you write the check.

OLJW wrote:Now Eye'm upset.  U drov rit  past mii an dent stop tu bi enithyng?

I gave you a $3 bill...for oh ker uh...

The problem is not managing homework, most if not all players are doing very well in school. The problem is that parents have over committed their player and ok'd them to participate in band activities, chior, cheer, volleyball, or whatever league the school has going now - during league season play which goes from Sept - Oct? Now i would think that parents would not blatantly sign up Suzy at school to play volleyball or Band or whatever... knowing that this school league or activity will affect and or interfere with the teams outdoor season. but parents have done that. Get on the parent? get on the player? ok to do school activities, but only outside of fall and spring league play?

Some posts have been informative with good suggestions, some ridiculously stupid and off topic, and some iffy.... Please stay on topic and offer your infinite wisdom based on experience.

BIGENCHILADA wrote:The problem is not managing homework, most if not all players are doing very well in school. The problem is that parents have over committed their player and ok'd them to participate in band activities, chior, cheer, volleyball, or whatever league the school has going now - during league season play which goes from Sept - Oct? Now i would think that parents would not blatantly sign up Suzy at school to play volleyball or Band or whatever... knowing that this school league or activity will affect and or interfere with the teams outdoor season. but parents have done that. Get on the parent? get on the player?  ok to do school activities, but only outside of fall and spring league play?

Some posts have been informative with good suggestions, some ridiculously stupid and off topic, and some iffy....  Please stay on topic and  offer your infinite wisdom  based on experience.  

At the high school level (and on this site), it's a little harder to feel sympathetic for those volleyballers, cheerleaders, banders who also play soccer (or vice versa). . I think it comes down to stating priorities ahead of time-- your coach needs to be informed if your DD is a 'soccer player that runs cross country' or is a 'volleyballer that plays soccer' and let him/her decide. To do otherwise is self-inflicted drama.

I imagine the hard part is when a 'soccer player' is able to contribute to both the club and HS varsity soccer teams. Her brain says club is more important to college (if that her goal), but her heart wants to represent her school. If the club and HS coaches are unwilling to compromise, it has to be a tough decision... But It's hard to imagine either coach pushing a very good player into a corner.

... Unless he doesn't speak englese...

I did this with my older boy, and am now doing it with my dd.

First and foremost, set up your "rules" with your kid. For our family, its the following:
-Soccer and school sport practice conflict? soccer wins
-soccer practice and school game conflict? school sport wins
-soccer game starts within 1 hour of completion of school game? no school game..only soccer that day
-school game starts within 1 hour of completion of soccer game? try to go directly from soccer.
-(high school) state playoffs/championship games win over a regular season soccer game.
-homework trumps everything...if you are not pulling the grades due to insufficient homework time, school sport goes away....then soccer if necessary.

When I register my dd for school sports, I put in the comments section of the registration form that she plays competitive soccer. When the teams are set, I immediately contact the coach and let them know what the priorities are, and try to provide as much of a schedule as I can. I find it makes the drama much less if stuff is discussed ahead of time.

As with everything else, communication is key.

It just isn't easy.  My DD just hit high school and her time is consumed with homework and soccer.  I have learned that her HS soccer program is respectful and understands the advantage of select players.  Her select coach is great and teaches the proper decorum on the field and off.  We usually don't get our choice of HS coaches, but we do get our choice of select coaches, so it is up to us as parents to get a match for that.

That being said, if a select player is going to take on a 2nd sport that probably doesn't have a reciprocal agreement, then they do so at their own risk.  Coaches may be understanding to occasionally excusing someone from practice if they have a church or school activity.  But the player may not start the next game and if that is the case, deal with it because other players on the team may not make those important topics as high a priority and they show for every practice.  If you have a consistent select coach who holds EACH AND EVERY PLAYER to the same expectation, then you can't ask for anything more.  You can't ask for a double standard.  What's important to one person isn't necessarily as important to the next.  Consistency by the coach is the only way to ensure fair treatment.  

Bear in mind if your DD gets involved in too much, it will cause injuries.  The human body can only take so much, particularly those that are about to turn or are in their early teens.  If they are tired or injured, then they won't perform 100% at any sport and it could negatively impact their academic performance.

Excellent! Keep the advice coming....