High School Thoughts

[coacha]

I tell the AD and Principal I'm going to do it, and why, BEFOREHAND. Then she can call whoever she wants, it won't make a difference.

We have a very supportive AD, and that's his suggestion as well. He just wants to make sure he has a head's up before his phone blows up.

And you have to remember, if the parents are a PITA, they usually aren't just a PITA for you and administration is already familiar with them.

 

[AScheer]

Just curious, bc I literally have no idea about any of this (not a coach, not a cheerleader, just the mom of a middle schooler who does AS.) How would you cut a girl who had all of the skills, executed them well, previous varsity experience, and assuming no grade/character issues, but happens to have a PITA mom? I mean, if the mom is a PITA when her offspring is ON the team...I cannot imagine the fresh hellfire she would conjure up if you cut her kid & placed a lesser cheerleader on the team. I am picturing calls to the AD, Principal, heck even the school superintendent! How would you deflect the sh#%storm?

You're correct on the guess that these type of parents can get worse. However in my experience parents like this aren't just a PITA for me, but they are for the AD and principal as well. They are usually more than on board for not having the parent in the program because it makes their life better too. There is a special breed of parents that can poison the whole program, run off the good kids, and run off coaches. Most administrations who value their coaches, want to keep their coaches. You have to cut the cancer so to speak. Sports are extracurricular, there is no law or rule that says everyone has to be allowed to be on teams. Creating problems is reason enough in my book to cut a kid.

 

[EWalsh1029]

You're correct on the guess that these type of parents can get worse. However in my experience parents like this aren't just a PITA for me, but they are for the AD and principal as well. They are usually more than on board for not having the parent in the program because it makes their life better too. There is a special breed of parents that can poison the whole program, run off the good kids, and run off coaches. Most administrations who value their coaches, want to keep their coaches. You have to cut the cancer so to speak. Sports are extracurricular, there is no law or rule that says everyone has to be allowed to be on teams. Creating problems is reason enough in my book to cut a kid.

This x100!

 

[Elle B]

Initial thoughts: You've reached a "point of diminishing returns" scenario. The two sisters and their parents together are effectively one unit. That unit's positive contributions to the team do not out-weigh the unit's negative effects on the team. You are spending an inordinate amount of time dealing with the personal desires of one unit. It's the 80%-20% rule: 20% of the units are making 80% of the problems. They are taking up time and emotional energy you could otherwise be spending on the betterment of ALL the units.