Coaches must NOT be parents?

coasterqueen wrote: I seriously get frazzled every time the girls sign up for new sports/activities. I swear I think the coaches are NOT parents or just don't think about all the scheduling one must do to shuttle their kids around to activities.

Kylie starts soccer GAMES in 3 weeks. We have yet to find out when practices are. I emailed the head coach because I'm trying to figure out when practices are so I can get my calendar settled here. Kylie was also going to take hip hop dance again but her studio closed after 18 years and she has decided to take a year off before we find another studio. She also has piano and Brownies, and Megan has gymnastics and Daisies.

I ONLY have so many days in a week here coaches, why can't they let you know a little in advance as to when things are going to be scheduled? WHY?WHY?WHY? Yes, I'm pouting like a child. Knowing my luck soccer practices will be on Thursday nights when Piano is and I can't reschedule piano. That's the only night she has available (the teacher). I'm also wanting to sign Megan up for fall gymnastics but her summer coach has no idea when the schedule will be out.

Am I the only one who has this problem? Why do they wait so last minute to do all the scheduling? Is there something I don't see? Last session we were in activities 5 of the 7 nights, so scheduling is HUGE for us.

MommyToAshley replied: They ALWAYS wait for the last minute to schedule anything. I have never been in an activity where this didn't happen.

Ashley's soccer practice starts next week, and I have yet to hear what time it will be. I did find out that practices will be Mon, Tues, and Wednesday. But, I have yet to see the times or the game schedule. They start having games in September.

Dance is the same way. It usually starts the first week of September and I have yet to see the schedule. But, we usually start a month late, after soccer has ended.

Luckily, Ashley's piano teacher is pretty flexible. I adore her for that, she always seems so accomodating even though she has a ton of students.

coasterqueen replied:
I think our piano teacher would be flexible, but I hate to change when we just started, kwim? I think it's unfair to her, as well, to be changing the schedule to accommodate other coaches who can't seem to get their schedules together sooner, kwim? Although my feelings aren't really going to change anything for any coach.

luvbug00 replied: brad coaches myas team for baskeball and he finds out games on sunday and emails us monday morning. no notice is known to him before that.

msoulz replied: They are parents who are trying to fit it all into their schedules too, and to fit around their own kids so yours are second priority!!

MommyToAshley replied: This is a good point, I don't want to come across as though I am harping on the coaches as I appreciate that they volunteer their time. My frustration is with the lack of communicatin that occurs with most organized sports. Most of the time, when you sign up for an activity, they can't even tell you what day of the week practice will be on... really, can't that be scheduled in advance of the first week?

coasterqueen replied:
Same here, I have the utmost respect for our coaches as I know how much hard work it really is. Ryan assisted coached and that was enough work, believe me. I believe if they already know when games will start and for us we know exactly what week and day our games will start, we just don't know times yet, but if we can at least know this we should be able to know WHEN practices will be. I mean, our games are in 3 weeks. The director told me it is up to the coaches discretion when he schedules practices, so IMO we should know by now. Sadly, if they schedule practices on the same night we have piano we'll scrap soccer. I just don't think it's fair to the piano teacher, even if she can accommodate us. As far as gymnastics, they use the same schedule every freakin' year, just don't know which teacher there will be for what time/class, so at the very least, when I call they should be able to answer my question of "what week will fall classes start and what are the class times. Those never change, I just don't have that information at my fingertips because I lost my old schedule. And we are doing the switch from day to night classes, and I would like to schedule the night classes same night as Kylie's soccer practices so we are only gone on one or two nights, instead of three.

jcc64 replied:

You see it, but perhaps have overlooked it: THEY'RE MEN, and they make "man plans." No offense to our dads here, but with a husband who ran the entire little league program in our town for years, and is still actively coaching travel and all stars, I can tell you that guys don't operate like we do. They'll call a practice on the SAME DAY sometimes, and that's just the way they are.
My kids are also over committed, so we do the best we can, trying to limit them to just a few activities per season, and adjust on the fly. Corey's in gymnastics 4 days a week, 3-4 hrs at a time, so doing too many other things isn't feasible--and yet she keeps asking to play soccer, join a theatre group, take piano, and I just have to remind her that she's got to make choices. There's no way to do it all.

mom21kid2dogs replied:

SO TRUE!!! Stephen has coached girl's softball for a couple of years now. Not only do the coaches not get alot of notice about but he (and every other coach we've had) call only a day or two in advance of the first practice. He doesn't "get" calling as soon as you decide despite having a daughter with a crazy busy schedule as well as his own to work around.

coasterqueen replied:
I figured it was a man thing. I know Kylie's softball coach would do that. We wouldn't have a practice scheduled and all of a sudden I'm getting an email Friday afternoon to have a practice on Saturday or Sunday. Um, he obviously doesn't know me because we PLAN everything.

MommyToAshley replied:
Ahhh...nothing else need be said.

To my DH, if we call and book a hotel before we reach the destination, then we have planned ahead, even if it is in the car on the way. Yes, dear, I am talking about you.

moped replied: That is the reason I only allow one activity at a time! Per kid......I just can't be over committing them and then getting it all confused....cause I would!

coasterqueen replied:
We originally started doing this, but *I* want them to take piano, and so I can't really count that as their ONE activity. Although, Kylie wants to take it too. But I allow one sport activity like soccer, softball, volleyball, etc and then one "dance" activity. Well, then there is Brownies.

Trust me, when you get two kids in one activity each there could still possibly be confusion.