Is it wrong......

Here's the scenario:

A father who has spent either a lot of time on the field, monies for the program or donated equipment wants his son to be added to the Varsity team. Not necessarily to play...just to be on the team.

What should the coach do? I'm just curious to your thoughts

 

He's got....

to be able to play! (At least a 'lil)

 

Yes

I was one of those dads sort of. Years of play for pay, then one very good JV year and then the bottom fell out. The player has to want it for himself and put in whatever effort it takes to make the team based on a coachs criteria.

He was cut, I got angry, then woke up and started thinking again. Being a mascot(team manager) was offered, that contributed to my anger. My son said heck no and has moved on. A player had better want to be playing not sitting out a year as the 17th guy.

 

Putting kids on the Varsity

I feel that you open up a big can of worms if you put a kid on the varsity because his dad does things for the program. Lets see Johnny is on the varsity because dad has the means or time to help out the program. Bobby gets cut or put on JV because he is just not good enough. But if dad had the time and or money to help out he would be on the team. There is not one bit of fairness with this scenario. Kids should only make the team either JV or Varisty based on their and only their baseball ability. PERIOD. The only exception to me would be a kid that is not very talented but is an inspiration to his teammates through his dedication and hard work. He might not play in games but his mere presence and attitude helps the team. But this is something that he has done not his dad. Where does it stop. Johnny makes the team because of all that dad does. So next year some more dads step up and want the same treatment. The nightmare situations go on and on with something like this. Either do it with no strings attached or dont do it at all. If there are strings attached then you didnt do it for the right reasons in the first place. JMHO

 

I was wondering a bit on rules as far as having kids on both JV and Varsity, assuming you didn't play the mess out of them both games. I'm more wondering for football, but I'd assume that it'd be allright to keep a sophomore playing fulltime JV and have him dress for Varsity and be used situationally or occasionally.

 

Actually Coach, IMHO, I think you are exactly right. But in my scenario we are talking about a kid that probably won't play much.

...and hookslide, thanks for your honest answer. Not too many would admit that.

 

If you can find something that this kid does extremely well, like pinch run, then consider it. Otherwise, it's blatant favoritism, especially if you can think of others that would be as deserving.

 

and to add fuel to the fire, this goes on at the college level (football and basketball) all the time. There was always a player whose father was a personal friend of Dean Smith sitting at the end of the bench. That is actually common practice at most big time schools.

 

...good one "O"

 

those irish kids? I swear they were there about ten years.