I can’t help but wonder how many college players are happy with how their season went. Of course, this same discussion applies to high school players who just finished their spring season or players at all levels, for that matter, whenever a season comes to a close.
“My coach hates me!” or “My coach never gave me a chance!” or “My coach plays favorites!” or, well, you get the point. This is a constant refrain heard all over the country when a teams wraps up their campaign. Some of these concerns are brought up with a coach in an exit interview or end-of-the-year meeting but more often than not they are carried away from the season and shared with parents, friends or anyone else who will lend a sympathetic ear.
Yes, I know that every once in a while some of these concerns have some validity but before we decide that our coach really is bad at their job let’s consider a couple things:
- Did you work hard at every practice to prove you deserve to play?
- Did you take an honest look at the roster before you chose the team to see if there was a real opportunity? If you picked a team with an All-American shortstop coming back and you didn’t get to play shortstop, well…
- Did you have a positive attitude towards the team, your teammates and coaches? If not, why should you play?
- Did you speak with your coaches throughout the year to understand your weaknesses to improve your chances of playing?
- How did you perform in practice on a daily basis? Was your performance strong enough to show you were better than the starter or did you just expect to get a chance?
So if you, or your daughter can answer all of these questions positively then you might have a legitimate concern. If not, is it really the coach’s fault?
