So let’s keep up the discussion of organizations. Todays topic:
16. Too much org jumping!
Okay, we’ve already discussed the perceived benefits in joining an organization and if those benefits are real for all the teams that join. We’ve also discussed the cost to join some of the organizations. Both of these are clearly part of todays topic and clearly raises a very good question. If the organization you joined last year was so great why are you looking for a new organization this year? And what makes you think the next situation will be any better than the one you just left?
One family I work with, second year 16U, is on their fifth organization in the 6 years I have worked with her. Now, don’t misunderstand what I just said, they are on the same team and have been loyal to the coach and their core group of players for 6 years, but their team has been in five different organizations over that time frame. Every time they tell me about the new organization their team is joining it sounds like a broken record, repeating the same list of all the amazing things that the new organization offers that the old one didn’t. Now I am very old and forgetful but I clearly remember them telling me 3 years ago, and then two years ago and then again last year all about how great this new organization is going to be and what it means to their team.
So some of the organization moves, especially early on, can easily be explained since you don’t know what you don’t know. But when you’ve heard the organization sales pitch 5 different times you’d think that the coach and parents would start to see the pattern. If you heard the sales pitch once and fell in love with organization “A” that is understandable. I get it, it does sound really amazing to think about all the benefits your team will reap from joining this organization. Now when you realize that your team isn’t really reaping much from organization “A” I would think that you would be a little more cautious when you look for organization “B” but clearly that isn’t always true. Now when you and your team have been with almost every organization in the our region and you are still looking for a better fit I think we can assume that what you are hoping to find in an organization might not exist. And they don’t exist because many of the benefits you are hoping to find are not available to all the teams in the org. Please, let me be clear. If the org you are in isn’t delivering then I agree you should leave. But before you jump 9again) ask yourself if the grass is really going to be greener or if the grass already trampled down from so many teams walking across it?
Remember one of my grandfathers timeless gems, “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is”? Well he had another one, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!” Clearly not everyone coaching a travel ball team had a wise old grandfather to guide them through the trials of picking the right organization! Look on the bright side though, you have an amazing collection of uniforms and spirit wear.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
