Thanks 3boys. But slavery, kids working in the field...indenture servitude. It doesn't matter, it has no comparison with youth baseball.

Congratulations on your boys success. Now, maybe other dads can decide what's best for their kids.

I apologize for being so senistive, but going from someone wanting to instill discpline in a kid to comparing him to kids working in the field just kind of hit me hard in the a.s.s.

Getting back to the original situation of a player missing a game and leaving your short.
Maybe if you carried more than 10 players you could be more flexible and not be short when a kid who plays on another team misses a game. Most kids at 10 play on more than one team and now is the time that LL or Cal ripken districts are going on. Many young travel team end their season by early June so they don't interfer with district games.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Crude:
Bench him, then punch his mother in the face. That should send a message to rest of those ungrateful kids and parents.

Oh my gosh...that was funny! Now my keyboard is sticky from the fruit juice that shot out my nose. Thanks alot!

I'm thinking this is not a big deal. If you allowed him to play on another team during your season, then why is it he can only play when you say it is OK? Was that predetermined? If you knew he was playing for another team, you had the option of not having him on your team in the first place, correct?

At 10 years old, is a travel game really more important than a playoff game for the other team?

You should do what you think. You have volunteered your time and therefore get to make the decisions. I would not bench this player though, if it were me.

Good luck the rest of the season!

If you are running a 10 year old travel team which also lets their players play on the LL or Pony teams, you should be happy that you have chosen the better players and let them play in their post season tournaments. The teams around here do stop as the districts are going on and when the players lose, they start up again.

If you have enough players to work around them, then they could play but knowing that it may not be as successful as with them.

Communication up front before the situation should have taken place.

quote:

Originally posted by Homerun04: The teams around here do stop as the districts are going on and when the players lose, they start up again.

Yep, That's exactly what we do... We're just getting back into practice for the Fall season now...

As far as benching the player... If it's a 1st time violation for the kid, I'd let it go - with maybe a meeting w/you him and his parents... You had 9-guys anyway and that let some get some extra AB's... If it's been a repeating thing with this kid, then you might have to find yourself another player...

I can tell you that some feel that league ball All-Stars are more important than Travel-Ball...

When this issue came up a few years ago, I sent out an e-mail asking what we should do... We were invited by USSSA to play in 2 invitationals during what was the district timeframe...

Here's and exact quote from one of my parents e-mail to me... "We have always chosen all stars over travel ball if their is a non workable conflict (if we can, we do both). Our reason is not to chase some pot of gold, though when that happens it is wonderful; instead it is because in all stars the league can't pick up outside help. You choose from your league and then make it or break it with those kids all the way through. Travel teams can pick up players almost until the day of the tournament so they are not left unable to participate whereas the all stars might be left with no option."

Now this was a parent of ours who an older son whose team went to Williamsport in 2005...

-Good Luck.

Thanks for all the replies... however some of you folks read as well as the player in question parent's must... it was communicated early on, prior to paying, the expectation was this team was # 1, our house league isn't LL affiliated so there is no path to ESPN via Williamsport (they were house playoffs) Oh yeah, just have fun, so long as it works for you and yours.