I got the following letter from a teacher at our high school. I'm just curious how some of my fellow coaches would respond, as well as wondering how parents feel about it.

I probably have a somewhat one-sided crowd here because most of you either coach baseball or have a son who plays at a high level. But I'd still like to see how some of you would respond. I've already written my response to the teacher. Here is the email I received....

Dear Coach:
My name is _____ and I teach __________ here at X High School. The AD gave me your e-mail address so I could write you. We are beginning our
preparations for our Spring 2008 educational trip to (a foreign country). Several boys had mentioned being interested in going on this trip. When I enquired again last week as to student's interest these boys said the trip would be during baseball season and they couldn't go.
They said if they missed more than 3 games they would be removed from the team or sit the bench for multiple games. Our trip is usually 10-12
days long but the students only miss 6-7 days of school in late March-early April and for some students it is a once in a lifetime experience. Would this field trip since it is sponsored by the school be a legitimate reason for them to miss these games, or would they be penalized as they have said for going? These athletes occasionally leave school early and miss our classes. We, as teachers, are not allowed to penalize them for missing our classes due to the sporting event. (Usually they are very conscientious about making up the missed work.)
Please understand these boys are excellent students in my opinion, I am close to them and they even store their baseball gear in my classroom. My
own children have played sports here and I am a big supporter of _________ sports. I truly believe these boys going to (foreign country) would be a fabulous educational experience. It might me they are not as interested and this is an easy excuse to give me but either way I would like to know your
thoughts, opinions and policies. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mrs.________

I would expect my son's high school coach to assure the teacher, and the players, that if the players went on the trip, they would suffer no penalty for having done so. Anything less would be completely unacceptable.

Why miss classroom time & baseball practice/games for a foreign trip?

I suggest a compromise. Change it to a one time summer-school sponsored trip. If the teacher feels the trip is important enough to miss your limited practice/game time, suggest she keep the students/players in class and you keep your players for practice & games. The two of you could volunteer to take the students on the school budget during summer break & call it foreign exchange student training.

Parents would probably not mind since it would be school sponsored and teacher & coach guided. Who knows, the teacher might be shocked by parents wishing to particpate at their own cost.

Did this teacher notify the coaches earlier in the year of this trip? If the coach knew ahead of time maybe he could have adjusted the game schedule during this period.

Since it would be a school sponsored trip, I don't think removing kids that go on the trip from the team would be right. I do think anyone that goes gives up their starting positions and playing time. They will have to re-earn their positions on the team when they return. The coach must decide if that is one game, 4 games, 8 games, etc.

I've always told my son, once you have committed to play, you have to be there every game, every practice, every event for your teammates and coaches unless you are physically ill or there is some immediate family event (wedding, funeral, etc.).

Coaches must have severe consequences if players "choose" other activities over baseball. He has to know he can count on his team being there.

Thanks for responding Midlo.....since we obviously are at odds on this, can you explain why there should be NO penalty at all? Remember, this is a voluntary trip, doesnt affect their grade. Also, does it make any difference that if the kids were gone for 10 to 12 days as they propose, that the players would miss 9 or 10 or our 27 games? Would it make a difference if this was a player who said he had a once in a lifetime chance to go with his family on a vacation to, I don't know, Aruba?

Southpaw

Thanks for throwing the problem on us summer coaches.

M-BB-D,
I understand & respect your view. I was one of those.....a few years back.

My son was originally disappointed that he was going to miss his senior trip (to be sure, not an 'educational' trip but a big deal nonetheless) because it was baseball season. Then, I reminded him that because he was a baseball player, he got to spend 4 spring breaks in high school in Florida playing ball and yes, playing on the beach. He decided that perhaps missing his senior trip was just fine.

Dear Mrs. (Blank),
I appreciate you considering the baseball team as you prepare your students for their trip abroad. The rules we make (and enforce) are done for a variety of reasons. The main reason is for the basic preservation of the team and the league because without continued player participation the team and all the players will eventually dissolve. The rules are not designed to punish or dismiss players but simply a protective measure for all the players on this team and the league. If I understand correctly the trip abroad is an optional activity (as is baseball) and the young men in question, not their coach or teacher, need to select which option they chose to participate in. If one of my players chooses to participate in the trip abroad I will have no ill feelings toward that player but I will have to take the necessary actions to protect those remaining players that honor their baseball commitment. Thanks again for your considerate request and Bon Voyage.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
I would expect my son's high school coach to assure the teacher, and the players, that if the players went on the trip, they would suffer no penalty for having done so. Anything less would be completely unacceptable.

Im really surprised by the other posts - the kids are students first. If the trip is just for fun then it is wrong for all students. If it is truly educational then it should be a negotiable item with no impact to the kids.

Fungo - this is a first - I cant remember disagreeing with you before. As long as the trip is educational and can add to the collegr resume then baseball should take a backseat

My response would be:

Dear Teacher ---------,

That sounds like a great idea. I hope all the kids that go have a great time and enjoy the educational experience. If any of my players decide to go - I hope they also have a great time and a great educational experience.

Unfortunately - the sport of -------- is also a great educational experience. And in order to earn that - sacrifices have to be made. As I am sure you know - you cant have your cake and eat it too. Thats a life lesson.

So - if any of my players go to ------ with you - tell them not to hurry back on account of baseball - because they wont be playing for me anymore.

I hope you all have a great time and learn alot.
Good luck.

Sincerely - the -------- coach.

Baseball is a team sport. If 4 players go on the trip that could seriouly hurt the rest of the team.

The coach would be correct in doing what is necessary to protect the team.

You joined a team; make the sacrifice for the team. That is called character

Seriously why can't they go in the summer? How can they justify missing so much class to go on a trip that you can do over the summer? Asia, Europe, Australia and most of South America and Africa will be there over the summer (depending on which revolution wins in South America and Africa).

I don't have a problem with them missing a little if it is something that cannot be avoided. Our school offers a chorus class which also doubles as our drama stuff. They put on a show every spring during our season. I find out the date from that teacher and I don't schedule games on those days (one is a Saturday but I make sure we are back in time) and we work out a schedule where the players can spend time at both the chorus practice and baseball practice. She usually starts practice as I am ending baseball practice so they are only missing 10 - 15 minutes of baseball and if we have a game she does not expect them to miss baseball for chorus practice. This was part of their grade as well. I have to say it has been a great experience for the guys and me working with one of my colleagues.

On the other hand our former Spanish teacher wasn't like that. She made her class so hard the kids couldn't pass it so she offered bonus points and test grades if they did Spanish competitions. They would sing in a chorus and do drama stuff and other ****. My players hated it and didn't want to do it but they were failing - just like the other 90% of the kids taking the class and the 10% passing loved that stuff so they did it too - now I am in a hard place. I can't allow my guys to fail but they need to be at practice which she was taking up for her stuff. She would say they would be done at such and such time but then keep the kids extra. I have a serious issue with her holding these kids grades over their heads just to get them out for that stuff. Our administration let it go since we put a check in a box somewhere saying that we are offering a chance at some cultural understanding of some stupid thing or other. We butted heads until she finally retired this past school year. So far the new Spanish teacher has been pretty cool but time will tell.

Overall it can be worked out so both can have a chance to win and gain something from it but I can't see missing so much classtime to go on this trip.

If you don't care could you print your response back to her?

I would simply tell my kid it's his decision, mention he made a commitment to a team and there are others depending on him. This trip is not out of the ordinary, as the teacher said it usually lasts 12 days. Therefore a kid should have known about this ahead of time and would also know this decision could present itself. We all make sacrifices for one thing or another and this would be one of the many a kid will have to make.
Commitment is something that has become lost in our society. Too many people think rules should not apply to them. I too would tell the kids to make a decision but not to expect to play as there are others who showed commtment to the team and they would be the ones to get the time.

I'll try not to make this too long but this is what happen to my kid. Senior year in HS. He was invited for the second time(he did attend jr year) to the Joplin TOS games. He signed his letter of intent, but needed to take a test for the college( some kind of mandatory test) one of the tests were given the current weekend and one when my kid was to be at the USA Tournament. During our Baseball banquet the coach preached academics through and through. Well after his speech we told him my kid would miss a saturday practice in order to take the test, because the next one was in June and he would be at the Tournament. Well he said no, if he did he would not play in the CIF playoff game ,which he was scheduled to pitch and may not play in the next one either. My kid had to call the USA people and let them know he would not be attending. He was definitely ticked off but knew he was part of a team that needed everyone to be sucessful. So he went to a Saturday practice which he shagged balls, did a few PFP'S, raked the mound and that was it.

quote:

Fungo - this is a first - I cant remember disagreeing with you before. As long as the trip is educational and can add to the college resume then baseball should take a backseat

Dave,
I appreciate you disagreeing with me. That gives me the opportunity to clarify what I'm saying. To me this is NOT about baseball vs. education as it appears on the surface. This is about choices, commitments, rules and consequences. If it makes you feel better, if I were given the choice of selecting between a trip abroad, and a baseball team, I would select the trip abroad, forgo the baseball team and have a great summer ------ Unless I had previously promised a coach and my teammates that they could count on me to be there for them --- as they have for me. Virtually all high school students know they will be given the option of going on a senior trip, I know my son was. We discussed it at least a year prior to the actual trip and we all agreed the senior trip/baseball team was a choice he would have to make and he made the choice to play baseball. He also chose baseball over Friday night parties, swimming, band, ROTC, Boy Scouts, fishing, marriage, completing his college degree, summer school, vacation bible school, family vacations and a host of other things that many people consider important, good, fun and educational.
Fungo

Did all the spring sports coaches get the same email or was it just baseball?

quote:

To me this is NOT about baseball vs. education as it appears on the surface. This is about choices, commitments, rules and consequences.

Fungo, I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, when you're committed to playing a sport, that commitment must take priority over other optional activities, no matter how beneficial they may be. Last year, the leader of an organization my son had been involved with repeatedly invited him to events that conflicted with baseball tournaments. Son declined and explained why. One day, son got a pretty irate email from the director asking son why he would want to decline these activities so he could attend "just another baseball game." His use of the word "just" clued us in as to his thinking and my husband wrote a lengthy reply explaining the commitment that is necessary when one is trying to reach a goal of playing college ball. He finally stopped pressing even though he disagreed with our position.

We have friends who are missionaries who have urged our son to accompany them on a 10-day missions trip to Africa in the summer. They have talked about this with him for the past couple of years. We have told them that we realize this will be an awesome, life-changing opportunity, but son won't be able to do it until summer after senior year -- after he has hopefully signed an NLI.

quote:

He also chose baseball over Friday night parties, swimming, band, ROTC, Boy Scouts, fishing, marriage, completing his college degree, summer school, vacation bible school, family vacations and a host of other things that many people consider important, good, fun and educational.

Those were exactly my thoughts when I read this original post last night. Most of our sons have given up many other opportunities because of their love of and commitment to baseball. Hopefully none of them regret that choice.

My son's HS has senior trip and a "Senior Class Live" play that is done every spring. You know that you won't be participating in either of these events if you play baseball. It's a choice, but the coach can't have 1/2 of his team on the field at any given time because of extracuricular events. I can remember a couple of boys giving up baseball so that they could participate in the other events... hopefully they'll look back on their choice with fondness too. For my son, he spent every spring including that senior one, on a field.... it was were he wanted to be.

If I were you coach, I'd explain to this teacher (who should already understand this choice if she's had student athletes in her home) that you completely understand if some of your players would prefer traveling over playing baseball and wish them all an enjoyable journey. You want kids that prefer to be no where else but on your field this spring. We all have to make choices every day.... this begins when we're kids and teenagers.

Lclcoach,
What your sons coach did was mean.. A power play. Coachs also have a commitment to the player, that was not an important practice, your son did not need to be there. taking the test was in your sons best interest.

Tcb1
Our high school coach excused our Sr. players to attend their Sr. class trip. Its an important part of the high school experence, once in a life time trip.
Your letter sounds as if this trip was one that was recently arranged not something the students have anticipated for 4 yrs, I would agree with the coach on this one

Coaches, players and parents need to pick and choose their battles,