What do you do? Our policy is a player is excused from a game if it is a family emergency or academics. If absent from a game that is not excused he sits one game and is subject to dismissal. I had a player miss a makeup game to go to a concert. This is the varsity level. He missed the game, and the next game he was in street clothes. He knew the consequences before hand. We have 4 games left. I told my assistants, I wasnt going to use him the rest of the year after his lack of commitment to the team and choosing the concert over the team. They agreed. Am I way off, or too hard on the kid?
He is a junior bench player (back up infielder), he runs bases, and is at the very end of the pitching staff.
I was stunned that a kid would even ask to miss a game for any reason other than family or academics. When I was kid, you didnt miss practice for anything.

Doesn't sound like he was going to play much anyways. If the kid does want to stick with the team you might consider some sort of extra baseball work for him to do in order to "earn" his way back after he's sat out the mandatory game. Kind of like paying a fine. Of course you'd have to make it clear that it is just getting him back to where he was before missing the game and isn't earning him a start or anything like that.

Just a suggestion. The only thing you have to remember is that you're setting a precedent and if one of your starters ever does the same thing he'll have to get the same treatment. That could be tough sitting out a starter for the rest of the season or at least 4 games for missing a game. That's why I like the extra work or running or whatever in lieu of sitting the rest of the season once the mandatory punishment is done.

I understand completely what you are saying. I was shocked he actually went. There is a history with this player as well, meaning he wanted to know why he wasnt playing. It was a simple, you arent better than the other player/players at your positions. I met with him about that, but when he is concerned about his time on the field 3 weeks prior, then he misses a very important region game for a concert. Maybe I am old school, and just could never see a teammate voluntarily missing a game when I played.

A concert is not an excuse to miss a baseball event unless he's in the concert. I'd bench him for the remaining four games. At the end of the season I sit with him and discuss what he needs to do to make the team the following year. If he was a starter would you bench him for the remainder of the season? Stud, all-conference pitcher? Just be sure it would be the same punishment.

Maybe you have the players decide the punishment. I know a Legion team where a star player blew off states for a showcase tournament. The coach had the players vote whether the player be allowed to return to the team. The players voted him off the team. The backup played the best he's ever played. The team won a national championship without one of their studs. The player returned the following year.

I would never leave a decision like this up to players. Your the coach and its your job to make these decisions. What if the players vote for the kid to stay and play? What happens when others do the same thing? Maybe a kid gets voted off for doing the same thing someone else did? No way this should happen.

Rules are rules and what role the player has or does not have on the team has NO bearing on the consequences. NONE! You either treat everyone the same for rules infractions or you have no rules at all.

If you miss a practice or game unexcused you sit two games. If it happens again you are dismissed from the team. In the case of first offense that is the punishment , period. You have served your time. If your going to punish him further for missing the game then make that part of the rule. Dont punish someone by rule and then tack on extra stuff just because your poed. JMHO

The question was posed above " What would you do if it was your stud pitcher"?

Folks it doesnt happen with the studs---they became a stud by working hard and being a "player" within the team frame


Another aspect here--- this was a make up game was it not ?--the kid may have had the tickets in hand for the concert when the schedule was changed---not an excuse but a possible reason

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
The question was posed above " What would you do if it was your stud pitcher"?

Folks it doesnt happen with the studs---they became a stud by working hard and being a "player" within the team frame


Another aspect here--- this was a make up game was it not ?--the kid may have had the tickets in hand for the concert when the schedule was changed---not an excuse but a possible reason

You must be INCREDIBLY BLESSED!!!

Every STUD pitcher / player you have got that way from hard work..and being part of a team...

I think the question is VALID. If the kid was your BEST player, would you bench him?

You ever think maybe the kid knows this is probably the end of the line for him, as far as baseball, and maybe he's looking to get "helped off" the team...maybe he's got parents that are still pushing him.

Personally I'd just have a talk with the player. Be upfront and honest with him, you might be surprised what you hear.

CT

I am incredibly blessed but it has nothing to do with baseball

But in my experience over many, many years the studs were the leaders and did not miss games

If he was my best player YES I would bench him if those were my rules but I don't think it would come to that?

TR,
Actually that did happen in our league. It wasn't missing a game but it was a similar rules infraction and the kid was supposed to be the ace of the staff. He was benched or taken off the team for the rest of the season. They had a couple other pitchers who were solid D1 types so they did just fine without him and if I remember right were nationally ranked that year.

Have your rules established before the season. What the rules are....well, that is up to you. My rules are different. Not better or worse, but as long as the players know what those rules are, you will be ok.

I had 4 players miss a game over Easter break because they went on a cruise. They knew the consequences before they signed up to go on the cruise. We won the game and when the players got back they did their make up work and were then back in the line up.

You make a rule make sure you are fair and consistent when you have to make a decision concerning the rule you make. Having been a coach and still a teacher there are those that believe that discipline and rules are great for everybody else but them.

Here's one, with a twist at the end. Very similar circumstances, JR outfielder, courtesy runner, non-starter, liked by the other players. The kid is a solid player, very quiet, no trouble, no drama. We had an away DH (2 hr drive, one way) last weekend - you guessed it - PROM weekend!

The previous Friday, he asked permission to go home w/parents after game 1. The coach said if he left there would be consequences.

The player missed the DH, was booted on Monday, at practice. When the coaches told him to leave he was visibly upset, but no drama, spoke respectfully, despite the comments directed at him. But, he did not immediately leave. The head coach called the police and had him escorted from the field, in front of his teammates.

(edit: I should add this is Texas 5A BIG SCHOOL ball, record is 4-13, 8th place in a ten team super district)

GED10DaD

That's pretty harsh.

So this coach schedueled a games on the day of the prom? That is crazy - that is a fight that you do not want at all. It's bad enough dealing with the parents but once you upset all the girls in school your life will be miserable.

Then you top if off by calling the cops on a good kid. Surely this guy will get fired.

Heck at my school he would play, a Junior outfeilder/4th or 5th pitcher lied to the coach told him that he was going to go to a doctors office and then he went to a differnt schools prom. We had a make up game that day, the player missed the game for prom.

Then following week we have a dh and we had to be at the school at 9 and we load at 930 we wait for 15min for the kid to show up, and he does not show so then the coaches decided to go to his house and pick him up on the bus.

The kid sits half the first and then plays the rest of the dh

prom vs games


Last year a team in our region was in the state finals at the same time as the prom--coaches solution was simple---players do not, will not and can not attend prom--he threw them their own prom the following weekend---and they won the title as well

That's pretty sad. I hope my kid has his priorities straight and goes to prom. Kids have many, many games but only one prom. Be a kid and have fun.

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
That's pretty sad. I hope my kid has his priorities straight and goes to prom. Kids have many, many games but only one prom. Be a kid and have fun.

So a dance is more important than playing in a state championship game? I can't agree with that. If it was a regular season game I could handle the guys missing (although I would bend over backwards to move the game instead).

These 17 - 18 year old guys have been working on baseball since they were 7ish years old. Very few get the opportunity to play in a state championship game and it give it up for a dance is saying the past 10 or so years was for nothing.

Then again this is the administration's fault for not scheduling the prom during the regular season. They need to look ahead and see when the playoffs are for all spring sports and work around them. Then the coaches can leave that date open when they schedule. But then again that makes sense.

do you consider the practice time as the work they put in to get their reward which is playing the game. i have heard lots of coaches use this line when a player misses practice. if you have then can you punish a player for not taking his reward? a kid at our school won the state meet 110 hurdles and got the opp to go to the meet of champs. he chose not to, his coach got mad and wouldn't let him go to the state decathalon (which he had a good chance to win) was this the right thing to do? i don't think he should have left his teammates for a concert either. just playing devils advocate

doughnutman

I wish you would read----they didn't miss their prom---they won the state title and had their own prom covered by the local newspapers and all had a great time---Personally I think it was great move by the coach--the players got the best of both worlds