I guess we'll see this year. They're only a year old and didn't change much.
Didn't change much? Things got worse. A whole lotta Daddy ball going on there - clearly some of these kids don't belong on the team let alone get significant playing time. Should be really interesting this year...
This is something that I don't get. I realize that these 5 teams are really good. But, all of them (Bandits, Igloo, S2@, Exp AAAA) are coached by Dads. Most Dads will play their kids more then anyone else. It's just the way it is. I bet they think that since they spend so much of their time and effort coaching the team, that their boys deserve to play more than others. Granted, a lot of these Dads are very good coaches and have played and/or coached at the highest levels of the game. But, when it comes to playing time and who gets the ball on emo or whatever, the coaches kid will be the one. I know kids on these teams and all the Dads do nothing but complain about playing time. Remember--it's not what you. It's all about WHO you know. Carry on.......
I'll be the first to admit it; if I coached one of these teams I would unquestionably give my kid more opportunities than others. It's in our nature as fathers to want our kids to be successful and if we can by dedicating our time to the team then so be it. With that being said, most of the kids on those 5 teams are high quality players. In all likelihood, they are the stars of their town teams and have been since k-1. The truth of the matter is that once they get on a team like that, there are a lot of kids who are as good, or better, than their son. They, the parents, have a very difficult time accepting for the first time that their son may not be the "full ride to Hopkins" player that they thought. Suddenly, he looks like an average to below average player on his team and they look for excuses as to why he's not playing as much as they think he should. Enter the "daddyball" excuse. While a dad may play his one son slightly more than he should, none of those coaches would do it at the cost of a game. And there are 21 other kids on those teams who have to earn their spots and time as well. That's what I tell my kids. Work hard and earn your time. If you're not happy, we'll find a club more suited to their skill level. Playing time trumps all, imho. That's what I'm paying for. My kids wouldn't be happy as cheerleaders. They want to play and there are plenty of options on LI to find a team that will get your kids the time they desire. Some people just need to swallow their pride and accept reality and not make the "daddyball" excuses all the time. [/quote]
"their son may not be the "full ride to Hopkins" player" NO kid ANYWHERE is a "full ride to Hopkins" player - that's the first problem!
