Can somebody explain what is meant by ducking - do the teams actually have control over who they play?
And do the people who do the scheduling (club directors and program directors I assume?) really pay attention to which teams are excited/afraid to play other teams?
Obviously parents and kids have on control over which opponents they play, and I am guessing that coaches' input is limited too.
Its not uncommon for a coach to call his club director/tournament director and ask to change opponents, game times or field venues especially if they run the tournament. Many of the tournament directors want teams to come back year after year and will try and work with clubs. At 2k a team its just smart business
