Don't Mess with Me, Coach!

Soccer season is practically over. I really do love it. I love to watch my kids having fun and getting to shine in something that is all their own. I'm one of the idiot parents that whoops and hollers when my child scores and my favorite thing is when they do something good (like score a goal or make a good play) and turn around and beam from ear to ear seeing if we saw it all. I make sure that they know that I saw every second. I'm very proud of them.

Hannah has had the same coach for fall and spring. I know that getting volunteers is like pulling teeth at times, but sometimes I just have to sit and shake my head at this woman. She has successfully ran off 2 families this season by talking harshly and calling the little girls names. That isn't anything compared to last season where our team started dropping off like flies and we barely had enough to scrape together a team to play at the games.

This season has been a series of games where she seems to like to bench the same girls over and over. At this level, it is not skill based, it is recreational, and they should all get equal playing time. There is one girl that hasn't even looked at the bench this season and it is just really hard for me to keep my mouth shut.

A few weeks ago, she benched Hannah more than half the game, and we spoke up and told her. She then played Hannah the rest of the game. Saturday, I had to speak up, because again, she was benched half the game (while others never sat) and Sunday Jamie went over and told her that Hannah had been benched 3X and some of the other girls hadn't been at all.

It is just so annoying, because why should I have to keep up with this? Why can't she just be fair and give them all this experience? Why should my child be punished for being quiet and compliant? They usually only have to sit 1 girl out and there are 6, so all they'd ever have to sit is 10 minutes. If there are 2 spares, maybe a quarter. NEVER should a girl have to sit half the game as small as their team is.


So, today I go to practice and was the only one that showed up besides the coach. I rolled down my window and told her that I guessed everybody was busy. She proceeded to gripe (unknowingly) about the Dad that had come to her yesterday about benching his daughter too much. I looked at her very casually and said, "yes that was my husband and it was my daughter, Hannah, that you benched 3X" You should have seen the deer in the headlights look I got that moment. She walked right into that one! It was almost comical.

She started back-pedaling and I just decided that this was my opportunity to tell her what I thought. I was nice (even my kids said so...ha ha), but I told her that the kids needed equal play time, and that I was going to always look out for my daughter. She then proceeded to tell me that one of the girls (the high scoring one that never sees the bench) says they don't want to sit out. I said, "Do you really think that any 1st or 2nd grader WANTS to sit out? My child is not going to tell you that, because I've taught her to be respectful of adults, but it is not the girls' jobs to tell you who to bench or not"

I have to say that it went rather well and I said my piece. We have 1 more game and I would bet my bank account that she won't remember who Hannah is. After all, she calls another girl Hannah and didn't know that Jamie was her Dad even though we've been to every game for 2 seasons. I just keep telling myself that we only have to deal with her one more time!

I will tell you this....I will explicitly tell the people at registration in the fall to write in big bold letters that I do not want this woman for a coach ever again. I'm so tired of my little girl getting the raw end of the stick, because she is obedient and respectful. Hannah went on to score 2 goals in the measly half game that she played on Sunday.

She is moving up in the fall and will play with Abbi's team. Poor little Hannah. I'm proud of both of my girls, but mostly I just want them to be treated respectfully in this life and have fun. She has still yet to complain. It has been us (as the parents) sitting and watching this that has grumbled. I just want the best for my kids:-) They deserve it!

Don't mess with Mama Bear!