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Post by hsrose on Sept 16, 2009 7:34:04 GMT -6
Ok, kid is a Jr. this season, played varsity last year as a soph, something not done very often here. Got honorable mention as a LB. Good, solid player. This year he's the starting Will and volunteered to play OT because the OL was hurting. Kid has played very well on both sides and is just a nasty stud. Kid is not the problem.
Dad considers kid to be a star baseball player (DH on varsity last season, hit .225 or so) and has done all the camps and travel squads, etc. That's his way into college. Kid has been getting letters from DI schools. Dad has been very active in supporting the team, raising funds, buying t-shirts, etc. Last Saturday before our 0900 post-game stretch/lift/film workout, he calls. In tears he explains how he is making his son quit the team, how he made the kid stand in the corner because he wouldn't quit, how he wasn't getting the recognition he deserved/earned (last year he was the FB, our Sr. FB just ran for 135 and 2 TD's the night before), and that this workout would be his last with the team.
Kid leaves the workout at 10, tells a coach that he has a Dr. appointment. Not me, but another coach. I'm not sure what the situation is, but talk with the coaches and we try to prepare for life without the player.
After our workout ends at 1130 I notice there is a baseball game at the hs field. Curiosity gets the best of me so I head on over. Kid is playing 1st base, not starting mind you, and dad is just down the line with some other parents. I stand right by the gate to the dugout and make sure both dad and player see me, talk with some players, and then leave. Kid is gone as far as I know.
Monday I start getting e-mails from dad. Kids back has been sore for the past few weeks, dad says it started when kid started "having to play linemen." Apparently he did go to the Dr. (chiropractor for the sore back) on that Saturday and now has a medical release from the Dr. saying that kid is cleared for football except for "linemen related activities". Dad's e-mails, there have been several, say not to talk with the player about it as he would be embarrassed because of the situation and the attention. Yesterday the paper Dr. note was delivered by the dad to a coach.
So I'm in a situation where I have a medical direction/note restricting the player from being in the trenches, I can't talk with the kid, and dad has gotten his kid off the OL. The kid is a great kid and is just getting pimped over by dad who has visions of glory for the kid.
This is the kind of season this has been.
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Post by davecisar on Sept 16, 2009 8:38:28 GMT -6
What DI Baseball programs are recruiting a .225 hitter, that isnt good enough to start at a position in HS?
None I know of would be willing to part with even a 1/5 scholarship, which is what many/most of the non pitchers are getting these days. And Im guessing ALL of those hit well above .225, most of them probably double that.
Manipulators/liars, never to be trusted.
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Post by dubber on Sept 16, 2009 8:41:53 GMT -6
What DI Baseball programs are recruiting a .225 hitter? None I know of would be willing to part with a 1/5 scholarship, which is what many/most of the non pitchers are getting these days. And Im guessing ALL of those hit well above .225, most of them probably double that. I think Dave is correct here. The Dad is delusional. You wish you could confront him, but that is probably not the best thing to do. Kids hold a lot of power (especially nearly grown teenagers), I would keep leaning on the kid........I'm sure he can put his foot down when he wants to. |
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Post by hsrose on Sept 16, 2009 8:45:42 GMT -6
Dave - My bad on phrasing it the way I did. He's getting letters for football, not baseball. At one stretch last season he was 0-23, like 5-6 games without a hit.
He's done well at football combines (speed, size, leaping, decent strength), well enough to get interest letters, but he's got a long ways to go to get that level. Problem is that he's going to have to focus on 1 to the exclusion of the other. He either needs bulk and strength to play LB, or a lot more hitting and fielding to get to baseball. I expect dad to keep him out of football next year.
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Post by hsrose on Sept 16, 2009 8:48:12 GMT -6
This kid is #2 son. #1 was a good kid but had trouble in school. Dad was able to get/force the school to drop all homework requirements for the kid. He still did the homework, sometimes, which was the problem in the first place, but it was removed from the grading criteria. The school is very familiar with him.
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Post by knight9299 on Sept 16, 2009 8:58:55 GMT -6
My response to this would be simple- if you're not 100% clear to play, you're not clear to play. I don't care how many letters he's getting the kid sits until he's clear for 100% football related activities.
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Post by dubber on Sept 16, 2009 9:06:40 GMT -6
My response to this would be simple- if you're not 100% clear to play, you're not clear to play. I don't care how many letters he's getting the kid sits until he's clear for 100% football related activities. I like that. |
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Post by superpower on Sept 16, 2009 9:41:46 GMT -6
If he can't do "linemen activities," he certainly can't play FB or LB as those players have to have at least as much contact as the linemen do.
As soon as I read "chiropractor," I knew there was trouble.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Sept 16, 2009 9:56:58 GMT -6
Thats ok, I had a mom of an 8th grader inquire about how I run my program because she wants to make sure her son gets a football scholarship.
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Post by tog on Sept 16, 2009 10:10:12 GMT -6
sounds like the admin at the school need to grow a set and not coddle this kid and parent that is overprotecting/being a dumbassss
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Post by gacoach on Sept 16, 2009 10:36:51 GMT -6
I would love the folks in TV to do a reality show on parents like this. Maybe people would see themselves and just stop................
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Post by cnunley on Sept 16, 2009 11:12:10 GMT -6
had a kids dad come up to the HC on monday and ask why his son wasnt getting any playing time.
HC replies..."Your son never dresses out for practice"
Dad replies..."But he had an excuse"
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Post by knight9299 on Sept 16, 2009 11:13:09 GMT -6
If he can't do "linemen activities," he certainly can't play FB or LB as those players have to have at least as much contact as the linemen do. As soon as I read "chiropractor," I knew there was trouble. Thought the same thing on both accounts but didn't know if I'd start an uproar if I questioned a chiropractor. |
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Post by coachbdud on Sept 16, 2009 11:51:52 GMT -6
the Dr. who signed is an idiot... How is lineman related activities more dangerous to the back than the kid playing LB and FB?  But technically you have to follow the DRs note or its your butt. CYA |
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Post by onthemarkfootball on Sept 16, 2009 13:05:01 GMT -6
I would check into the possibility of having someone from the outside with credibility to talk to the parent about transitioning and the expectations from HS Sports to College Athletics.
As many of us know, a good an athlete is simply an athlete to colleges. The position he played in HS, may or may not fit into the system they are playing in and that goes for just about every sport. A prototype LB in HS may be a Full Back in college as his body matures, or with the proper diet, training and atmosphere may see the kid bulk into a lineman or slim down and speed up and play reps in the secondary. The bottom line is that the kid has athletic ability and that is what colleges need. They are not simply drafting positions like the pros. The dad needs to understand this stuff.
If the kid is going to have a chance in any sport, it would be a good idea to figure out how to get the Dad out of the way so the kid can succeed.
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Post by frostdawg on Sept 16, 2009 13:20:29 GMT -6
Being a chiropractor and a coach, I can understand this one. Patient comes in and says "it hurts when I play football." If I don't release him from football activities, and he hurts himself again (either real or imaginary), my license is on the line. True also for an orthopedic surgeon or any other health care provider. Doc should have taken the kid off all football related activities, but the point is still there if he says "it hurts to play on the line". Doc's covering his butt in this litigious society we live in. Happens every day in the workplace as well. Up to the coach (or employer) to figure out what to do next, and most won't let the player (or employee) return until their are no restrictions.
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Post by coachinghopeful on Sept 16, 2009 13:51:32 GMT -6
I'd sit the dad down and ask him why he has such a problem with the kid starting on both sides of the ball, especially after he volunteered to play OL for the good of the team. Really praise the kid on how great he is and how much of a leader you consider him to be so that dad knows he's being "respected."
The boy sounds good and it would be sad for his dad to f*** up the things he has going for him because of his own stupid ego. It doesn't sound fair to punish the kid because his dad is an @$$, but then you have to wonder how much might be the kid talking out of both sides of his mouth too.
As a last resort, I might pull out some of the recent salary figures for NFL left tackles and explain why it's such an important, glorious position. I'd worry about psycho dad putting even more pressure on the kid, but it might at least show him that there's honor in playing OL and that the kid has a better chance of success in football than baseball.
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Post by little49ercoach on Sept 16, 2009 22:22:31 GMT -6
Talked with the AD today, showed him the medical form, and was told to keep the kid out as, in his interpretation, it amounted to a 'no contact' statement. He said there was no way that he could differentiate linemen duties from linebacker duties from fullback duties. That being the case if he can't tell the difference then there was no difference and that was 'no contact'.
Talked with the dad and explained the situation. His interpretation was entirely different and asked for the form back. I gave it to him but said it didn't change the fact that I, several coaches, and the AD seen the form. Said that I needed another "ok to play" from the doctor. Wasn't happy and started to let me have it. We were off to the side away from players and parents. I got heated, said some things, and walked away. He and I have had our boys together for the past 10 years. We know each other pretty well. Not a good moment for me at all.
I just sent an e-mail to him explaining my position and apologizing for my outburst. I asked him to keep the kid on the team and that I would keep him off the line. Also added that as a result of this situation I was implementing a "no influence" so that if any parents crossed the boundary and tried to interfere with our coaching I would remove the player from the team. So, I apologized for being an angry head coach, told him I wanted the kid on the team, that he would not play on the OL, and that any further actions would cause me to remove his son from the team.
Kid is 6'2", 205, 4.6-4.7, loves to hit hard, but needs the weight room (baseball all year) badly. He would be a good JC player that would then have no problem going DII, possibly DI if he gets bigger. He's got a nasty attitude and can be a great player. Not today, but almost.
I'm probably not handling this well but I'm in my first year as HC and this has been the season from heck. Every situation is a new situation for me. My frustration at this is causing me to be even nastier than normal.
But, on the DAMN THAT GREAT! side of things today my son turned in his Boy Scout Eagle project so he is done with that. He did a good project, worked hard, and accomplished something pretty good - replaced 2 shot put rings at the HS. So that Atta Boy far, far outweighs anything to do with Mr. Dementia.
Casey
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Post by coachcb on Sept 17, 2009 13:15:21 GMT -6
1. I would ditch the scholarship talk; you don't play hs sports for scholarships. He has to play several more years of hs sports, talk about scholarships after his hs football is over.
2. Doc says he can't go, then he can't go. Period. Don't waste time even thinking about it. If the kid wants to get back on the field and play football, then he'll try to overcome
the 'injuries'. If not, he can play baseball the rest of his years in hs; too bad for him
3. If dad is a basket-case, there's nothing you can do about it, don't bother with him. Again, leave it up to the player; you can't control what is being said at home. If he wants to play, then he'll play, if not, let him play pick up baseball games.
It sucks to lose a great kid and a good athlete, but it's out of your hands now; f--k it.
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mce86
Junior Member
Posts: 281
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Post by mce86 on Sept 17, 2009 13:45:43 GMT -6
I would not play the kid unless cleared for all football related activities. As a Linebacker, he cant not mix it up with lineman.
Dads...gotta love em!
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