Is this a reasonable (travel) coaching rule?

[Anonymous]

If you’re late to practice, you don’t start in the next game.

To me, when we’re talking about young kids with 5pm practice time whose working parents have to transport them, no.

And fwiw, my own kid is never late, but to me this is unfair unless the kids are old enough to be getting themselves to practice.

[Anonymous]

I get where it comes from, but unless they’re 16 they don’t have a lot of control.

[Anonymous]

Within reason, yes. Not starting doesn’t mean you can’t get plenty of playing time later. My kids have had a number of coaches who use this rule, but have never seen it enforced where the parent reached out in advance to let the coach know heir child would be late. See their kid sit on the bench to start the game can be a powerful motivator for some parents to take practice seriously.

From a more practical standpoint, parents who are chronically late to practices often cut it close on arriving for games as well, and their kids end up needing to warm up on the sidelines before they’re ready to go in. No coach is going to set themselves up to scramble for a change in starting line up when Larla still isn’t at the field 5 minutes before game time. They would prefer to start people they can count on to show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Within reason, yes. Not starting doesn’t mean you can’t get plenty of playing time later. My kids have had a number of coaches who use this rule, but have never seen it enforced where the parent reached out in advance to let the coach know heir child would be late. See their kid sit on the bench to start the game can be a powerful motivator for some parents to take practice seriously.

From a more practical standpoint, parents who are chronically late to practices often cut it close on arriving for games as well, and their kids end up needing to warm up on the sidelines before they’re ready to go in. No coach is going to set themselves up to scramble for a change in starting line up when Larla still isn’t at the field 5 minutes before game time. They would prefer to start people they can count on to show up.

This. Pretty standard rule. This isn’t rec league. Tryouts are every day. Reasonable consequences for not meeting team expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get where it comes from, but unless they’re 16 they don’t have a lot of control.

Right but the parents do and this motivates the parents. The only problem I could see is if the 5 practice is something wildly different than what you signed up for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where it comes from, but unless they’re 16 they don’t have a lot of control.

Right but the parents do and this motivates the parents. The only problem I could see is if the 5 practice is something wildly different than what you signed up for.

Yes, agree with this. When you sign up for travel you are committing to being on time, showing up for all games and putting the sport first. In fact, in certain sports you are expected to show up 15 minutes early and start warming up as a team before the coach gets there. This teaches the kid responsibility. Coming on time without excuses teaches respect.

[Anonymous]

The players should be there minimum of 10-20 minutes early; showing up at 5 for a 5pm practice doesn't cut it.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Travel is a commitment and being on time is part of it.

[Anonymous]

The reason why parents and kids choose travel over rec is because they want a more “serious” experience. An experience with more hours of training, higher quality training, and the same desire to improve and compete among the teammates. That does mean less forgiveness for showing up late and missing warmups.

If your club team was run like a rec team with kids that rarely show up but still play the whole game, kids that are late constantly, kids who skip practice but still play, I don’t think you or your kid would enjoy it. One big difference that I have seen between rec and travel is that travel teams have more of a team mentality in terms of responsibility and work ethic, which is another reason why parents sign up for travel. There has to be some accountability and consequences to support that mentality.

[Anonymous]

OP here, appreciate the opinions. Apparently I’m in the minority.

[Anonymous]

Totally fair. Travel is a big commitment. That said, our team has that rule, one kid is regularly late, and still starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, appreciate the opinions. Apparently I’m in the minority.

I see both sides. It sends a bad message to other players, especially those who don't start, when they get there on time and starters don't. However, if there is a 5 p.m. practice, that can be tough for many parents. Usually, younger kids practice at this time, which means that being late is almost entirely in the parents, so I can understand why you wouldn't punish the kid. If the kids are older and driving themselves, that's a different story.

My pet peeve through years of travel soccer is players who show up late on game day. They absolutely should not start.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's reasonable, and I say this as a parent who is sometimes late to bring my child due to rushing to the burbs from D.C. and then to a far away practice. I respect the coach's decision because it makes for not a great experience for the other players and the coach.

I think the coach is very understanding so it's not like a punishment but more of a basic requirement if you know what I mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, appreciate the opinions. Apparently I’m in the minority.

I see both sides. It sends a bad message to other players, especially those who don't start, when they get there on time and starters don't. However, if there is a 5 p.m. practice, that can be tough for many parents. Usually, younger kids practice at this time, which means that being late is almost entirely in the parents, so I can understand why you wouldn't punish the kid. If the kids are older and driving themselves, that's a different story.

My pet peeve through years of travel soccer is players who show up late on game day. They absolutely should not start.

I still feel bad for the kids who show up late to games because you never know what's going on. DC was on a team once with a player who has a sibling with special needs and that child was often melting down in challenging ways and when that happened they needed the whole family to intervene. I still think about that family and how difficult it must be and since then I've always given people the benefit of the doubt. I'm not saying the kid should or should not have the chance to start depending on skill but just that it's important to have empathy.

[Anonymous]

The rule isn’t unfair, what is unfair is that it is often unevenly enforced. The best player can show up late or not at all to practice and many travel/club coaches will start that player because they want to win.