Problem With My Coach

[allylax03]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this thread but since many of the people who read this are coaches I thought I would put it in here.

My team is pretty decent. We were 10-9 last year and lost four games by one point, so were not terrible or anything.

The problem is I want to be even better but the players on my team aren't exactly dedicated besides like three or four of us. I want my coach to step in and force girls to go to optional practices and tell them to go to tournaments and winter league over the offseason. None of the girls take him seriously because even when they don't go to tournaments or sign up for winter league they still play in spring league and start. I think our coach should force more offseason things so we could become a great team, not a so-so team.

I just want him to be dedicated with our players all year round not just season time. I know if he said "Come or you would be cut" way more players would show up. Do you coaches force your players to come and use sayings like this?

Suggestions/Comments are welcome

[GBaschski]

I'd say, talk to your coach about it, and if your coach is a hardass, talk to your assistant coach about it. If your coaches won't help you out, then the only thing you can do is give it your 110% every day, and encourage your team to do the same. Step it up and be the leader that your coach won't be if you need to.

[Npaulseth]

I'd say, talk to your coach about it, and if your coach is a hardass, talk to your assistant coach about it. If your coaches won't help you out, then the only thing you can do is give it your 110% every day, and encourage your team to do the same. Step it up and be the leader that your coach won't be if you need to.

I agree 100%.

[SDS416]

The problem is coaches can't make off season leagues, tournaments, etc. mandatory. I know that its against NYS rules, likely your own schools, and quite frankly unrealisitc. And optional practices are just that, optional. The state sets rules and guidlines regarding when official practices can start, etc. and most likely those optional practices would put your school in violation.
While you want to win and be successful, you have to be considerate of those who choose to participate in other activities in the off season and then choose to play lacrosse during the season because they enjoy it. Not everyone is lax 24-7/365.
And don't forget that coach has other obligations too. Maybe he can't make himself available all the time. Its likely not his primary job. Most high school coaches sure as heck aren't in it for the money, and to ask them to make it a year round focus is just not fair to them, given the fact its not really their full time job. I think its insulting and ungrateful of what he does do to show him the total lack of understanding and respect you have shown here. To question is dedication is uncalled for. I am a volunteer assistant coach and the other night I was talking with the head coach and we figured out that with what he gets paid to coach and the hours he puts in, he makes somewhere less than $3 an hour for all the headaches, and responsibility that comes with the job, you are lucky to find takers for it.

[Npaulseth]

I don't make any money, plus I have to take a ton of time off work. But it's more than worth it.

[allylax03]

The problem is coaches can't make off season leagues, tournaments, etc. mandatory. I know that its against NYS rules, likely your own schools, and quite frankly unrealisitc. And optional practices are just that, optional. The state sets rules and guidlines regarding when official practices can start, etc. and most likely those optional practices would put your school in violation.
While you want to win and be successful, you have to be considerate of those who choose to participate in other activities in the off season and then choose to play lacrosse during the season because they enjoy it. Not everyone is lax 24-7/365.
And don't forget that coach has other obligations too. Maybe he can't make himself available all the time. Its likely not his primary job. Most high school coaches sure as heck aren't in it for the money, and to ask them to make it a year round focus is just not fair to them, given the fact its not really their full time job. I think its insulting and ungrateful of what he does do to show him the total lack of understanding and respect you have shown here. To question is dedication is uncalled for. I am a volunteer assistant coach and the other night I was talking with the head coach and we figured out that with what he gets paid to coach and the hours he puts in, he makes somewhere less than $3 an hour for all the headaches, and responsibility that comes with the job, you are lucky to find takers for it.


I don't disagree with that but we do play at a varsity level and my coach often says he wants are program to continue growing. In section 5, we have both the runner up in section A and the state champ in section B. We play both these teams and my coach wants us to win so badly. I just think if he wants us to win so bad then why doesn't he come and help out with the younger girls and tell the girls to come to the tournament. If my coach can make it to these tournaments so should the girls on the varsity level. I know it isn't all my coaches fault but I think it starts at the top. I have respect for him don't get me wrong, I knwo he puts his heart into it.

I will talk to him about it though! Thanks

[lilaxgurl23]

The problem is coaches can't make off season leagues, tournaments, etc. mandatory. I know that its against NYS rules, likely your own schools, and quite frankly unrealisitc. And optional practices are just that, optional. The state sets rules and guidlines regarding when official practices can start, etc. and most likely those optional practices would put your school in violation.
While you want to win and be successful, you have to be considerate of those who choose to participate in other activities in the off season and then choose to play lacrosse during the season because they enjoy it. Not everyone is lax 24-7/365.
And don't forget that coach has other obligations too. Maybe he can't make himself available all the time. Its likely not his primary job. Most high school coaches sure as heck aren't in it for the money, and to ask them to make it a year round focus is just not fair to them, given the fact its not really their full time job. I think its insulting and ungrateful of what he does do to show him the total lack of understanding and respect you have shown here. To question is dedication is uncalled for. I am a volunteer assistant coach and the other night I was talking with the head coach and we figured out that with what he gets paid to coach and the hours he puts in, he makes somewhere less than $3 an hour for all the headaches, and responsibility that comes with the job, you are lucky to find takers for it.


I would just like to point out that where we live, the competiton is brutal. We play the state champs and runners up twice in out season. All of the teams we play are in the top one hundreed of new york, two of them being numbers 2 and 3. And many coaches make summmer ball, fall ball, winter ball open gym and weight lifting mandetory. Well not legally, but you can pretty much be assured if you don't attend tournaments, summer/fall/winter ball, open gyms and weight lifting, you will not be playing. As for people not being able to play lacrosse year round, I understand that, but varsity lacrosse is varsity lacrosse, you better make it a somewhat priority if you want to play. As for the coach, yeah it's there off time, but they signed up for it. If the coach can't at least teach us how to play defense right, then what is he responsible for? And our booster club makes it so all he has to worry about is the games. The booster club takes care of summer/fall/ winter ball, open gyms and tournaments. Now I am not saying I am not greatful for him, but our booster club does a great deal for him, and sends him to numorus coaching clinics, and he seems to not pull things from it. Last year when one of our D1 players even gave him some helpful suggestions, he woudn't even consider them. I don't think we should get rid of him and we don;t want him to leave or anything, but I think that she (allylax), wanted some help on insipiring our coach to help us inspire our team to do something. I mean we have open gyms and the is literally four varsity girls, how are we supposed to get better if we don't even come to open gyms? This is the way lacrosse works around here, people grow up either playing lacrosse or baseball. And like allylax said, we all know our coach puts time and effort into our team, we just need a way to make his efforts more efficient.

[SDS416]

I am well aware that you guys face some tough competition in section V. I grew up in section V and am very familiar with the level of competition there. I've worked as a coach in section V and I just wanted to try to share some personal insight with you.
I have no doubt that your coach wants to succeed, but I think you are overstating his responsibility to the program during the offseason, etc. I can tell you that doing things like strongly suggesting that a player participate in an offseason tournament, etc. is not well received by administrators, and often not looked upon well by parents either. And quite frankly as a coach I see two sides to the coin. I want a well rounded player and person, not just a lax robot. I don't want to see kids feel pressured from coaches or teammates to sacrafice other life experiences in order to pursue a sport. Thats not right. Our responsibility isn't to just you as an athlete, but to you as a person. As much as we would always like to see our teams win, a coach has to balance that with the needs and desires of his players to have a life outside the sport.

[allylax03]

SDS- I thank you for your opinions and I respect what you have to say. Please don't think I want to argue about this or anything, but I do appreciate the coaches side and that is why I put this in this section!