You're better, they know you're better, but they don't do anything

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

Well, I just moved to a new school (for me of course) and joined a local lacrosse team late in the season. (I'll try and make a long story short here)

I spoke to the head coach and let him know I play middie and goalie, but I personally believe I could assist the team more as a goalie then another middie, which is what he wants me to play.

Our varsity team carries one goalie and I just came a couple of weeks ago, anyway our normal goalie missed a game so I finally had an oppertunity to get back in the cage and show my stuff, I did an exceptional job that game, and we won, almost everyone on the team was amazed.

Anyway, the next game our goalie returned, he didn't do well at all, he had a very poor save percentage, was WAY out of position often, and he can't clear the ball, he just gilmans it every time.

One of my coaches knows and openly admits that I'm a great goalie and could do a better job then our starting goalie, and knows that I will play next year. Unfortunately I believe our head coach is only not letting me play because:
1) I'm not a student at the school I play for
2) He is a senior and it's his last year, while I am a junior
3) He doesn't want to shun the other goalie

Unfortunately I'm ending up getting shunned as he won't let me play in the cage where I love to play and feel like I belong, and he rarely plays me as a middie despite my talent.

I'm just wondering the best way to get out of this scenario without having my coach getting straight out angry at me and not let me play at all since my reaction today was almost eating off his face and criticizing his coaching when he didn't allow me to play either position.

Thanks if you actually read.

[RichWutLax]

well first of all your head coach is actually right , if this guy is a senior and he was already named starting goalie then its not right to take him out of starting and give it to someone who joined the team late in the season , your a junior you have more years to play next year you probably will be starter ... and also yelling at a coach and criticizing his coaching is NOT going to do you any good , ask him calmly why you didnt get to play , dont flame any of the other players while doing this , and ask him how you can prove to him that you can play ... good luck

[tiplax]

well first of all your head coach is actually right , if this guy is a senior and he was already named starting goalie then its not right to take him out of starting and give it to someone who joined the team late in the season , your a junior you have more years to play next year you probably will be starter ... and also yelling at a coach and criticizing his coaching is NOT going to do you any good , ask him calmly why you didnt get to play , dont flame any of the other players while doing this , and ask him how you can prove to him that you can play ... good luck
i agree, but also work your butt off in practice, both at middie and goalie.

[WHEELAX2]

For right now, you're going to have to "suck it up." If you focus too heavily on the fact that you should be playing goalie, and that you should be on the field more when you play middie, you probably won't be seeing much of the field.. you are way too focused on what you think the coaches should be doing.. this will only make you resent your coaches, and act out at the first sign that they are making bad coaching decisions.. It will also make you play angry, and probably badly.. I would suggest you focus on playing good lacrosse at middie, while keeping your goalie skills fresh in practice or on your own time..

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

Sorry to disappoint you guys...I ripped on him and quit the team, he said something to me that set me off.

I have no clue where I'm playing next year now.

[RichWutLax]

what did he say ??

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

Warning:

pulse_speed rant coming up
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I need to elaborate a bit; the game where our goalie returned I didn't get to play in at all except for all of about 10 seconds as a middie before the head coach pulled me out for no reason. Before I was even in for my 10 seconds one of our coaches told me I could have the next sub, when the kid I was going to sub for ran off the field I sprinted off, but the head coach had already desided that he was sending someone else in and didn't tell anyone else. So I ran onto the field and I hear him yelling at me "did I tell you to go on?!!!" I was pissed out of my mind and was about to rip on him then but I resisted.

Anyway, I show up to practice today with nothing but intent to show my 100% A-game (which I've been showing anyway; despite his lack of interest) I hop in and get ready for the drill we are doing and the coach points at 3 or 4 guys and says "you guys, go black" (we we're flipping our pennies) so I was pretty sure he was pointing at me and I started to flip it when I hear "did I tell you to go black?" I remained cool and told him "yes sir, I'm pretty sure you did" he scoffed back telling me he was pointing at another guy my only response was "It's not like I heard my name during the game either."

He then pulled me over to the sidelines and did nothing but confirm my thoughts; he told me that despite my talent the fact that I came in the middle of a season that he felt that it was unfair to knock the other kids off of a line so that I could play because he didn't think I could make a difference on the field. I told him that I felt I could bring alot to the midfielders as I play as a d-middie and could help out on the defensive end, plus I have wheels to help those fast breaks. He told me that he just didn't see it. Of course outraged (but still keeping my cool) explained that he really hasn't even seen me play considering the one game I was playing middie I didn't even really get in. He then told me I should play with the JV because they're short on middies which I shook off as that was a total insult to me.

Now, when I came to this team I was hoping to play goalie, but I figured some lacrosse is better then no lacrosse, sucked it up and played middie because he made me; I was wrong in this scenario due to an asinine head coach. Anyway, I told him that when I started playing I really wanted to play goalie anyway and asked why I wasn't given another chance considering how well I played when the other goalie didn't come to the game, he was injured during one game and I wasn't even given a chance to fill in for him; I asked why I didn't get to; as well as if I could play at least a half or a quarter in the next game. Here was his response:
"He's been with us all year, he's a senior and this will be the last 2 games he gets to play with us, It's not fair that a junior comes along out of nowhere and trys to take his place; I just can't do that to him."

My reaction:
"You're telling me because he's been here longer and he's a senior you're going to let him play? Maybe if he really wanted to play he would have been there that day or returned one of your calls when he didn't show up to the game and I had to save this team's ***? Maybe if he really wanted to play he would get off his *** and stop eating donuts and come to practice and show that he is better then me, but he hasn't done any of that, now has he?"

I then continued to insult a number of things such as his offensive plays (since this team is built on D), his evaluation of me, and wasting my time.

I simply told him "this is (f-word)ing bull(s-word), I quit"...and then I just walked away.

Later of course I was still angry at him and should of asked him how college teams do it; they take the best players and put them on the field, it's as simple as that. I had a bunch of thoughts about what I could have done and I felt it was the best thing. My mother later agreed with my decision and was proud of me for not taking his (more s-word) and talked to someone who made me feel better.

/end rant

And that's what happened...

[VilleLax48]

you can be a morone like my coach and not play me becasue Im going to a better school for lacrosse :imparied: ...comments?

[pclax41]

hahaha nice... as for a team to play on next year... theres plenty of teams in tampa.. im sure you'll find one.. but coming on as a senior..i dont know if you'll get goal.. for pretty much the same reasons "the kids been around longer"

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

Plant doesn't even have a goalie for next year now, and the only way I would even consider playing for them again would be if their head coach was changed or he got on his knees and begged me.

[Project X]

Sucks what happened to you Pulse. If I were a coach, I would want my senior goalie that had been playing all year to play over some junior that came to the school mid-season, but regardless of how I feel inside, I'd be smart enough to know to play the best man for the job. If you wern't playing for your actual school anyways, it shouldn't be too hard to find another team around that you can play for next season, and I wish you best of luck for that.

[roycegracie47]

Best players get on the field, period. It's not middle school lacrosse anymore. That level is as high as it gets for most and your coach is an idiot. What lacrosse experience does he have anyways?

If I were you, I would try to find a team now, introduce yourself to the coach, tell him your situation, and work hard this summer to show him that you deserve the starting spot.
Very true.

Pulse from your situation, sucking it up would only get you so far. It seems to me this coach had made up his mind and no amount of hard work would prove him otherwise. I went through a similar situation, asst coach recognized my efforts in practice, but the head coach had already decided I was going to get less than 5 minutes a game. I, however was determined to not let him make me quit (also this was college and I didn't have any other lax options).
You however do, and I think some other team will have a steal next year (or later this season if you can find a team) and hopefully you can play this team and prove that coach dead wrong.

[laxkid891]

yea thats how it works...best players get on...pulse youll find a team...ur talented. as for the coach he doesnt have any idea what he was doing and what he just lost :nono:

[pclax41]

if you really want a goalie spot.. ud have a good chance at my school if you were willing to move (cause we're like an hour and a half away from tampa).. im graduating next year and we have two goalies left.. one's a junior..this is his first year.. and hes not getting much experience since im starting goalie and the other one is a sophmore whos been playing since 8th grade.. but still has a lot to learn...

[IronmanMid30]

Well ill say 2 things twards this, ive only been on the end of not playing, like you have. I always respect my coaches, granted...im going to kill one of them before the season ends i just havent figured out how to do it yet. When you come the middle of the season (which i always tell players, dont do, its worthless your just wasiting eligibility). It isent fair for the other players, i know it sucks...believe me, im at a school (junior college) where a guy who SUCKS has the starting job over me, because this is his last year. Granted i dont knock on him as a person, but as an athlete, you know how that goes.

I dont think you should have quit, but from looking at the situation, the goalie is probley the most important position on the field, theres 3 middies 3 attack 3 defence, but only 1 of you. Not to mention when the mid and def get beat, your the last line to the cage. So its probley not right to play him if hes really that bad, and just seems like he dont wanna play (ide cut him, but i cant). Especially if you show more heart, but it is his last season, as for college. contrary to what you believe, the best players do not go on the field. Sometimes it involves experince, conditioning, how well the coach likes you. All that really comes into play, the best schools in lacrosse generally field the best players, but that dont mean there the best on the team. Its wierd how you see one year, a player who does mediocre and dont get much playing time, gets dissed in a local review, the next year hes jesus christ superstar with the stick, and runs a 4.1. That dident happen overnight. Anyway, to cut this long thing shorter, just keep your head high. Your coach is right and wrong, if he just wants to screw around with a team and let people play...well hes not a winning coach. If he lets lazy people play over those that have heart, he isent worth your talent or time of day.

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

Ironically the team lost the division finals 11-18, 18 goals allowed is pretty disgraceful in my books.

edit: wait, that's not ironic at all!

[fenwicklax89]

pulse_speed, Illinois misses you