CC Varsity line up change

I decided to shake up the line up and run the top 7 times from the region.

Tha fallout was mixed. One senior got bumped--he should have stayed on as our 8th/alternate to support his team but he quit when I made the announcement, which confirms my belief that he probably was doing the minimum to keep his Varsity spot, but not giving his team his best effort.

It also gives me an opportunity to take a promising freshman to the District (and hopefully state) meet as our alternate.

I got a call from his parent, who tried to be polite and cordial, but in the end told me I was wrong and made disparaging comments about his son's teammates--I just let him rant and thanked him for his four years of support. A parent's assessment of his/her child's performance will always be skewed and you have to understand that as a coach.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and validating what I knew was the right call.

How is it that the runner's parents are involved in this at all. Do you discuss this with them.

Do not discuss it with anyone. Tell the team immediately before the meet who is running varsity and who is not. Explain why if they ask. Do not explain further. Do not justify it and do not argue.

The coach decides. The runners run. The parents shut the hell up. That's the way it should be.

Looks like you took my advice before I gave it. Thats what I get for not reading to the end of the thread before posting. Sorry.

Coaching is difficult and you don't realize it until you are actually in the position. I hope your guys run really well (especially the two younger guys) at the districts. Please let us know the results!

You are probably doing the kid a favor in the long run. The fact that the parent took the route of attacking other runners validates your decision even more. If their son ran slower than the runner they are attacking what does it say about their son?

bump for updates?

are your 4-5 guys in the 16,17,18 min range?? I think that matters alot!

It's a shame really. The kid quitting sounds quite selfish and childish. Why should he get an automatic spot on varsity when the other guys work equally as hard? By quitting he just showed how individualistic he is, not even being there to support his team.

I remember going to district/reginonal meets my sophomore year to support my team on the sidelines, even though at the time I had a stress fracture and could have been at home sleeping in or something.

Many years ago on my team, a jv runner beat the #7 guy's time in the last dual before League - the only time he finished ahead of him all year - races, time trials, workouts, anything. In a mid-week time trial on the League course, the #7 beat the jv challenger by 15-20 seconds. Fast forward to League Meet. 20 minutes before the JV Race, the coach annouces the varsity line-up - including the jv guy. Ex-#7, thoroughly bummed out, runs a little faster than before; new #7 bombs out. When asked later, Coach says "I had a hunch." Didn't do much for team morale. So, coaches, make your policy clear, make sure everybody understands it, and be consistent. The kids you move down may not believe there is justice in the world but they will know those were the rules they were playing by. And you might give them a little notice too.

#7 survived, ran State that year, still runs, still, on the rare occasions when it comes to mind, is pissed.

Number Seven

You got to run state but you are still pissed about a inconsequential little league meet in which you missed out on running as varsity guy on the bubble?

Let go of the anger.

You were just lazy. If you ran a little faster than before after getting bumped then you deserved to run JV in the league meet because it proves you were lazy.

Don't be such baby.