Coach:

You say you haven't met a coach that doesn't want to win!  Well, we are blessed with one that is going to win his way, or not at all.  My daughter is a sophomore and plays on a junior varsity team and we believe she should be on the varsity team.  Let me give you a little history so that you can fully understand our problem.

Our coach's first year as high school coach was also the year our daughter tried out for the team.  He interviewed 8th grade teachers and lauren received a bad report from one of her teachers.  Our daughter had never been in any serious trouble nor ever been written up or in detention.  However, because of the coach's zeal to have the best team, he cut her from the team.  Our daughter had plenty of experience, starting in the 7th and 8th grade teams, playing setter as well as five club ball season, going to Nationals twice.  It is interesting that because our daughter did not make the team, one of her club team mates made varsity.

After suffering through the summer, we decided to talk to the director of athletics, who quickly confessed to not liking this coach and would look into the matter.  After eight weeks of waiting and not hearing back from the athletic director, we contacted him again.  He said he asked the coach to give our daughter another chance, of which the coach replied that he was not interested.

The volleyball program had another tryout right after school started.  Reluctantly our daughter went and earned a spot on the Junior Varsity team only because she was the only one that showed up.  She spent most of the season playing in Junior Varsity and the coach moved her to varsity after the season was over.
On the varsity team, she received very little playing time even though she could run circles around the starting setter, who albeit did have more confidence due to her varsity experience.  However, all our daughter needed was to get her feet wet and get some experience.  It never happened.

The following year, all the positions on the team are open.  Our daughter made the cut, but the coach announced that all juniors and seniors are automatically on varsity, no cuts.  He cut all the freshmen and sophomores except the one freshman who's father helps the coach and the one sophomore setter who's mom is in like Flint with the school faculty and very helpful to the coach with fund raisers and other aspects of the team.

Our daughter's club ball coaches are sympathetic, confiding in me that they know our daughter could be a 3-year starter.  So, to help the cause, I set out to do my part helping with the team.  However, on the second day of summer, the coach told her that he had too many setters on varsity and she would be moved down to the Junior Varsity team, perhaps moving up for some tournaments.   When our daughter was moved up, it was usually after several games and put in with second string players who are playing out of position.  With this huge disadvantage, she still has the ability to be the best setter, it just looks like she is not going to be given the chance.

This coach is one of those that don't think much of club ball.  He has a wealth of good club players but sits most of them on the bench.  It seems he is trying to invent the wheel with baseball and soccer players.  They may be more athletic, but better volleyball players??  No.  This was evident when during the first tournament, the varsity team divided up into two teams - one of mostly club players, and the second the full of the coach's choice players and only one club player, the setter.  Not surprisingly, the club team beat not only the "choice" players but won the tournament.  Yet, he hasn't played them together since and also not surprisingly, the team has yet to win another tournament.

Now tell this mom and player how to deal with this coach!!!!

Thanks,

A concerned mom.