I am PISSED OFF!

[wickedwrister 0]

Here is the short story. My son's team makes the Squirt Spring league championship game. On the night of the last practice before the game, the rink Manager comes to me and asks if I would not mind moving the game beacuse the other team has a school field trip and can't be back in time (this team is a new one made up of kids from one school district). I say "Sure" thinking that I would like the same consideration and we reschedule for tonight. Now we have played this team all spring and have beaten them 4 out of 5 games because they have 2 kids who play AAA travel and are going to Peewee in the fall who have missed most of the games because these kids are playing on another team too. Well, they had their 2 kids tonight and beat us 4-2 for the championship. Fine, no problem, we lost and they were better. My wife tells me when we get home that she talked to one of the mothers in the stands who called the school district before the game just to see if they really did have a field trip. They did, but it only effected two kids on their team AND IT WAS NOT THE TWO AAA KIDS!!!. As it turns out, they had a game with their other team the night of the originally scheduled game and the coach said THE WHOLE team would be gone. Part of me says "we lost with the team we brought and that's that". The other half says that's just plain cheating. For God's sake we are talking about Squirt hockey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chadd 916]

Sounds like you have much better perspective than they do.

[Fedorov91 0]

I agree with you, that's pretty sad on their part. Like you said it's just Squirt hockey, some of these coaches & parents in youth hockey really piss me off.

[mickz 107]

Hockey Parents Some parents need to watch those commercials put out by Hockey Canada.

[hockechamp14 0]

Hockey Parents Some parents need to watch those commercials put out by Hockey Canada.

USA hockey are using those too, if we're thinking about the same bubble hockey ones.

Don't lose perspective, it's spring, and it's just a game. You were decieved, and I wouldn't be happy about that, but if you're getting worked up, you're letting them get the best out of you. As the coach, it's your responcibility to develop thier skills and lead by an example. If you are throwing fits and losing your composure, how do you expect to control the team, or have them respect you?

[ponty 0]

We wonder why some kids dont have values and are not stand up people.

If they parents are not this way how on earth can the kids be.

Sad indeed.

[Chadd 916]

The one thing to keep in mind is that one of the mothers of your own team actually called the other school to verify the school trip story. That's not much better.

[wickedwrister 0]

If you are throwing fits and losing your composure, how do you expect to control the team, or have them respect you?

I did no such thing in front of anyone. I have no problems with containing my emotions at the rink during games or at practice. However, when I got home and was told about what happened, you bet your ass I was hot. My son was in bed already and hell yea I vented to my wife (and called one of my assistants). And then I sat down at the computer and vented a little more right here on this web site :) (one of the nice little perks about this place.)

Chadd,

I see your point too, but it was kind of cool that she did that B)

[Hipster 5]

Was the other coach juggling the schedule to get his two AAA players there, or was he just juggling it to get another game in?

If it was the former, then that's pretty bad. If he was just trying to get another game in, he probably figured you wouldn't re-schedule for two kids, which you shouldn't.

He should have been honest and said "Look, I can get another game in if you don't have a problem re-scheduling."

However, as a squirt coach myself, I understand your frustration. I've had times when a team we were going to meet in the state playdowns canceled our 2 regular season games so as not to let us get a look at their team. That really pissed me off as a coach, so I made sure to really work on a game plan before our game with those guys.

Sheesh. You'd think it was the NHL.

[wickedwrister 0]

Was the other coach juggling the schedule to get his two AAA players there, or was he just juggling it to get another game in?

No, his AAA players were out of town playing for their other team and he was worried that he would loose without them. The field trip only effected 2 of his other kids on the team. BUT he told the rink that his WHOLE team would be out of town. To top it all off, my spring team has 11 players including the goalie and his has 14.

[CHIEF22 0]

What a classy guy. I will bet that the trophy looks some good in his living room. Sheesh.. Sometimes I think it would be a better learning experience of the coaches and parents were left in the dark as far as the score was concerned and just let the kids keep the score themselves.

[Hipster 5]

No, his AAA players were out of town playing for their other team and he was worried that he would loose without them.

Well then, the guy is a jerk. You should call him on it. At least tell him you lost any respect for him.

Stacking teams and juggling schedules to get ringers in the game is a coward move.

The win should not be very satisfying to a good coach. That coach probably doesn't know the difference between a chickenshit win and a real hard earned win.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

The best I can tell you is to improve your son for next year the best you can and kick their ass after...

[wickedwrister 0]

It's really nothing I can change. I was just venting. I am sure it will (the politics that is) only get worse with each season. I am kind of glad I am turning him over to a different coach in the fall.

[Tanner23 0]

I hate it when there are coaches who take things way to serouisly for the age group like in your story

[Edge 0]

I completely agree. Man, it's squirt hockey...they should be playing to develop their skills. Yeah, it's good to want to win, but come on, that's ridiculous.

[hockechamp14 0]

The funny thing is that my dad was my coach for years in youth hockey, and when we won the squirt A div 1 state championship, all the teams that pulled this kind of crap were so mad. My dad knew everything in perspective, and played everyone pretty equally. If anything, he was harder on me :lol: .