Booting a friend from the team

[NuggyBuggy 0]

our goalie is the weak link....

we are the highest scoring team in the league but with the most goals against.

So why are you guys talking about cutting a guy you ought to be able to hide on a wing, instead of the weak link at the game's most important position ?

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

my thoughts too, nuggy.

if he knows he sucks, and is a good guy, who gives a shit. the beer is always cold, win or lose. one skater isnt gonna screw a team up, especially if it's a wing. get better defensemen or a better goalie.

[epstud74 24]

We've got 22 on our beer league team and have lots of fun.. Sounds like you're in a rather unorganized league with only 10 per team.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

Switch him with the goalie. What's the worst that could happen? He might make a great goalie, and your goalie might make a great player, or not. Just another option to try.

[Andoy 5]

Correct me if i'm wrong but it seems like you're placing the blame mostly because your goalie and one of your players isn't up to the team's standards. Maybe if the rest of your team did a better job of preventing shots off or guiding the guy then maybe you guys would have more success.

I was in a high level team with 2 friends who were newbies. They weren't the greatest skaters but they would come back to the bench panting and sweating after a hard 45 second shift. As a friend and teammate, as long as I see them come to the bench like that then that's good enough for me.

[fieldofdreams 0]

We've got 22 on our beer league team and have lots of fun.. Sounds like you're in a rather unorganized league with only 10 per team.

DAMN! My team has 16 and I was iffy at having THAT many!!!

[sitzlejd 0]

Personally I'd keep him if he really is a "great guy." We've got a guy that's just learning to skate and he just scored his first goal last night. Maybe we don't feed him as much as other players, especially in important situations, but he's certainly never cost us a game on his own. I'm biased cuz I started as an adult and I was the newb for a while. I'm glad nobody kicked me off when I was trying to learn an incredibly difficult sport.

[Zinger 0]

We're 10 guys and we get spares when some guys cant come. Our games are only an hour and a half....

Our goalie has been with us for a long time and we've won with him, he's just very inconsistent. I think you guys are right, i might just keep him on.

i dont know how some of you play with more than 14 guys on a beer league? how long are your games? its almost not a workout.

when i was younger we had 15 guys= 9 o, 5 d, 1 g. and that was organized minor hockey. same for my intercity high school team.

I think you guys are right, that 1 player cannot have such an impact in a game....but picture this.....The Penguins trade Matt Cooke for Chris Pronger.

thats who we wanna add...a beast of a defenseman, who's a really good friend as well.

anyhow, i think i'll give this guy the choice....who knows, he might bail on his own and problem solved!

[flyerman 0]

We're 10 guys and we get spares when some guys cant come. Our games are only an hour and a half....

Our goalie has been with us for a long time and we've won with him, he's just very inconsistent. I think you guys are right, i might just keep him on.

i dont know how some of you play with more than 14 guys on a beer league? how long are your games? its almost not a workout.

when i was younger we had 15 guys= 9 o, 5 d, 1 g. and that was organized minor hockey. same for my intercity high school team.

I think you guys are right, that 1 player cannot have such an impact in a game....but picture this.....The Penguins trade Matt Cooke for Chris Pronger.

thats who we wanna add...a beast of a defenseman, who's a really good friend as well.

anyhow, i think i'll give this guy the choice....who knows, he might bail on his own and problem solved!

The problem is that if he thinks he's better than he is, and he doesn't take constructive criticism because of his ego, I very much doubt he is going to just say, "oh yeah, you're right. I'm just not good enough to be playing with you guys." But if you guys are playing at a high adult level, and you don't have enough players of your caliber to carry him -- and AS A TEAM you guys are not having fun because you are losing all the time and people are playing the blame game -- then it's worth taking a team vote about whether to keep this guy or not, and then just doing the best thing for the team accordingly.

On my team there are three or four players I would love to see gone based on pure hockey skill and/or drive alone, except they are all good people and have been part of the team for a while now. We are able to carry them because we have enough good - very good players to offset their talent level. It's always a balance between keeping it fun with everyone getting equal ice time and being competitive so we win games....and so it stays fun. As much as it is just beer league hockey on a Sunday night, most everyone on my team, including me, hates to lose, and we are constantly striving as a team to get better doing all sorts of extra practice time and scrimmages to that end. It's very difficult when a poor player either just doesn't want to improve or just doesn't care one way or another, no matter how cool a guy/girl they are off of the ice.

thats who we wanna add...a beast of a defenseman, who's a really good friend as well.

Not to beat a dead horse here, but can't you add him and just play 5 D and 6 F then. It's not that much less ice time for the D? Yeah, the pairing will be inconsistent but who cares. Plus, lower player dues means more money for beer! Again, put it to the team to decide....

[dsjunior1388 81]

We're 10 guys and we get spares when some guys cant come. Our games are only an hour and a half....

Our goalie has been with us for a long time and we've won with him, he's just very inconsistent. I think you guys are right, i might just keep him on.

i dont know how some of you play with more than 14 guys on a beer league? how long are your games? its almost not a workout.

when i was younger we had 15 guys= 9 o, 5 d, 1 g. and that was organized minor hockey. same for my intercity high school team.

I think you guys are right, that 1 player cannot have such an impact in a game....but picture this.....The Penguins trade Matt Cooke for Chris Pronger.

thats who we wanna add...a beast of a defenseman, who's a really good friend as well.

anyhow, i think i'll give this guy the choice....who knows, he might bail on his own and problem solved!

so sign a free agent...metaphorically speaking.

[Dat 0]

I think failing to get better while refusing to listen to pointers is grounds enough for kicking him out. If he was practicing 10 hours a week outside of your regular games and practice, honestly listening to criticism and analyzing himself, and seriously trying to get better then that would show he deserves a chance, but sounds like this guy is never going to change. Probably needs an intervention to actually get better.

10 hours a week? you want a guy to set aside 90 minutes a day to practice for beer league?

I was making a point that he could be making an effort to get better to help the team. 90 minutes a day is easy if someone is dedicated and really wanted to improve. He could be working on things like stickhandling, reading books, watching videos, and inline skating at home in his spare time. Plenty of people spend easily that much time watching TV everyday.

[dsjunior1388 81]

I think failing to get better while refusing to listen to pointers is grounds enough for kicking him out. If he was practicing 10 hours a week outside of your regular games and practice, honestly listening to criticism and analyzing himself, and seriously trying to get better then that would show he deserves a chance, but sounds like this guy is never going to change. Probably needs an intervention to actually get better.

10 hours a week? you want a guy to set aside 90 minutes a day to practice for beer league?

I was making a point that he could be making an effort to get better to help the team. 90 minutes a day is easy if someone is dedicated and really wanted to improve. He could be working on things like stickhandling, reading books, watching videos, and inline skating at home in his spare time. Plenty of people spend easily that much time watching TV everyday.

ice time is a lot more expensive and hard to come by.

[epstud74 24]

With 22 players..goalie included..We get plenty of ice time.. Shifts are kept to a minute or so..Go full speed..plus we get plenty of dryland and pick-up hockey time during the week. Its a great way to network and make new friends. Opposing teams will come drink a few with us as well after games

[Dundeestar 0]

I agree with Tailboard Jockey try swapping them around weak player to Goalie, Goalie to player its got to be worth a try. Dont chuck the poor guy give him another go.

Sounds like me a bit ive only played Hockey three times and i know i suck but im sure the more i play im bound to get better eventually.

I learned to figure Skate first then so i am a competent Skater and at a high level of Figure Skating until i went to Whats called "Hockey for all" at our local rink and as soon as i had my gear on and a Stick in my hand i sucked big time and still do, but its fun and we have guys from 16 to 70 playing im 40 myself we have some guys that play Recce and some guys like myself that is new to hockey but learning and having fun.

Stick with this guy im sure he will turn out good in the end.

[Too Old 1]

90 minutes a day is easy if someone is dedicated and really wanted to improve.

Not for many of us who work fulltime and have a family. Especially kids. As much as I enjoy it there's simply no possible way that I could see being able to set aside that kind of time. I'd love to, but it won't work.

[Larry54 243]

I don't know whether this is a good idea or not. If the problem is that he doesn't realize how bad he is, have someone videotape one of your games. When he sees the tape, he might have a more objective view of himself. Then it might be a bit easier to convince him of how bad he is, or at least to convince him to accept pointers on how to improve. On the other hand, you don't want him to feel humiliated as he might be when he realizes how bad he is. It's a tough situation.

[Law Goalie 147]

Good idea, Larry.

Just make sure you tell the cameraman to always keep buddy-boy in the frame.

[minwookie 0]

Whatever you do, don't lie to the guy to get him off the team like some have suggested.

If he's a friend he deserves the truth more than a spot on a team or a cold beer. The latter can be argued.

[flyerman 0]

Again...team vote.

[number21 3]

Maybe instead of telling him how bad he is offer to work with him. I understand his attitude towards getting pointers isn't the best, which sucks. As someone who sucks and started as an adult, I take any tips guys give me happily.

Anyways, see if he wants to meet at a stick and puck time to work on stuff. Or dry land work on shooting or passing.

I don't think you should boot him, but he also needs to understand his playing level vs. the rest of the teams. He also should work on his attitude towards learning the game.

I'm unclear, can you add a few more guys to your team? That would help add a little depth so this guy and your inconsistent goalie will have some pressure taken off them.

[flyerman 0]

They can add more, but they don't want to because they want a lot of ice time.

[eric42434224 1]

What is more important? Winning or fun?

If it is the former, you are just going to have to grow a pair and tell him that winning is the most important thing, and that you have to cut him.

If it is the latter, then you should be cutting the players that feel winning is the only thing.

This is beer league, right? Should'nt having fun, friendship, and comraderie take front stage over winning? Look, I know we are a competetive bunch, but try to keep things in perspective. On my team, there is a guy that never played competetive hockey before, and I thought it was a waste and a huge liability to have him on the team. Yet after 1 year, he is the most improved player, and scored two game winning goals....and hustles more than anyone. He is still probably the worst player on the team, but I wouldnt trade him for the best player in the entire league. The team just wouldnt be the same without him.

You're not trying to win the cup here.

Perhaps it is you and your team that need to take a REALLY hard look at why you are playing on this team and league, and when you know why (winning or fun), you will know what to do. Just be honest with yourself first, and then be honest with him.

[Zinger 0]

Guys, this player's level vs the rest of the team is so low....forget our team, his level vs the rest of the players in the league is tooo low...

This guy is out of shape, overweight by about 40-50lbs....he is really a good guy tho, but also has difficulty coming to grips with his level.

He simply doesnt have the cardio to keep up in the league. on top of that he smokes a pack a day.

And guess what Larry, ALL our games are videotaped. He refuses to watch them lol. He's a pretty diffiult person, cuz he's very competitive, which is a good thing, but that prevents him from realizing how bad he is.

So in the end, we spoke to him...told him he couldnt be on the team because we are moving up a level, which is the truth, and we told that he simply couldnt keep up with us....just to let you guys know we play pickup with this guy 2 other times during the week and thats more his caliber, so he'll still get plenty of icetime.

He vowed to get in shape, lose weight, and improve his cardio to get back in the team. And i loved that. This is why i love the guy. Once he does get in shape and hopfeully improves his endurance, i have no problems taking him back, even tho he sucks.

Thanks for your views guys, all of you really helped out a lot

[eric42434224 1]

Sounds like this situation ended in the best possible way.

Nice job.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Once he does get in shape and hopfeully improves his endurance, i have no problems taking him back, even tho he sucks.

It sure didn't read like your issue was that he wasn't in shape and had no endurance. Your issue was that he wasn't very good. If he comes back in great shape and still sucks, I wouldn't bet a nickel on you welcoming him back.