Why do coaches play pickups over their own kids

[YplayAwhenucanplayB]

Several teams have added pickup players for nationals........why do coaches lean on those pickups more than the kids that got them there. Wonder how those parents of the kids that have paid their dues handles taking a back seat to some kid just added. I understand pickups for injured kids.....but adding another programs ace to shaft your pitching staff? Wow.

[liveintex]

I would be of the opinion that it is because many of the coaches in DFW never played the game above the high school level and don't understand that loyalty will take you further in life than a plastic trophy.

[DOG310]

Hey rocket scientist, doesn't take playing past HS to know about loyalty

[antiBS]

great question,.. great response.... wish I had something productive to offer. I just signed on to vent.
We just left a team for this reason. My DD had a great season, high bat and on base %. Coach brought in a older 13 yr old ringer for 12U triple crown world series. We already had a couple older girls on the team, my DD is the young one.

None of the newer girls (older girls) are in the championship photo that qualified us for triple crown. Just the original team that got us there, but not all the original team played there. All happened literally a week or two before triple crown.

My DD played all season switching with one other younger player. DD had one bad inning in the first game of triple crown, but did well the rest of the game. She then got pulled for one of the older girls for the rest of tournament. This older girls position, still fairly new, was taken by the ringer.

DD got to bat, did well, but didn't get to play and the two new older girls made a combined six errors in one game without consequence. Four of those errors were in one inning. There were other little errors in other games, but still no consequence. Needless to say, the team still did not finish well at TCWS.

A young group of girls got us to triple crown, so now Im the bad parent for holding a grudge. yes we helped with the fundraising, field cleanup, and all the snack bar chores, building maintance that comes with being on a team. I gotta wait till we get to an out of state tournament to see the managers true colors. It's messed up.

[fastpitchforever]

All of you need to wake up, it is not about loyalty. It's about winning, and if you think your high school or gold coach is going to play DD because you washed a few cars, you will be finding yourself very disappointed. If you want to argue that your team did worse after the pickups, then you truly do have a crappy coach, but the lesson is the same.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Poor decision making by the coaching staff at Nationals, especially in personnel is nothing new.

There may be no "i" in team, but there is a "m" and a "e" and what these Billy Beane wanna be's can't understand is that the team chemistry goes to hell when you stock up on pickups.

Ever wonder why so many teams blow up at Nationals? If the best collected talent won championships always, then the Yankees would win the World Series in 4 every year.

[antiBS]

All of you need to wake up, it is not about loyalty. It's about winning, and if you think your high school or gold coach is going to play DD because you washed a few cars, you will be finding yourself very disappointed. If you want to argue that your team did worse after the pickups, then you truly do have a crappy coach, but the lesson is the same.

"All of you need to wake up, it is not about loyalty. It's about winning"

But of course, point taken. Almost my exact words to this manager on our last day!

I have another DD that plays highschool. Although this was not a highschool team. This was a first year travel team for which I stood by this manager during some rough times.

I don't think a little loyalty at this stage was too much to expect. The team was happy and we had a decent winning streak going before these girls showed. Plus as you hint... my argument after the fact was just, we did do worse, so lets make it clear that we truly HAD a crappy coach. ... not our coach anymore!

Plus, what does this do for the whole softball organization if teams works all year to earn something, only to be replace at the time of the big tournament? It's not good. I assure you. My DD will be at the top of her age this year and still considered a legal player next year.

Are you suggesting I should go jump on a team two weeks prior to TC 2011 and bump some kid that worked hard all season, dealt with all the BS that the manager could conjure up week after week, just so I can get out of washing a few cars, working the snack stand as well as paying for 8 months worth of dues?

What's the real lesson here?

We all know it's about winning! We all totally get your point. The question now is... Do you get ours?

While I did feel the need to vent, because the topic arose... I assure you my DD and family are rebounding just fine. We've found a new team, her own age group and she's kickin some a$$ and having fun again! It's all good.

[liveintex]

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:08 pm
Re: Why do coaches play pickups over their own kids
Hey rocket scientist, doesn't take playing past HS to know about loyalty

It is ironic that you have a subtle hint in here about my intelligence when in fact you don't have enough comprehension of the English language to realize that I was making 2 different points in my post.

Do not worry about that though because school is back in session in a matter of a few weeks and you will have the opportunity to learn such things.

[Lunatic Fringe]

See Skarp for a lesson in biting sarcasm in print.

[Big Dawg]

Did the coach tell the team at the start of the season that was the plan, if so there shouldn't be any griping. Where you short-handed all season? There are reasons, just grow a pair and ask the coach.