My Soapbox

I'm stressing this morning! I didn't sleep well last night as I had so many things on my mind. I feel like I'm in a fog. I just need to vent, so please bear with me!

Here's the deal: As you know, Brittany's varsity cross country team made it to STATE. It's only the second time (in two years!) in the history of her high school that's ever happened. It's a BIG DEAL for them, and rightly so!

Well, all the girls were excited about leaving school early on Friday and driving to Carrollton, which is about 2 hours away, for the State meet on Saturday. They all thought they'd get to stop somewhere for lunch together, then make it a fun and memorable evening... but, oh no!! That's not going to happen! Their coach is a stick in the mud! Sorry about that, but it's true! He doesn't know how to let loose and have a little fun sometimes. This is his second year to coach and the girls just don't enjoy having him around, at all. When they learned that they weren't leaving until after 6th period (1:30 PM), they all gathered around the coach before practice and pleaded with him to leave earlier. He kept telling them "no", and when they persisted, he shouted, "Alright, girls, how about we not go to State, afterall?!" and he walked off. I was dumbfounded when Brittany told me this! He told them the plan for Friday was to drive to Carrollton, run the course, eat dinner, then go to bed. He said on Saturday, they're going to place, at least, 8th in the state. End of story!

The coach is all about running. I will give him credit that he does know a lot about it because he competed in the marathon time trials for the 2008 Olympics. The man knows RUNNING!! However, where he's lacking is his interpersonal skills. He has absolutely no concept of how to motivate the girls or how to relate to them. He has done nothing to get to know them as individuals. All he really cares about is the final outcome...making it to State! You just wouldn't believe how much the girls' morale has dropped since the beginning of the season, and it's getting worse all the time. I can't tell you how many times a week Brittany comes home from practice saying she doesn't like the coach and she's ready to quit! I mean, she's finished first on her team at every single meet they've had this season and he doesn't even congratulate her, other than to say, "Nice job". For goodness sake, show a little enthusiasm or, at least, act excited and pretend you're proud for what they've accomplished!!! It is so frustrating as a parent to see all of this happening before my very eyes!

You might ask why I don't talk to the coach? Would you believe that both Chris and I have and it has done absolutely NOTHING! Na-Da!! It goes in one ear and right out the other! I think he's completely oblivious that there's all this dissension going around. The parents all talk about him, too, and how disappointing this season has been. The difference from last season to this one is that they had a female assistant coach last year who was 23 years old and was LOVED by all the girls and parents. She understood where the girls were coming from and she REALLY cared about each and every one of them. She made them goody bags as a motivational tool and she even acted like a silly teenager when they traveled overnight to a meet. That made such a huge impression on the girls! She just kept everything in balance. However, she transferred to a different school this year, so we have a new assistant coach who's a man and has a very dry personality, just like the head coach. Things haven't been the same since.

You know, as a parent, there is only so much you can do for your child to keep their motivation and morale high when they're involved in sports, or similar activities. Most of it has to come from their leader, their coach, the one they should look up to, admire, and want to emulate. My daughter's coach, first of all, has forgotten what it's like to be a teenager. It's about a lot of things, but it's about having fun and enjoying life! There's plenty of time to be serious. Secondly, he doesn't know the girls on a personal level. I think that should be first and foremost on his list. They have to feel he has a genuine interest in them and that he truly cares. They don't!

Oh, I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop for now! It's sad to say that I will be so glad when this season finally comes to an end! I'm very proud of my daughter and all the other girls for what they've accomplished this season! I'm just tired of dealing with the coach and expecting more from him, only to be let-down time and time, again. The bad part is that he's going to be the girls' track coach for the spring. The jury is still out on whether or not Brittany is going to run. I would hate it if she didn't, but I can certainly understand it if she chooses not to. Another season of a lackluster coach??? At what cost???

Thanks for letting me vent!! I really needed this! :)