The Dilemma

Growing up, we were taught to finish what you start. If you want to play this season, we aren't going to quit in the middle of it just because things aren't going our way.

At the beginning of one season, I had a JV parent call me and tell me that she was going to pull her daughter from the team. She and her daughter were upset that she wasn't getting the in-game opportunities that they wanted, and it was affecting her life outside of basketball to the point where they felt it was best if they cut ties now.

To her surprise, I told her that this might be the best move for everybody. What mom didn't see (or hear) was that her athlete wasn't giving any effort in practice and that she was telling her teammates that she didn't really like basketball and that she doesn't want to play.

Mom was upset that I wasn't on board with making her stick it out, but this wasn't the right environment for her, and because she didn't want to be there, it hurt the team and her teammates.

We tried encouraging her, we tried to bring her in early and keep her late to work on her game, but she just didn't want to be there and she didn't want to play anymore.

She stuck through the rest of the season, and it was hard on her and the team.

Every situation is different. I am not saying that we should give up on kids, and I am not saying that we should pull kids off the team just because they are unhappy. 

Sometimes, we have to work harder, sometimes we have to find our role, sometimes we have to wait our turn. Sometimes, the level is a little too high for us, or there are too many people playing our same position, or politics might be getting in the way. 

I am just presenting a different side to, 'We started something and we are going to finish it.'