Forum - Other - Coaching Bias in High School Sports

sftball011

Professional

1 year, 8 months ago by sftball011

I’m just curious if this happens in other places or if it’s just at my school. I play softball and we have a 4 team program that lets 7-12 th graders tryout. Im a freshman so this is my 3rd year playing in the program. The head varsity coach also coaches hockey so he knows all the kids who play hockey. He favors them so much and they usually miss over half of tryouts for hockey and they still make a team. He also coaches for a softball club jn the summer and it’s a super expensive one that basically just wants money. But, he favors all the kids that play for that club ( the rly rich kids) I play for a smaller club but I still get really great one on one coaching and he sets a culture of u have to pay 10k a year to get quality coaching which is very not true. He also favors all the kids who have had a sibling in the program and who’s parents just so happen to be the treasurer. I came to tryouts this year super excited because I have improved a lot over the winter and I was exiting to show him that. Instead of watching me, he gave all his attention to his favorites and never watched me for the whole week of tryouts. I was on b squad last year and I was one of the top 3 players but the rest of my team from last year either quit or got moved up to jv except me. I sent him an email saying that I would like to talk to him about my tryout results and he said we would talk on Monday but when I walked up to him he said he would come find me on Tuesday and he never did. I know some older kids who have spoken up before and they either get cut or quit the next year. It just seems so unfair and like we can’t do anything about it because if we speak up we get cut. Plus, I have a younger sister so if I ever said anything there’s no way she would ever have a shot when she’s older. Just curious if this is common or if this is just a problem for me.

halokiwi

Moderator

1 year, 8 months ago by halokiwi

Ugh, that really sucks. Sports culture at schools isn't as big here in Germany but I definitely also know teachers who have biases. At my school there was a German and music teacher who was also the conductor of the school orchestra. If you were in the orchestra, you would get better grades in German and music, if you had him in these classes. But if you had him in these classes and he knew that you played an instrument, but you didn't join the orchestra, your grades would suffer from it - even worse, if you wanted to leave the orchestra.

xc2024

Professional

1 year, 8 months ago by xc2024

happens for me, even in track when times should be all thst matters. my coach lets the faster girls play lax if they want to and only come to meets, but honestly id just either deal with it or not play. i hate to say thst there isnt another option, however the coach controls who competes, so even tho this is a common issue, i really do not know how to address it

sftball011 Professional	1 year, 8 months ago by sftball011 I’m just curious if this happens in other places or if it’s just at my school. I play softball and we have a 4 team program that lets 7-12 th graders tryout. Im a freshman so this is my 3rd year playing in the program. The head varsity coach also coaches hockey so he knows all the kids who play hockey. He favors them so much and they usually miss over half of tryouts for hockey and they still make a team. He also coaches for a softball club jn the summer and it’s a super expensive one that basically just wants money. But, he favors all the kids that play for that club ( the rly rich kids) I play for a smaller club but I still get really great one on one coaching and he sets a culture of u have to pay 10k a year to get quality coaching which is very not true. He also favors all the kids who have had a sibling in the program and who’s parents just so happen to be the treasurer. I came to tryouts this year super excited because I have improved a lot over the winter and I was exiting to show him that. Instead of watching me, he gave all his attention to his favorites and never watched me for the whole week of tryouts. I was on b squad last year and I was one of the top 3 players but the rest of my team from last year either quit or got moved up to jv except me. I sent him an email saying that I would like to talk to him about my tryout results and he said we would talk on Monday but when I walked up to him he said he would come find me on Tuesday and he never did. I know some older kids who have spoken up before and they either get cut or quit the next year. It just seems so unfair and like we can’t do anything about it because if we speak up we get cut. Plus, I have a younger sister so if I ever said anything there’s no way she would ever have a shot when she’s older. Just curious if this is common or if this is just a problem for me.
halokiwi Moderator	1 year, 8 months ago by halokiwi Ugh, that really sucks. Sports culture at schools isn't as big here in Germany but I definitely also know teachers who have biases. At my school there was a German and music teacher who was also the conductor of the school orchestra. If you were in the orchestra, you would get better grades in German and music, if you had him in these classes. But if you had him in these classes and he knew that you played an instrument, but you didn't join the orchestra, your grades would suffer from it - even worse, if you wanted to leave the orchestra.
xc2024 Professional	1 year, 8 months ago by xc2024 happens for me, even in track when times should be all thst matters. my coach lets the faster girls play lax if they want to and only come to meets, but honestly id just either deal with it or not play. i hate to say thst there isnt another option, however the coach controls who competes, so even tho this is a common issue, i really do not know how to address it

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Coaching Bias in High School Sports