yes, another kids coaching story (Update: 2016-17 edition)

Needless to say the poohbahs of the Starrville Catholic League are getting anywhere from concerned to panic-stricken over the effects of travel-team schedule conflicts in cannibalizing the rosters, either for complete seasons (as is suspected in the case of St Rudy) or individual games (as in the case of Kurt's Krimsons and Redemption) so now there's talk of a post-season task force to brainstorm possible ways to counteract -- or maybe simply avoid -- these conflicts.

Because this was only in the fifth grade, the very lowest division. And only girls. StarSis says from what she's heard from boys' parents, it's an order of magnitude higher with boys.

Obviously you can't ban travel team players from playing in the league; if you do, in effect you're chasing all the good players -- i.e. any with any hopes or plans to play in high school -- out of the league completely. The only people left playing for the school teams will be the people who really do not care about basketball, at all, period. And in that case, why bother with fancy uniforms, scoreboards, driving 30 miles to games, paying refs at $50 a game, etc etc.?? Go play intramurals, sister.

So you've either got to, a) make playing in the SCL a viable competitive and development option in its own right, or b) run and hide -- get out of the way of the travel teams and hope some of the travel players will condescend to play in your league.

 

Postseason Pizza Party Report: According to the highly-reliable St Sissy fifth grade grapevine, The New Twins didn't show up for the Kurt's Krimsons shindig at a local pizza-pinball emporium. Which meant only six of the nine players did (one had quit in midseason).

Even more interesting, supposedly Koach Kurt (and his daughter and niece) arrived, then begged out and left after a full fifteen minutes of the festivities.

As the Kurtmobile disappeared into the distance, the four players and parents remaining looked at each other. The Non-Kurt team parents had thrown in together on a couple gifts and cards for the coaches. (It was supposed to be a semi-surprise presentation near the end of the party.)

It was decided to just forget about it.