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Abuse in Basketball?

A question from Matt in Tennessee:

Our daughter ,grade 6, wanted to try out for the school basketball team. Grade 6 is the first grade TSSAA will allow to participate. She did not play junior pro which is a non-school, anybody coach, no supervision program.  We thought it was too much risk, besides the children were being taught bad ball habits from unqualified parent or non-parent coaches.

Now to the problem. Our child made the team, but was not allowed to play the game in practice. All the other students in her grade were allowed to practice while she had to sit on the floor or bleachers for one and a half hours. We, my wife and I, asked the coach about this. The reason being - she didn't play junior pro. The coach is a non-school personal young lady. We finally went do the director of schools complaining this was abuse for neglect, and emotional stress for our child. He was very cold and said that wasn't abuse. What do you say?

She is in the 6th grade and tried out for the school basketball team. You say she made the team, but is not permitted to practice. Instead, she has to sit in the bleachers for an hour and a half while the other players practice. That makes no sense to me at all.  If she made the team, she
certainly should be practicing with the team.

The reason she is not permitted to practice, according to her coach, is that she did not play in the previous program (junior pro). That might mean that the coach doesn't think she has developed the skills necessary to compete against other players, but I would not think that should preclude her practicing with the team. She needs to practice in order to improve.

Since she isn't allowed to practice, I assume she does not play in games either. Is that correct?

School teams, quite often, have a number of players on the team who see very little playing time in games because only the better players are given a chance to play. 

If I understand your situation, your daughter's coach seems to think she does not have the necessary skills to play. But if that were the case, why would the coach chose your daughter to be a member of the team in the first place?

None of this makes much sense to me. If a child is selected to play on a 6th grade team, that child, as well as all the children on the team, should practice together and they all should have an opportunity to play during games.

If her coach is doing what you have said - selecting your daughter for the team but not allowing her to participate - I believe that is totally inappropriate behavior by a coach who apparently is consumed with winning basketball games. It demonstrates a total lack of understanding of what
youth sports are all about as well as a complete lack of sensitivity and compassion on the part of the coach. Youth sports - including grade school sports - should be about participation and development of skills, confidence and self-worth, not about winning games.

Given what you have told me, I would agree that this kind of behavior by the coach is both demeaning and abusive. Children should not be treated like this. I am even more concerned by the lack of sensitivity on the part of the director of schools that you reported.

Unfortunately, youth sports today have been infiltrated and contaminated by insensitive and egotistical adults consumed only with winning games or championships. Player enjoyment, participation and character development are being sacrificed as a result.