This year I was pretty darn thrilled my son could get into Ventura Youth Basketball Association. Last year, he was old enough only to participate in a private league where the coaches would then proceed to try to win him over to Jesus after the games. I know perhaps they meant well, but for those of us who don’t follow the same philosophy, it was rather irritating when we wanted to leave and they wanted to pressure my little guy.
Anyhow, this year, we joined VYBA, thinking it was going to be just the same as AYSO league, organized coaches, strict age requirements and so forth. Well, that isn’t exactly the way it has panned out. My son’s coaches (husband and wife) were asked by VYBA to coach two teams, which they did because the league really needed coaches. But that hasn’t boded well for really anyone it seems.
My son has missed a series of basketball practices because they were either held in the middle of a workday or because the days kept switching and there was simply no way I could accommodate an ever evolving schedule. Then, this week, the dates and times changed from the dates and times the coaches had sent out a week earlier (It happened Sunday several parents showed up at the wrong time since the coaches told them one thing and did another) and it’s happening again for today and tomorrow–which day? no one seems to know and the coaches aren’t getting back to anyone. Do I blame the volunteer coaches? Maybe… I am not enthusiastic about how poorly organized everything is. But the real problem is with the league itself. Not only does it seem to be struggling to train coaches to have enough so that parents aren’t put in a predicament like my son’s coaches, but it is also putting kids in the wrong age groups.
I recall showing up to VYBA tryouts. They evaluated the kids to make sure they were in the right age groups and appropriately placed based on skills. Last weekend though, my son’s team took on the average team except for what appeared to be a ringer. The kid on average was a foot taller than the rest of the kids, knew how to do moves that kids years older only knew how to do. Our team lost, 48-10. You may say I am a bitter parent. Sure! Who wants to see their kids team get smashed? But in all honesty, my mom’s boyfriend made a profound statement. “That kid isn’t learning anything.”
And that’s true. He wasn’t. He was so overly skilled compared to the level the rest were at, it is no wonder he won’t learn anything. He got all the rebounds, made most of the baskets, did a lot of the dribbling, did most of the passing. He was the hero. But he was also competing in a league far below his skill set. So, what kind of hero for that team is he really?
I understand I may sound bitter, that this is just me griping. But I have never seen so many problems in AYSO. Maybe I was spoiled, but the kids seemed to be in the right place and the practices were always the same. Not this time… I wonder, what can be done to fix this? I know there are more coaches out there to volunteer. OR maybe not.
