Whine About it Wednesday!
My son is playing JV baseball. Last night it was 6:45 before we left school.
 6:45!!!!!!!!!!!!
I realize that I am not used to the “sports world” and there are lots of things I don’t know, but what I fail to understand is why we don’t have a set time for practice to be OVER. These kids are practicing every day after school. Do I ever know what time he’s going to finish? No. He calls when he’s ready for me to come get him.Â
I cannot tell you what a pain in the ass this is.Â
This past nine weeks, my son had a C–missed a B by one point–and therefore has to attend study hall after practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights. (That’s why he was so late last night.) I wouldn’t have a problem with that either, IF we had a set time for practice to be over. I spent forty-five minutes in the parking lot last night, seething. Though I know that it’s going to mortify my son, I’ve decided that a talk with the coach is in order. This willy-nilly I’ll call you when it’s time to come and get me crap is for the birds. 
Is this normal? Does anyone know? Is this just par for the course and I need to get over it?
February 7th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I think the “no set time for practice to be over” is bullcrap. However, I’ve consulted my husband on this and he says it is standard practice and staying until all has been accomplished is “what seperates the winning teams from the losing teams.” He says that sometimes the players may “just not get it” and so they have to stay and practice until everyone understands the play. He only had one thing to say when I told him you were going to talk to the coach — a resounding “NO!”
February 7th, 2007 at 9:33 am
I can’t speak for teams, but most of my rehersals had an ending time. Only rarely (when we were really screwing it up) did we stay longer than the ending time. Now dress rehersals before performances and things like that were “it’s over when it’s over” situations, but that wasn’t EVERY time.
And we were under pressure to be the best too…
I think your son would die a thousand deaths if you went to the coach. It doesn’t mean I disagree with your decision to do so…
February 7th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Girl, girl, girl. Yes, this is what we have to put up with and no I don’t think it’s right at all. As if we have nothing better to do with our time. I put up with that crap when my son was playing ball. And my ex was the coach, so even though I would get my son there earlier than some of the other players, he ALWAYS made Kyle the last one to do whatever, just so I could sit there for up to 3 hours.
. I wish you luck 
. I’ll get back with you on my whine for today.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:13 am
I’m with Jen — don’t go to the coach. You’ll probably just piss him off and make matters worse not to mention embarrassing your son.
Both my sons were high school athletes and #2 son was a scholarship athlete in college. So I went through the same thing with them in high school and yeah it sucks. But at the same time, #2 son’s high school team was state champion which led to a lot of publicity for him and ultimately his full ride at college.
Can you take your laptop with you and work? Or take a book and read? I find I seethe less while waiting if I have something to occupy the time.
Hang in there babe. Parenthood doesn’t last forever.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Oops! Forgot my whine.
I went to the grocery store on Monday and discovered the bread I buy went up $1.04 per loaf!
Did a hurricane wipe out the loaf-of-bread trees? Or did the plastic bag crop get hit by the freeze?
February 7th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Jen, my husband responded the same way, so talking the talking-to-the-coach plan has been abandoned.
It’s still irritating though…
February 7th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Hunh! My comments didn’t show up.
I have to agree about not talking to the coach. Aside from embarrassing your son, it might piss the coach off and he’d take it out on your boy.
Both my sons were high school athletes so I know your misery. #2 son was a state champion several times over in his sport and put in long hours at practice. But it paid off in the form of a full college scholarship.
Can you take your laptop or Alphasmart and write while you wait? Or take a book and read? Having something to do makes waiting a lot less annoying for me.
As for my whine… the bread I buy went up $1.04 per loaf!
Did a hurricane destroy the loaf trees? Or did the plastic bag crop get frozen?
February 7th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Testing for Marilyn, because my blog is eating her comments… So, I’m not really Marilyn, but for experimental purposes I am claiming to be…
February 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Testing….
February 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Were you unaware of the fact that a child’s sports activities trump all things, including their education and social calendars (theirs and yours)? I’ve never seen an emphasis on it like there is here in AL. My friend has a daughter in high school volleyball and it is a constant thing. They live, breathe, eat volleyball at the expense of everything else. You’re lucky it was just 6:45. From what I gather, it will just get worse from here, so you might want to set the mindframe now.
February 7th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Marilyn, that was the weirdest thing. I keyed in your info instead of mine and it didn’t post. Argh!! Will try to find out what’s wrong…
February 7th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Aha! Fixed it, Marilyn. For some reason, your comments were going to the spam filter. FYI, I have Aksimet or something like that, so this may be happening on other sites.
February 7th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Apparently your spam filter (and Jen’s) thought I was trying to sell y’all Viagra or something.
But it’s all fixed now.
February 7th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Let’s hope so.
February 7th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
This is the real Marilyn. Testing. 1,2,3.
February 7th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
February 7th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Glad you decided not to talk to the coach. Send your hubby to wait on him. How else are they both going to have supper when they get home. My Whine is it is February and I am so far behind I work I don’t know whether I will ever get December closed out. Got to go work now.
February 7th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Marilyn, I have emailed my web-girl-genius and she’s checking into the problem about your posts. Sorry!
Ginger, sorry to hear that you’re feeling bad! Go to the doctor and feel better soon!
Susan, D does go and get him some, but most of the time he’s got something else going on. Eek on the December close-out in February! Sorry!