brandy327
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,353 
|
Post by brandy327 on Aug 19, 2014 19:27:13 GMT
My dd's soccer practices start tonight. This is the first time since kindergarten (they're going into 4th grade) that they've played a sport. The practices are held at our local field that has a track around the outside for walking/running. Do you think I should sit and watch the first practice or would walking the track be ok? I haven't had time to get in any exercise today and I'd love to walk the track while they practice but I feel like I should sit and watch the practice.
What say the peas? Sit and watch or walk the track?
|
|
|
|
Post by anonrefugee on Aug 19, 2014 19:31:43 GMT
Walk, absolutely!
|
|
janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,641
|
Post by janeliz on Aug 19, 2014 19:33:13 GMT
Walk! Watching practices, for me, is like watching paint dry.
|
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Aug 19, 2014 19:36:57 GMT
My DH and I coach...
Our kids are younger (going into 2nd grade) and our league rule is that you must stay on the field during practice.
If your child has to go to the bathroom, gets hurt, overheated, etc. it is YOUR responsibility to deal with it.
As long as your can see your child and the coach could flag you over if needed, I think it's fine.
|
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Aug 19, 2014 19:39:37 GMT
If the field is in the middle of the track, and you are available if needed, I have no problem with that.
|
|
brandy327
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,353
|
Post by brandy327 on Aug 19, 2014 19:39:49 GMT
My DH and I coach... Our kids are younger (going into 2nd grade) and our league rule is that you must stay on the field during practice. If your child has to go to the bathroom, gets hurt, overheated, etc. it is YOUR responsibility to deal with it. As long as your can see your child and the coach could flag you over if needed, I think it's fine. See, I didn't think of that. If our league has something like that the parents must ignore it. At evaluations last week, there were several moms walking the track. Since we'd never done evals/soccer before I sat and watched...I had our new puppy with us anyway so it wouldn't have worked very well. LOL I think I'll just tell my girls that I'm going to walk the track and if they need me, to flag me down. They've played at the playground there at the field while I've walked before so I guess it won't be much different. |
|
brandy327
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,353
|
Post by brandy327 on Aug 19, 2014 19:40:18 GMT
If the field is in the middle of the track, and you are available if needed, I have no problem with that. That's exactly what it is! |
|
|
|
Post by giatocj on Aug 19, 2014 19:41:05 GMT
Oh, I definitely vote for walking! Have fun.
|
|
brandy327
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,353
|
Post by brandy327 on Aug 19, 2014 19:42:49 GMT
Walking it is!!! I'll hang around until they get started and then I'll walk until they're done! I'm sure that'll give me 45 mins to an hour at least!
|
|
|
|
Post by brina on Aug 19, 2014 19:48:18 GMT
wow, I have never heard of a league having a rule like that, unless it was for 5 and 6 year olds. I would definitely walk the track, although usually I am running errands.
|
|
|
|
Post by jemali on Aug 19, 2014 20:18:37 GMT
I would for sure walk the track!
|
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Aug 19, 2014 20:25:42 GMT
wow, I have never heard of a league having a rule like that, unless it was for 5 and 6 year olds. I would definitely walk the track, although usually I am running errands. Some leagues have this as a rule, but in general it is just common sense/common courtesy. The coach is a volunteer coach. You are the parent, and the responsible party. I cannot tell you how many times dh and I had to wait around after practices while some parent "ran errands" |
|
|
|
Post by ljsmom on Aug 19, 2014 20:41:57 GMT
I think you are wise to wait until they get situated. Sometimes the coach runs down some "housekeeping" items for the league, the team, either at the beginning or end of first practice. That just happened with DD (7) last week. I tend to sit through her practices b/c bathrooms are far off in a creepy corner of an open park and it is only an hour long practice. DS (10.5) who plays club and practices 1.5 hours 3 times a week? I walk or run errands. They are on an enclosed campus and I let the parents who are staying to just text me if something comes up. I'm always back in plenty of time. Sounds like your situation is perfect for getting some movement in while still being available for your kid.
|
|
|
|
Post by peasful1 on Aug 19, 2014 20:43:30 GMT
wow, I have never heard of a league having a rule like that, unless it was for 5 and 6 year olds. I would definitely walk the track, although usually I am running errands. Some leagues have this as a rule, but in general it is just common sense/common courtesy. The coach is a volunteer coach. You are the parent, and the responsible party. I cannot tell you how many times dh and I had to wait around after practices while some parent "ran errands" Oh. I never dealt with such a rule, either. But we play club. Coaches are paid, nationally certified coaches. Clubs carry insurance. And a hurt kid isn't something the coaches just tell the parent to deal with. They deal with it, too. |
|
|
|
Post by ljsmom on Aug 19, 2014 21:05:49 GMT
Oh. I never dealt with such a rule, either. But we play club. Coaches are paid, nationally certified coaches. Clubs carry insurance. And a hurt kid isn't something the coaches just tell the parent to deal with. They deal with it, too. This is my experience too, with club, but even with the rec league. The league, via the state soccer governing body, carries insurance. As a parent I would obviously want to be there for my hurt child but I have all the confidence in the world that the coaches would take care of the immediate need and track me down ASAP. I say this but I have always stayed with my kids when they were small. Now that they are getting older I feel less of a need to watch every second. If they get hurt or have issues they can cope for a bit. |
|
|
|
Post by monklady123 on Aug 19, 2014 21:19:27 GMT
Walk! Watching practices, for me, is like watching paint dry. Yes, this. |
|
|
|
Post by brina on Aug 19, 2014 21:31:42 GMT
wow, I have never heard of a league having a rule like that, unless it was for 5 and 6 year olds. I would definitely walk the track, although usually I am running errands. Some leagues have this as a rule, but in general it is just common sense/common courtesy. The coach is a volunteer coach. You are the parent, and the responsible party. I cannot tell you how many times dh and I had to wait around after practices while some parent "ran errands" I have never returned late to get my kid, so no, sitting on a bench wasting my time is not common sense/common courtesy, it is a waste of my time. Unless the kid is little and needs help to use the rest room, as long as the parents are not running over on time, there is no reason to sit and watch practice. Oh, and I have done my time as a coach, and these days as a swimming official. |
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Aug 19, 2014 21:35:11 GMT
Some leagues have this as a rule, but in general it is just common sense/common courtesy. The coach is a volunteer coach. You are the parent, and the responsible party. I cannot tell you how many times dh and I had to wait around after practices while some parent "ran errands" I have never returned late to get my kid, so no, sitting on a bench wasting my time is not common sense/common courtesy, it is a waste of my time. Unless the kid is little and needs help to use the rest room, as long as the parents are not running over on time, there is no reason to sit and watch practice. Oh, and I have done my time as a coach, and these days as a swimming official. I think it's rude/unacceptable not to stay if the coach is a parent volunteer. |
|
|
|
Post by brina on Aug 19, 2014 21:36:36 GMT
I have never returned late to get my kid, so no, sitting on a bench wasting my time is not common sense/common courtesy, it is a waste of my time. Unless the kid is little and needs help to use the rest room, as long as the parents are not running over on time, there is no reason to sit and watch practice. Oh, and I have done my time as a coach, and these days as a swimming official. I think it's rude/unacceptable not to stay if the coach is a parent volunteer. I disagree. We are talking 9 and 10 year olds - OP said 4th grade. They do not need an entire team worth of parents sitting around watching their every move. |
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Aug 19, 2014 21:38:12 GMT
I think it's rude/unacceptable not to stay if the coach is a parent volunteer. I disagree. We are talking 9 and 10 year olds - OP said 4th grade. They do not need an entire team worth of parents sitting around watching their every move. Thankfully it's not an issue bc it's a league rule here. As it should be. |
|
|
|
Post by snappinsami on Aug 19, 2014 21:42:52 GMT
My DD now plays U14, and it's rare for parents to stick around for practices. I usually have because I've been the team parent, but most do not.
When she was younger, around your DDs' age, the league she was with had a rule that if the coach(es) were the opposite gender of the players, that there needed to be at least one parent of the players' gender at practices at all times. But usually by the time they were that old, most of the other parents would leave.
Now if the league has a rule that parents have to stay, that's another story. In that case, I don't think you need to be sitting idle. As long as you can see them and they can see you, that should be fine.
|
|
|
|
Post by brina on Aug 19, 2014 21:47:18 GMT
I disagree. We are talking 9 and 10 year olds - OP said 4th grade. They do not need an entire team worth of parents sitting around watching their every move. Thankfully it's not an issue bc it's a league rule here. As it should be. and thankfully it is not a rule here. |
|
|
|
Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 19, 2014 21:59:24 GMT
My DD now plays U14, and it's rare for parents to stick around for practices. I usually have because I've been the team parent, but most do not. When she was younger, around your DDs' age, the league she was with had a rule that if the coach(es) were the opposite gender of the players, that there needed to be at least one parent of the players' gender at practices at all times. But usually by the time they were that old, most of the other parents would leave. Now if the league has a rule that parents have to stay, that's another story. In that case, I don't think you need to be sitting idle. As long as you can see them and they can see you, that should be fine. My husband coaches, and our league rule is that a coach can never be alone with a child (and the coach's kid doesn't count). It's a good rule, but it's a pain when a parent is tardy picking up their kid, and he has to ask another parent to stay until the tardy parent shows up. My husband actually prefers the parents don't stay. At the younger ages, they're a distraction and 99.9% of the time, the kid behaves better when their parent isn't there. Then you factor in the crazy parents coaching from the sidelines and generally acting like idiots. He'd just as soon you run errands! By the end of elementary school everyone drops off here - particularly as the practices get longer. I have zero desire to sit through a 2 hour baseball game, let alone practice. Oops did I say that out loud.  |
|
|
|
Post by kristalina on Aug 19, 2014 22:03:57 GMT
Their first sport, their first practice. I'd be there watching. I would just want to.
|
|
|
|
Post by ljsmom on Aug 19, 2014 22:10:20 GMT
My husband actually prefers the parents don't stay. At the younger ages, they're a distraction and 99.9% of the time, the kid behaves better when their parent isn't there. Then you factor in the crazy parents coaching from the sidelines and generally acting like idiots. He'd just as soon you run errands! This is why I don't often stay. I'm the admin for the team and there are a few ridiculous parents that are really nice overall but a little bit much as far as thinking their child is the next Messi or some overly critical. After nearly 3 full years with the same team I have to step away for fear of going off on someone at some point  Coach I'm sure would like to tell them to back off too.. and does on occasion |
|
|
|
Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Aug 19, 2014 23:00:30 GMT
Here's a novel idea. Why don't people just ask the coach what the preference (or league rule) is?
I've encountered both situations with my boys. Fewer ones where parents were expected to stay; far more where it was preferred that parents did not stay.
|
|
|
|
Post by kelly316 on Aug 19, 2014 23:10:43 GMT
I always walk the track. It's like killing to ego birds with one stone. I love multi-tasking!
|
|
amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,410
|
Post by amom23 on Aug 19, 2014 23:25:52 GMT
Here's a novel idea. Why don't people just ask the coach what the preference (or league rule) is? I've encountered both situations with my boys. Fewer ones where parents were expected to stay; far more where it was preferred that parents did not stay. Exactly! |
|
Coach I'm sure would like to tell them to back off too.. and does on occasion 
