[imported_Melissa]

He had all the meetings Saturday. Yikes! There are liability issues you don't even think about! It's a little frightening.

The instructor said he always had a rule that the second to last parent to pick up their child had to stay until the last child was picked up no matter how long it took. Jason's thinking of telling his parents that someone has to stay with the kid at practice the whole time - either parent, a relative, even a teenaged sibling - but someone representing that child should be at the entire practice. No drop-offs A. in case of injury and B. so Jason or the assistant is never left in a position of being the last adult left with a child.

Parents, is that reasonable? I understand in the case of parents with multiple kids, dropping off one at practice and picking up later may be how you manage to shuttle them around to everything, but is it understandable that a coach would ask this?

Also, one of his kids is listed as allergic to "pcn and pb" I assume pb is peanut butter - what would 'pcn' be? Obviously we'll ask to make sure when we make the snack list we tell parents what NOT to bring, but I was curious.

 

[Jen]

How old are the kids on the soccer team?
As a soccer mom, I would not be happy having to sit at every practice. I use that time to run to the grocery store, sit at the coffee shop reading a book or getting a pedicure. But my daughter is 11 and not only does the coach have all of our cell phone numbers but we also have the other parents cell phone numbers.

What if he had a sign up for parents to volunteer to stay at practice. That way only one parent would have to stay at practice.

 

[rottnlabs]

pcn is pennicillin (sp?) I'm allergic to it too. That's why I know the abbreviation.

I think its ok to ask that someone responsible for the child stay there. I know when my SU was coaching there were a lot of parents that stayed so it was never an issue for us but it never hurts to remind them. In today's environment, most parents won't leave their kids but I guess there will always be one or 2 who do.

 

[imported_Melissa]

They're all about 9 years old. It's the Under-10 division, Co-Ed.

 

[MyLabsMom]

Meliss - I'm thinking popcorn for pcn? Maybe?

You know, in my case....with my SU gone during the week, there are times when I'm forced to drop (usually my oldest) kid at a practice. I have no choice, especially because another kid has to be at another field for something. I do know a lot of the other kids parents and they know me, my son and my situation. I'm always reachable via my cell phone. If they required it for one parent to be there, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to have my kids participate.

It's a tough call.

 

[MyLabsMom]

pcn is pennicillin (sp?) I'm allergic to it too. That's why I know the abbreviation.

I think its ok to ask that someone responsible for the child stay there. I know when my SU was coaching there were a lot of parents that stayed so it was never an issue for us but it never hurts to remind them. In today's environment, most parents won't leave their kids but I guess there will always be one or 2 who do.

What about single parents with mulitple kids?? What are they to do?

 

[imported_Melissa]

That's what I was afraid of Brenda. That for some people it just wouldn't be possible. I'm sure for most it would be okay, but he needs to think of something else then so it doesn't exclude someone that has no choice.

 

[imported_bacatherine]

I don't have any kids yet but I think not every parent needs to be there as long as they are reachable by cell and there are other parents there. I don't think the idea of having the second to last parent stay until the last one is picked up would be that big of an issue though. Maybe see if they can schedule some kind of rotation to make sure one of the parents it at every practice the entire time or something.

 

[MyLabsMom]

I know as a fellow team parent, I have offered many time to wait for a certain parent to come - I would hope that they would do the same. I've always had great team parents; we all look out for one another, which is how it should be.

 

[Dakkerdog]

I think you are planning around the worst possible scenario. I can't imagine someone just leaving their kids at soccer practice. I would also assume they are all local kids. Maybe an alternate place to drop the kids should a parent not show up so that you don't have to just sit and wait.

My son's practices have all of the kids dropped off since about U10 and up. I've never heard of a problem of a child being left. And I do notice that some parents stay, but for the most part it is just the coaches.

For me depending on where the practice is will determine if I stay or leave. If I don't have an errand to run than it is a waste to drive home for 30 mins. and then turn around and come back. I will usually bring a book and read. You may just find that there is at least one parent usually around and you can see if they are willing to help with any kids that may be potentially left behind.

 

[imported_Aim]

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with asking parents to have someone there with their children. But I can see how it could be hard for some parents.

 

[imported_Melissa]

It's not that we think the parents would never come back or something. It's that you don't want the coach to be left waiting for the last parent to come pick up their kid and it just be the coach and the last kid around with no one else there because everyone else bolted as soon as practice was over.

It's something that never even crossed our minds because we don't think that way but it was brought up by the instructor of the coaches' meeting who is some sort of something in the state's youth soccer something-or-other. (I don't remember, I wasn't there.) All it would take is for one kid or one parent to say something and if you have no one else there, you have no way to defend yourself.

It's a slim-to-none possibility, buy why set yourself up, you know?

 

[Scout and friends]

pcn - most likely penicillin.

We almost always stayed at our son's hockey practices at that age. If we had to leave, the coach knew and we had arranged with one of the other parents to watch our son and help if he needed anything or got hurt. They had a cell number to reach us. You can't expect the coach to run a practice and attend to a sick kid/hurt kid/equipment problem, etc. That's just expecting too much, and it all happens.

In the parents meeting, bring it up and ask for suggestions - explain the concerns from the coaches standpoint. I can understand how it can be difficult for some families, but ask them for ideas then. I think the second to last parent staying until the last kid is picked up is a great idea. It puts pressure on parents to be there on time too - don't make someone else stay because you were late for pick up. Some parents are routinely late.

And I think it's very fair to ask that when at all possible, parents please stay.

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

I don't think it's reasonable to ask a parent to stay for practice. I was one of six kids. We all played sports. What was Mom supposed to do?

A cell phone number and a volunteer for each practice to stay till the last kid gets picked up should be fine.

I think as a new coach you might be making too big a deal out this. What are all the other coaches doing?

 

[BoatDog]

Melis - I understand your concerns - it's the same as an employer - we can NEVER have just 2 employees here - 3 is the magic number....esp if mixed sexes due to he said/she said.

However, I think a volunteer parent or two per practice should help protect with liability issues - and will also make Jason feel more comfortable! (The 2nd to last to pick up is good - but what if the "just can't"?)

Good luck - it is SO SAD that we've, as a nation, come to this type of thinking!

 

[imported_Melissa]

I think as a new coach you might be making too big a deal out this. What are all the other coaches doing?

It's not something WE thought of! It wasn't us at all. It was told at the meeting by the head guy to work it out so you have a way to guarantee that the coach is never alone with a child.

WE hadn't even thought about it.

If there is overreacting - they're the ones that are doing it.

 

[imported_gabbys mom]

You definitely need to have someone there. You may be able to set up a system for 2-3 individuals to be there during practice- which would likely be helpful anyway.

I just got finished with a year of teaching Sunday School (1st and 2nd grade). There are tons of parents who drop their kids off and use it as a babysitting service- and show up when they want. That may or may not be the case with kids on the soccer team- but I'll tell you, it gets really old waiting for the same parents every week. I eventually had to tell them that if they couldn't get their kid on time- their kid couldn't come. I am not a babysitter.

The liability issues are important. A friend of the family (male) coaches a girls' soccer team- he's retired and loves soccer. He always has someone there because he's a male in a position of authority around young impressionable females.

 

[deific]

When I was a kid the instructors had to stay not the parents.

 

[BoatDog]

Ah, well that explains it!

 

[lablover]

Matt coached wrestling for middle school last year. After one meet one of the wrestlers parents never showed up to pick him up. Matt said he tried calling and calling. Even tried calling other relatives. No one answered. Matt was NOT to drive any of the students home because of liability. After two hours he ended up taking this kid home. The parents were outside and said they had forgotten about him!!