Life is politics! There is no avoiding politics. Politics is the process by which persons or groups of people make decisions. It is virtually unavoidable whenever there are diverse opinions.Rentley wrote:Unfortunately, politics continues to play a role in all avenues of our lives, whether it's sports, band, or the debate team, and progresses into our adult lives in everything from perception, to promotions!
Also, what is fair is relative to the person making the decision. People generally try to be fair, which is "making a decision free from bias or dishonesty or injustice". Behavioral scientists tell us that its human nature to want to be fair. Its just that our perceptions, based on our personal life experiences, of what is fair is different.
I believe that coaches make what they believe are fair decisions in order to put the best team on the ice. Reasonable people may disagree with their decisions but coaches are generally in it to win not screw someone over. When a coach doesn't play someone he or she believes that someone else adds more to the team and gives them a better chance to win. It might be due to certain talents one player has over another or it might mean that the players are relatively similar but that one is a better fit for the team's personality. You see it all of the time where one team's garbage is another team's treasure. Look at free agency in the NFL. Unfortunately in HS sports you don't have the option to move to another team so the best bet is to try to give the coach what he or she wants (oh wait that's politics
)Seriously though, all but the superstar players have been in less than stellar situations under certain coaches. My suggestion is to try to make the best of it by having your daughter ask the coach "What can I do to get better and help the team" which if successful it would mean she would have a greater role and more playing time. I think asking this question of the coach does 3 things. It says she is willing to work hard at what the coach sees as a weakness, its says that she is a team player and finally it involves the coach and gives him or her a more involved and personal stake in your progress.
Being in a less than desirable situation where you have to work harder to succeed is a life lesson even if you don't eventually succeed the way you respond is important. Its not perfect buts its all I got.