The coach of the Wests Harlequin Under 9 Rugby team is the code’s latest coaching casualty, after apparently losing the confidence of the playing group.
Players remained ttight-lipped this morning, but the dissension was believed to have stemmed from the coach’s decision mid season to ban Snakes at half time.
Another source said the angst was caused by the brand of Snake the kids were served up after the game. “They’d repeatedly asked for Allens – they are far softer and a lot less chewy,” the source said. “You’ve got to remember, there are two kids in the team with braces. How are they meant to get their fare share, when they’re constantly stopping to pick the snakes out of their teeth?”
The Under 9s had shown steady improvement in 2014, winning 61.8% of their games, their best season since the coach took over the reins in 2012.
But rumors of unrest started to circulate as early as August, with the kids staging a meeting after a Friday night training, without inviting the coach.
One parent claimed there was nothing in it. “It wasn’t that the coach was excluded, but the little bastards got together in a tree house, and the coach, with his gammy knee, wasn’t able to climb the tree, so he went to the bar instead,” she explained.
But according to two more parents, the team environment had been toxic all season, with more than half the playing group unhappy with the opportunities they’d been given during the coach’s rein, which commenced in under 7s.
Among the claims:
– Not being allowed to choose their own playing numbers.
– Erratic rotation of Man of the Match honors – one kid apparently went the entire season, without being given the Grill’d Burger voucher.
– Erratic rotation of goal kicking duties
– Kids not being allowed to play computer games on the way to the ground (including two trips to Logan, which is almost an hour’s drive)
– Favoritism with the appointment of the captain for each game – the coach’s son reportedly had an extra turn, and to make it matters worse, it was at the expense of the boy who’s house he was going for a sleepover on that very weekend.
– Oranges not being cut into small enough pieces, and sometimes being mixed in with grapes, which not one kid in the playing group liked because they had seeds.
“This is a playing group who are well aware of their potential, and to be honest, I think they’ve under achieved,” the team manager said. “It’s sad for the coach. His heart was in the right place, but kids sport today is a serious business. At the end of the day, he only has himself to blame.”
This little gem was actually thrown together by Michael Blucher, a man with an intimate knowledge of the runnings of professional sport and the mindset of the professional athlete. Obviously a tongue in cheek poke at recent developments, I found it amusing but also think it is relevant in light of an article I am putting together for posting late this week. Until then, enjoy the change in intensity on the site.
