By: Jon Toner, Northampton Little League
In response to a disgruntled parent generally relating to youth sports organizations politics. "I wondered why somebody didn't do something, then I realized I am somebody". What are you going to do about this? You've completed the first step - Identify the problem. Now what? There are three types of Executive Boards. 1) Tyrants. These guys run the league for their benefit. Small (but not small enough) minority of boards. Nothing you can do here except vote them out. 2) Idealists. These guys run the league for the general good and keep focused on what is important. Unfortunately, also a small minority. You wouldn't be here if you had them. 3) Doing-what-we-can. These guys WANT to run the league well, and figure by listening to coaches and parents, they are doing it. Small problem - they aren't hearing anything from the silent majority. As a result, whoever is vocal gets what they want. This board is easily bullied. The threats of legal action are proof. I've been threatened with legal action. I respond aggressively. "Sure, you can bring a lawsuit. Can you give me the correct spelling of your name for when I call the newspaper with this?" Bottom line, it is a bluff. No one wants to look like the village idiot by suing a youth organization over a minor issue. Re: Lawsuits. Encourage your board to grow some cahones. Who runs the league, the board or anyone capable of opening up the Yellow Pages and spelling "Legal"? Jump on anyone stupid enough to threaten this and pretty soon no one will try. You'll probably have to lead them down this path with baby steps. No one likes being called a wimp to their face. Re: All-Stars. Your board probably doesn't recognize a problem because there are a lot of happy campers (coaches and parents who got what they wanted). They may not even realize there are unhappy people out there. Step 1. ORGANIZE. Step 2. PREPARE "My kid didn't make the team and should have" will get ignore before you finish the sentence. "The procedure is letting some deserving kids down" will be heard. Step 3. ASK FOR SOMETHING Step 4. STAY INVOLVED Step 5. IF YOU LOSE, DON'T ESCALATE Case in point. Parent "A" wants their kid on the team but player not voted in. Calls me and complains. I empathize but tell her that I don't undo elections. Parent "A" now starts a vicious slander campaign. Accuses a coach of paying $2,000 for an All-Star slot. Despite being an absolutely ludicrous statement, this is terribly hurtful to the player who earned the spot on the roster ON HIS OWN MERITS (best defensive catcher I've seen in our league). Do you think for 1 minute that parent "A" has any credibility in my eyes anymore? While I won't discriminate against her, I am also not inclined to help her anymore either. Worse still, a vacancy was likely to occur on the team (had the team progressed 1 more week, 2 kids would have left on month-long vacations). Do you think a coa
ch wants to invite this kind of person to every game and practice after seeing that display? Step 6. MANNERS COUNT Best of luck!
Date: October 06, 1998 at 14:30
Get lots of people (and I mean LOTS!) to come to the next board meeting. Sheer numbers mean a lot to the well-meaning board.
Prepare y
our points in advance. Don't wait until you are standing before the board to make your case. Write down your arguments. Keep them civil and focused league-wide. Focus on procedures, not personalities. Hit with your strongest arguments and hit hard. Omit your weak arguments. Your weakest arguments undermine your strongest ones.
Getting up and telling people that something needs to be changed accomplishes little. Tell them what you want. Research alternative methods for All-Stars. When you ask people to get creative, you may not like what you get. When you give them a list of options and ask them to choose, you control the outcome.
One of the most important things. Nature abhors a vacuum. If you ask for a change and then step out of the loop, guess who rushes in - the folks who have their own interests at heart. Net result: No change.
If you don't win your argument, return with it later, all the while remaining civil. If you escalate the argument you'll be dismissed as a crank.
People avoid pain more actively than seeking pleasure. You'll be most effective if you minimize the pain for all involved. Here's a tip: Rehearse your argument to your son. If you're too embarassed to read it to him, don't think it will go over better with the board.