Well.....

In one sense, the meeting was not quite as bad as I thought it would be. In another it was exactly what I thought it would be. The start of it was a "rumor" that supposedly EVERYONE had been hearing about...which made me laugh cuz almost right away at least 3 or 4 parents were like, "um what rumor??" So what had been alluded to as...."we've all been hearing this rumor..." was actually just a couple of parents. The issue that was in question, Marlon actually had the answer to. Actually another set of parents did too. Because Marlon is close friends with the coach---in a non soccer level---he was privy to some of Troy's reasoning behind things. This seemed to help clear some things and worries and rumors about why this situation was happening. It's all this political soccer stuff and personally, I could care less. Doesn't matter to me what club Isaiah plays for===or even what team for that matter. I think all teams and all clubs have "political" problems.
The whole second part of the meeting I basically didn't agree with anyone else's opinion. They certainly have a right to their opinion. Basically, there are people who feel that Troy is to abrupt (he is sometimes) he is too tough on the boys (I don't think he it) he is not approachable if you disagree with him. Marlon and I have NEVER experienced that. We've had great conversations with him regarding what Isaiah needs to work on and why he is or isn't playing a lot. Some of this is probably because we do this later in the week on a 1 to 1 basis. Not right after a game, not in a social non soccer party or gathering, not in an accusatory way. Who wouldn't respond in a defensive way if the start of the conversation is "um..u lied" I guess like I put in my last post, if you don't care for his coaching techniques why did you return this year? I don't really understand that. My son having fun with this group of boys or not, if I felt a coach was inappropriate or had crossed the line===my son would not play for him. Period. With what I've seen and heard is out there--I wouldn't want Isaiah to play for anyone else. I think that no matter where you go there are going to be parent issues because when you get 12-14 different families together there are always going to be a wide variety of values, ideas, views. So switching teams to try and find different parents would be futile. I have complete trust in Troy with regards to soccer. I have seen Isaiah, as well as many others on our team, go from average soccer players to strong, even great soccer players. Is some of the natural ability--sure. Is the majority of that coaching---I believe most wholeheartedly YES. So then, where Troy is--Isaiah will be. Do I think we have a good group of boys who play well together--I do. One mom brought that up and it would be nice to think of these boys continuing together and continuing to gel. Would I follow with them to a different coach? No. To me that is not more important than the coach. I don't care if I am friends with any of the parents, Isaiah makes friends easily so I wouldn't care if he knew anyone on the team...I do care about who the coach is and what they are going to teach my son. I feel we've found that in Troy--there's no reason to switch. I accept and know that not everyone feels that way. They are certainly entitled to feel that way and I take nothing from it. I don't have to agree. There was other stuff brought up that is neither here nor there===I didn't have the experience that any of those parents had and in that sense could not contribute anything to the discussion.
There is tooooooo much gossip on our team. I know that while I may not have started any--that I'm aware of anyway, I certainly have been guilty sometimes of listening to it and not stopping it. I confess that right here and now. I also know that I will no longer be a part of it. I can't. It's sinful and I have no place being a part of it. If it starts I will ask the people not to tell me. I don't want to know what private conversations they've had with Troy. If they continue--I will get up and move my chair. Period.
One positive thing that I think came out of the meeting is that we are going to have a parent "spokesperson" in a sense. That makes sense. As a coaches wife (well now he's just an assistant coach now--but I've been that head coaches wife) I know that there's nothing worse than a handful of the same old parents coming to complain about the same old things. This parent spokesperson will be kind of a buffer between the parents and Troy. Expectations can be given throught this person on both ends.
One dad brought up an awesome question--do we at least think he's a great coach? The consensus around the table was yes. To me I'm like---um, so what's the problem and why have we been sitting here for the past hour...lol?
So anyway....I've given this all of the energy I can. I lay it down.

Totally different note---aside of visiting one of my teen mop girls tomorrow---I have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do tomorrow! Yay!! I can't wait.

Have a good night....well, I guess it's soooo late it's almost morning...lol. I woke up at 2--Chloe was barking and freaking out over the neighbors who had a bunch of people leaving--and now I can't get back to sleep.

Peace out.