High School Missng Practices - What Do You Do?

[GreenStormLucy]

It´s not like you can´t do anything because one kid is missing. But through competition season, it can be annoying when there´s always someone (or two) missing.
We haven´t done our Mini L1 pyramid full-out for like 2 months because there is always someone missing.
Sure, coaches can jump in or you switch athletes, but to hit solid every time it needs to be practiced the way they will perform and not with coach being the bracer or base.

On our Youth Level 3 we are lucky to have alternates this year, so they jump in if an athlete is missing. This helps a little with the kids doing everything to be at practice. It makes them a little nervous when they missed a practice and know everything hit (maybe even better) with the alternate ;)

 

[ErinS]

Sounds very MacGyverish

Or just a facetious reply to a weak cop out.


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[ellen495]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[cowboycheersarah]

Just a thought, maybe you don't have a good turn out for tryouts because kids talk and if "the coach is crazy with her rules" that would deter kids from trying out... From a coaching standpoint yes, rules are needed and yes you are doing the correct thing with making rules and regulations, but from a high school kid's standpoint (your potential team) "the coach is crazy" isn't going to make anyone even consider trying out.


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^^^^ I can speak as a highschool and allstar cheerleader and I most definitely wouldn't try out. Cheer is 99% of my life and I'm very devoted, but 1 absence (or 2 depending on your perspective) is CRAZY. Things happen and I may miss practice. Looking at your coaching standpoint I would be absolutely terrified to try out. cause what happens if something comes up and I have to miss two practices? I'm done for? Even though I'm there every other week and work my butt off and I'm your best tumbler and base?


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[AScheer]

What do you do when someone misses practice (other than illness)?
We have:
Concerts
Headache
study for test
family obligations

Seems there are a lot of excuses. Thoughts?

The excuses can be never ending!! Friday's practice I walked in and instantaneously had 11 girls in my face making up some excuse for something and it is like this everyday. You just have to learn to say no, ignore it and tell them "love you, but get out of my face!"

We have a 3 unexcused absence policy and then you're off. In 7 years I've removed 1 kid for this. We follow the same policy that is outlined in our county rules. Unexcused are minor illness (headache, cramps), no ride, forgetting, etc. Excused are school events, major illness or death. You get 5 excused with a parent note, and then after that you have to have a dr note. This is the schools rule. We have 2.5 weeks off in the summer, 3 weeks off for Christmas/New Years, 2 weeks off in the spring, and 1 week off in the fall. Vacations are able to be planned in those weeks. We take long weekends on certain holidays (for example this weekend will be a 4 day no practice weekend for our kids.) We usually do not have issues with absences.

I am lenient about working with other sports at the beginning of the season. If you committed to softball/track/whatever before you tried out for cheer, then you finishing your commitment is important. I would expect the same if it were reversed. That being said though, if you decide to tryout for something AFTER your on the team and committed, know that I'm not going to be lenient with your other sport schedule. We really don't have an issue with this. It's such a competitive program, the kids know that cheer is what they're committing too. They also want to commit to it and not do anything else to interfere. Its the norm around here for all competitive sports, we're in a very sports heavy community. The girls & parents are told at the pre-tryout meeting that they can expect to have cheer anywhere from 3 - 7 days a week and that their life from November - February will be a big cheer blur. Most are good with it and love it. It's ok if you're not into that, we have a JV team for this very reason. JV is what we consider a typical school program.

 

[MHSCheercoach]

The excuses can be never ending!! Friday's practice I walked in and instantaneously had 11 girls in my face making up some excuse for something and it is like this everyday. You just have to learn to say no, ignore it and tell them "love you, but get out of my face!"

We have a 3 unexcused absence policy and then you're off. In 7 years I've removed 1 kid for this. We follow the same policy that is outlined in our county rules. Unexcused are minor illness (headache, cramps), no ride, forgetting, etc. Excused are school events, major illness or death. You get 5 excused with a parent note, and then after that you have to have a dr note. This is the schools rule. We have 2.5 weeks off in the summer, 3 weeks off for Christmas/New Years, 2 weeks off in the spring, and 1 week off in the fall. Vacations are able to be planned in those weeks. We take long weekends on certain holidays (for example this weekend will be a 4 day no practice weekend for our kids.) We usually do not have issues with absences.


I consider vacations excused as long as I am told a month prior so practice during the summer is difficult but once school and volleyball starts, which all my girls play, then I'm only allowed one practice per week. Even though our season is long, we honestly don't get to practice too much which made competing last year a chore because of a few rotten apples.
Last year was the first year I had to dismiss someone from the team, but the team dynamic afterwards was awesome. Just goes to show that one person who takes advantage of the system can cause problems with the whole team.

 

[emma_tuttle]

This is the system at my school:

If you are late to practice, it's a warning
3 warnings=1 strike
If you miss a practice unexcused, it's 1 strike and sit out the next game. (No it doesn't count as a strike- you come to the game in warm ups and sit in the bleachers but you don't cheer
3 strikes=dismissal from the team
It works well I'd say. Our dance team adopted the same policy and no one was ever kicked off of either team. There were lots of other reasons for warnings other than being late (the coach seeing anybody else besides you or someone affiliated with the team (your parents, her parents, teammate, a teammate's parent) with your stuff, etc but this was about practice so...) :)

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[Keep_Believing]

A tad miffed that this thread has turned into "coolcoach is Stalin with a clipboard."

I cannot impress upon you more that the vast majority of my kids and parents have told me that I am the most kind and understanding coach they've ever had. Parents also appreciate the fact that I go out of my way to keep costs low and make sure that I follow a schedule.

I will admit that my style is not for everyone and varies by context. Ex: I handle absences much differently with all stars because it j as not been as big of an issue for them.

Example: This season, my all star kids get 5 absences. (Senior 2) They can be used for ANYTHING with two rules: Not for a comp week, comp weekend, or choreography week. No questions asked. However, that's all you get (unless it's an illness, death, something big.) After that, you will be an alternate. (Note: gym takes 2 weeks off in summer so you really needn't use them for vacation.) No one complains. If anything, it makes kids think more about how they use them!

Ex: You know you and your mom need a day to go Homecoming shopping and practice day is the only day she can do it. So you choose not to waste a day on "Let's go to the pool!"

I appreciate a Coach that holds the whole team to high expectations. It is frustrating to the girls who care and always show up when Coaches do not care enough to hold the whole team accountable.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Thanks! Was starting to think I was somehow doing something wrong. I have a rather large team and always have so I don't think my programs suffer for it. You have to do what works for you.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Thanks! Was starting to think I was somehow doing something wrong. I have a rather large team and always have so I don't think my programs suffer for it. You have to do what works for you.

A tad miffed that this thread has turned into "coolcoach is Stalin with a clipboard."

Here's my problem. I didn't say anything about you being too strict. Ever. I am strict with our kids - and I like strict coaching. It was that I don't understand your policy because it makes no sense:

Why do you have a demerit system at all if ONE unexcused absence is it?
One unexcused absence = 5 demerits + no game.
No game = 5 demerits.
Therefore one unexcused absence = 10 demerits.
10 demerits = off the team.
Therefore one unexcused absence = off the team.
What's the point of all the other nonsense? Just say "Don't miss practice without one of these reasons. Ever. Or you're gone."

As for the other stuff, I was pretty clear that it was what you say ABOUT your kids rather than TO them. The way you talk about them on here is rude. Plain and simple. And it's noticeably more rude than other coaches. It has absolutely zero to do with your coaching style. Coming on a message board and trash talking the kids you coach and their parents is not a coaching style.



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[Just-a-Mom]

Anyhow.... back to topic. As for the original question in the thread... we struggle with this too. On the surface, each excuse seems like it should be ok "just this once" but with 200 kids it gets ridiculous. We have someone every day that has something urgent.

We don't really have a policy for our recreational kids - if they miss class, they miss class. They're only allowed 2 make ups, so anything more than that they're just wasting money paying for classes they aren't taking.
Our competition kids are not allowed to miss rehearsal the week of competition or they don't compete their solo. (Not strict enough if you ask me, but our program director is in NYC and no one enforces it. I have no say). If they miss camp in the summer, they can't be on the team that year at all. Other than that I think we are way too lenient with them. We supposedly have a 3 absence maximum (excused or unexcused), but these girls are absent all the time and nothing happens. More than half the time they don't even give a reason. It's extremely frustrating. But our director is worried about losing the income so she let's it go.

I like the system that @emma_tuttle posted. We are starting our new season in a month and I think I might propose something like that.



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[pvcheerclauds5]

In the past years, my coach has been way too loose about her absence policies. It is very frustrating because one person can impact a whole team (Pyramids, standing tumbling sync, running tumbling timing, etc.). This year she says that everything is mandatory and you cannot get out without reasoning. Hopefully she pulls through on this one.

In the athlete's defense on this one, I have only missed practice twice in high school and once I had left early (only 10 minutes early, when I missed it was illness with a doctor's note). It is hard when you have other things going on in your life and your coach can't understand that you have to go to things like Hall of Fame dinners and retirement dinners for your dad among other relatives. Things like that your parents control, not you.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

I agree with both of the coaches that have replied to this thread...but I also agree that perhaps 10 demerits is a bit too harsh. Possibly make it 20 demerits (which is what are high school's demerit policy is). I can absolutely relate to the frustration of the coaches for the unexcused absences. I am stating my opinion as a mom with 2 CPs that do both school and all-star cheer. My oldest is the Varsity captain of a 22-person squad who is ultimately the captain for the JV and Freshman squads (my youngest is on the Freshman squad). She has the responsibility of choreographing the spring football routines, all of the pep rallies, and creates the stunt groups for all of the squads - which is a total of 45 cheerleaders. She has 2 co-captains that assist with the responsibilities but the majority of the responsibility is on her. She has a great relationship with all 3 of the coaches as she was Freshman and JV captain as well. I hear complaints from her, for example: when someone is really late to a practice because they had a Key Club meeting. While some of the parents on here may think that should be excused, I do not. It is an extra-curricular activity and is not a UIL-sanctioned event. Only UIL-sanctioned events are excused. These practices had been on the schedule since BEFORE tryouts. Cheer at our high school is a PE credit and is a grade on transcripts.

Our cheer constitution states that if you miss practice 3 days before a pep rally, game, etc you can not cheer at that event. While it is rare for girls to be removed from the squad, it has happened before. There were instances last year where 2 cheerleaders received 20 demerits and were removed from the squad. The constitution states that if an athlete is removed from the squad they are not allowed to tryout the following year. So the cheerleaders take the demerit system very seriously. One cheerleader was removed from the squad over spring break because of an inappropriate post on social media.

Our high school takes cheerleading very serious as it is a HUGE part of the community and the cheerleaders are held to a higher standard. When our football players' state championship medals were placed around their necks last season, our cheerleaders were right there in line to receive theirs. This is just a different perspective from a mom's POV that has been around the block a time or two.

 

[emma_tuttle]

Anyhow.... back to topic. As for the original question in the thread... we struggle with this too. On the surface, each excuse seems like it should be ok "just this once" but with 200 kids it gets ridiculous. We have someone every day that has something urgent.

We don't really have a policy for our recreational kids - if they miss class, they miss class. They're only allowed 2 make ups, so anything more than that they're just wasting money paying for classes they aren't taking.
Our competition kids are not allowed to miss rehearsal the week of competition or they don't compete their solo. (Not strict enough if you ask me, but our program director is in NYC and no one enforces it. I have no say). If they miss camp in the summer, they can't be on the team that year at all. Other than that I think we are way too lenient with them. We supposedly have a 3 absence maximum (excused or unexcused), but these girls are absent all the time and nothing happens. More than half the time they don't even give a reason. It's extremely frustrating. But our director is worried about losing the income so she let's it go.

I like the system that @emma_tuttle posted. We are starting our new season in a month and I think I might propose something like that.



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Actually, looking back over the tryout packet, I was wrong. Only the dance team uses strikes and the lot like that. And we only had one girl even come close to being off the team for that. And that is a completely different story that is not for this thread. But the system definitely makes you think about "not feeling well" on practice night

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[Cheeranswers]

@HeresAThought

I'm going to be at Beyonce myself. I don't believe it falls on a practice night, but it will be a "Surprise no practice!" night!

so if an athlete missed a practice for a concert it'd be an unexcused absence but since it's you going to the concert it's okay?


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