Sports Team

[AlexDP]

This isn't about women, but IMO it is an important moral decision. Here's the deal:

I play soccer. A lot. If I am selected for the first team, I earn money. Last season and the season before that I was always selected for the first team. I played and I played well. This season I am never selected for the first team. I haven't become worse. In fact, I think I have become a lot better. So what changed? We have new sponsors. And they decide who plays. We're three games into the season and the team is in shambles. We're supposed to be title favorites and we've already lost a game. We never start with the same 11 players, every week the team changes. The atmosphere is getting worse and worse.

Today was our reserves game. I don't play for the first team anymore (apparently) so I had to be there. I went. For the third time this season. I haven't complained about anything so far. Suddenly I find my name amongst the reserves. The reserves of the reserves that is. Well below my level. I ask another player what the **** this is about. He tells me the sponsors, again, chose who plays, they mixed things up and now I'm a reserve of the reserves, even if the ones who are playing in the first team aren't as good as me. So I tell my teammate this is quite silly. He agrees.

I look around. The locker room is full of players. I start taking off my kit and I get dressed again. A couple of people stare at me. Another teammate asks me what I'm doing. With everybody looking, I say this:

"It's Saturday afternoon. That means I don't have to work or study today. This day is reserved for fun. Usually that means I get up, read a paper, get ready for soccer, have a nice game and generally amuse myself. But I've noticed I'm not starting today. I'm not starting for the RESERVES.

And not really because of the coach's decision. No, because the coach was pressured by the sponsors to choose someone else over me. You see, I've put in all the hard work necessary to play. I'm in the best shape of my life and I outrun everyone here. I deserve to play. So you can see that I am, well, frustrated obviously. I don't agree with this situation at all. Fortunately enough though, I can choose to do something else instead. Something I do enjoy doing. I'm going home to think about how I can enjoy my Saturday afternoon. You guys have fun playing charades."

What do you guys think? Should I have handled it differently?

 

[Konada]

You did well there bro, good job. You should walk when you're not getting any playing time, especially its because of the sponsors who know nothing about fielding the right players vs publicity. Do you think Alex Ferguson lets his sponsors decide who plays for Man United? Not saying you're bad, but have you ever thought whether people have improved more than you? That may be a good thought to start with.

Perhaps you want to try out for another team instead, hard work doesn't go unnoticed and I'm sure coaches can spot it. Great to see someone who is congruent in their DJ attitude when it comes to other stuff other than women.

 

[AlexDP]

You did well there bro, good job. You should walk when you're not getting any playing time, especially its because of the sponsors who know nothing about fielding the right players vs publicity. Do you think Alex Ferguson lets his sponsors decide who plays for Man United? Not saying you're bad, but have you ever thought whether people have improved more than you? That may be a good thought to start with.

Perhaps you want to try out for another team instead, hard work doesn't go unnoticed and I'm sure coaches can spot it. Great to see someone who is congruent in their DJ attitude when it comes to other stuff other than women.

LOL yeah. I always look at myself first when I'm not selected. I love training anyway, I like to improve myself. I'm the first one there and the last one to go home. Unfortunately that also means they seem to think I put up with everything.

I get that the sponsors are paying us. Hell, I get that they want to see the team do well. But suddenly the son of a friend of a sponsor plays. Or the grandchild of a sponsor. And you know what? I'm such a loyal player I'd even come all season if I'd play for the reserves. But being on the bench in a team that is already beneath me, because I don't have a sugardaddy? That is far too hard to swallow.

 

[Konada]

LOL yeah. I always look at myself first when I'm not selected. I love training anyway, I like to improve myself. I'm the first one there and the last one to go home. Unfortunately that also means they seem to think I put up with everything.

I get that the sponsors are paying us. Hell, I get that they want to see the team do well. But suddenly the son of a friend of a sponsor plays. Or the grandchild of a sponsor. And you know what? I'm such a loyal player I'd even come all season if I'd play for the reserves. But being on the bench in a team that is already beneath me, because I don't have a sugardaddy? That is far too hard to swallow.

Lol life is unfair, just gotta roll with it. Besides, if you really can't put up with this shvt I think you're better off finding another club to play for. Shouldn't be hard to find one if you are good enough as the coach sees fit.

For a team sport I think coaches are looking for dedication and hard work, so that's a plus point for you. I'm in an almost similar situation like you just that I fence instead. Highly individual sport so skill counts more for anything. Sure my coach sees my hardwork and improvement but there are more talented people than me and I've seen them grow more than me, given they started out as I did and trained together almost everytime.

 

[TopGun2000]

when bosses/girls don't appreciate what you can do for them, the only way to go is to find another boss/girl who does. :moon:

 

[AlexDP]

Coach quit because the sponsors were deciding who plays. I guess this is good for me, as now everyone knows.

 

[Bible_Belt]

It's not any different with mma. The guys who get to fight are the ones who sell tickets. Sometimes they sell a lot of tickets because they are talented fighters, but more often they simply have a lot of friends who will pay to see them fight. And purses go up with ticket sales. A local pro who wants to get paid $1,000 to fight needs to account for $3,000+ in ticket sales, or else the promoter will find someone else. That's the only way to stay in business. And no, it's not fair at all, but neither is business, money, or life in general.

 

[AlexDP]

It's not any different with mma. The guys who get to fight are the ones who sell tickets. Sometimes they sell a lot of tickets because they are talented fighters, but more often they simply have a lot of friends who will pay to see them fight. And purses go up with ticket sales. A local pro who wants to get paid $1,000 to fight needs to account for $3,000+ in ticket sales, or else the promoter will find someone else. That's the only way to stay in business. And no, it's not fair at all, but neither is business, money, or life in general.

Of course life isn't fair. And the pressure on our team is immense as we are favorites for the title. With sponsors meddling however, we will never pull it off. I know of at least 4 other players, who were starters under the coach, but were relegated to the reserves by the sponsors. We have a lot of quality in our team, but we simply can't make it, if we're going to let all of these second string players play because of the connections they have.

And that's where I, and several others, have a personal decision to make. Should I accept that someone else plays, when I deserve that spot? Should I accept that someone, with no knowledge of football, decides who plays? Then I have to see if this happens in other teams as well. The answer is it does, but not in most. It happens in dysfunctional clubs, where everyone is fighting with each other.

To me, it's fairly simple. Either the situation changes or I walk. I have neither the desire nor the time to convince incompetent idiots that I am right. Especially not when there are other teams who want me. However, with the coach now leaving and a lot of players being unhappy, things could change for the better, so I'll listen what they have to say on Tuesday. Knowing full well it probably won't be good.

 

[The_411]

Sports is unfortunately like this. It's true for all sports. I don't know what level you're playing at but money talks. We see it all the time in baseball where a guy who was drafted high gets countless chances to live up to his contract when there are guys who are killing it in the minor leagues who were undrafted and only get 5 at bats in Septmber and are send down for no reason other than they weren't a high draft pick. The undrafted eventually gets eliminated as a viable option because he's too old despite never really getting a shot.

In your case perhaps you can look for another team via transfer (free or otherwise) and try to make an impact somewhere else. Granted I don't what level you're playing at ... sounds something like English level 8 or 9.

The key is to find a club that we give you a shot to excel. Unless you're the next superstar earning big money you'll never get a fair shake. Look at Fernando Torres the guy gets 50 mil at Chelsea and still plays despite the fact he's rubbish.