[Senator]

My 15th year coaching. I was asked my administration to coach a little 7-7 team for kids that never played. I showed up and had 30 minutes with the team before the first game. We won this game, and ended up going 10-0 but after the first day of meeting the team and playing a game I get this email from a 29 year old mom. Remember. I had never met or known any player on this team and I am accused of favoritism.

I'm a little late to the conversation since my email is not the primary in our i9 profile, however I finally read your message about last weeks game online. I have to say I am disappointed in the response to our concerns. When we voice that we feel each player should have a hand on the ball at some point in the game, it is not to overlook "important elements" in the game of football because " we want our baby to play too"!
My concern with having all of the kids participate EQUALLY and learn ALL positions (not just defense) is so they can see which positions they are good at, and figure out for themselves IF they even enjoy playing! This is not my sons first season of flag football. Last year he thoroughly enjoyed himself, all of he kids did! MOST of the parents came to us to request my husband coach again so our team could try to stay together since everyone got along so well and the kids had a blast! And shocker we did not win every game, probably not even half the season! But the players enjoyed every bit of it! It built character being apart of a team that encouraged one another.

You gave 4 boys the opportunity to play over 75% of the game last week while the other 4 continued to rotate in for one another, playing less than 25% combined. And more often then not, after just ONE play!
Each of those 4 kids played the same two positions the entire game between the four of them.

It is appalling to have kids experience blatant favoritism from the coach of a little league football team! My son stressed that he asked you more than 4 times between practice and the game, if he could run with the ball (because it meant the world to him last year to score a couple touchdowns) and when I asked what your response was he told me "he kept telling me yes, but he never did".

It's disgusting to me that my husband respectfully pulls you aside as you requested we do if "we had concerns or suggestions" and your response was that defensive email justifying your actions from last weeks game.

We are all here to have fun and unlike some, I could care less if our team ever scored a touchdown! This is not why we continued with i9 for a 5th season! We have always experienced the wonderful values and principles of i9 with each team we've ever played with until this season.

Being game one, I wasn't too disappointed since I thought it was just the start of the season, you were trying to get use to everyone and learn what is best for your team. However after reading your message, continuing to defend your coaching choices I am disturbed. I really hope you can go back over the i9 handbook for coaches, and try to embody what this organization is all about before tomorrow's game.

Have a Blessed Day,