I want to preface this story by saying I’m talking about a team of 8-9 yr old players. The conflict started when my team faced off against a rival team whose coaches are not the happiest bunch in the bushel. In that first match the rival assistant coach accused one of my players of jumping on to the field to kick a ball. That did not happen. We won the game and the animosity built. A week later was pulled aside by league officials and warned about my players punching other boys. That low blow really upped my anger. Talk about me all day, but go after my players and I get upset. I contacted the officials who reffed the game and they confirmed there was no hitting.
Days later we attempted to hold practice on our regular field only to be told by that assistant coach that it was not our field. It was our field, but I did not have any paperwork to confirm the fact. So Thursday I brought the paperwork to confirm it. I let both coaches know that we deserved to be on the field They reacted with anger and yelled at me to the point where parents from their team asked us to take it to the parking lot, so the kids wouldn’t have to deal with it. This is where I break down a bit. Was I in the right? The wrong? I knew the coaches were hot heads, but I also knew the field was ours and we needed to practice on a field with the proper dimensions. My struggle is that I could have diffused the situation by walking away. On the other hand, walking away meant accepting these guys were in the right and letting them believe that. I couldn’t stand by that.
This is 8-9 soccer. Nobody is Pele or Messi yet. I think the coaches were dealing with a lot of anguish about how tough the season can be. I empathize, but I wont let my team suffer for it.