When is it Up to Them?

I'm the team mom for my oldest's basketball team. Actually, I do more than arrange the snack schedule and make people happy - I'm more of the team administrator. I organize the paperwork, the tournaments, the practice locations, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I send out all the emails to the parents so everyone knows what's going on and have managed to even organize a weekly "Mom's Night" so that the mom's can meet for a drink and a visit while the boys are at practice. All of this is the UP side. The DOWN side is that people talk to me way too much and give me their version of what they think needs to happen. One of the biggest complaints is that their son's playing time isn't as long as someone else's playing time and "we paid our money and show up to practice", and "I'm not taking him to practice anymore if he isn't going to play more", and "why does he (fill in the blank) play more even though he clearly has a temper?", blah, blah, blah. Now, let me preface this whole thing by saying that my son is a starter. Most of the time. However, he's busted his ass to get to this place. He loves this game, wants to be good at it and goes out, practices, leaves his guts on the floor and I'm proud of him. Next year they are going to want to play Jr. High ball and, as far as I see it, they are at the age where there are starters and there are those who relieve the starters when they need a break. I don't feel badly for those who don't play as much. Is that wrong? That I've become so uncaring about it? I honestly ask myself how I would feel if my son wasn't a starter or if he wasn't as strong as player and I truly feel that I would be sad but it is the way it is. Life isn't fair. They aren't 6 and they all don't deserve equal playing time. Those days are over and it just burns my ass that the parents actually are going to the coaches and requesting equal playing time. Are you shittin' me? I can't wait to see if they go to the Jr. High coach next year and complain that their kid didn't get enough playing time. My son wants to play ball. For real. It's where his passion is. He wants to go to camps and play in college and even play pro. This isn't something that is a sport to fill in during the time for his favorite sport. This is his favorite sport and the whining parent issue is just going to make me sick. How can our children learn that they have to make it on their own if they have their parents talking to the coaches?