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BAA inaction costs Beeton players rep hockey options
Posted August 27,
2012
to the editor,
The Beeton Athletic Association (BAA) held their tryouts
Wednesday August 22 for Peewee and Bantam age groups and both were on
the ice at the same time.
The Peewees had one goalie Major age, and one skater Minor age
show up. The Bantams had one goalie from Schomberg (they cancelled
their tryouts early enough so players could go elsewhere) and nine
skaters, two of them Major age and seven Minor Bantam age. After the
tryout, no decision was made about whether to try and allow these kids
a chance to go somewhere else.
The BAA followed through with their tryouts for Friday Aug 24,
however late Thursday night some people were made aware that the Peewee
Tryout was cancelled but the BAA Website was not updated.
Friday night the Bantam tryout had two goalies, one of Bantam age and
one Peewee age. There were 11 skaters, three of them only there so they
could receive a permission to skate somewhere else if Beeton did not
ice a Rep Team.
The
tryout (I use the term loosely, it was far from one) was run by someone
different than the first tryout, as he was now asked to coach. The
problem is he had not even been at the first tryout.
The Rep Teams were so important to Beeton hockey that the Rep Convenor
and President were not even there.
After the tryout Friday the coach told the kids they would be
told what was going on, either Saturday or Sunday. Again kids were
waiting to see if they could catch tryouts somewhere else on Sunday
afternoon. That didn't seem to matter as the coach needed to discuss
the team with the President, but he was not available in time.
Saturday I sent out an email asking them to make their
decision that day as kids were waiting and asking what they could do.
This again fell on deaf ears from both the BAA board and the OMHA.
Sunday morning again I sent out an email around 8:30 am
telling them how disgusting they had been to all these kids leaving
everything to the last minute.
Finally
the BAA secretary Pat Cranston, sent the three parents of players
wanting to tryout for TNT in the afternoon, an email.
From Pat; Subject line said ---- no subject
"Your children attended a Bantam rep try out for Beeton on Aug. 24th.
They all told the coach they were not playing and were just there as
the OMHA said they had to be. None of the players were given decisions
that night. In discussion since then these 3 players would all be
selected for the team. Please direct your intentions as to where your
child will be playing to President Tom Chessell."
Needless to say they received an email back saying the players had no
intention of playing on an unsafe Rep Team especially in Beeton. The
bad part is again they lied, saying our kids told the coach they were
only there because the OMHA said they had to be. I told the coach my
kid was only there for that reason, not the kids. No wonder the BAA
board fails to reply to members, every time they do they find
themselves caught in another lie.
We still never heard anything from the BAA but a former Board member
that still helps with fundraising seemed to know more than us. Her
daughter contacted TNT asking for her son to come to their tryouts as
Beeton would not be having Peewee or Bantam Rep. When TNT contacted the
OMHA to see if all kids could now tryout they said no, it is not
official yet. Why did the BAA not contact everyone?
I then sent this to BAA and OMHA amongst others;
"2:46 pm and kids are still asking what is going on. All I can tell
them is Most Adults don't treat kids like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They
need to be at the rink by 4pm."
Finally at 2:56 pm Pat Cranston emailed parents to allow their children
to go tryout for a real Rep Team.
There are three sad parts to this in that Peewee players were not
notified early enough to tryout anywhere in their age group. They will
now not have the opportunity to play Rep this year. Another part is
that some players joined into a set of tryouts that had already been
going on. This is hard for the players who were already trying out, and
the ones coming in late.
I really would like to thank the TNT Board for trying to do
all they could for as many players as possible.
The third sad part is this all could have been avoided if Beeton did
not have such a self serving and naive Board. They have been told since
the spring that this would happen, but refused to acknowledge anyone's
opinion but their own.
I received a text today from someone saying they heard Beeton was
folding, any truth to that? I really don't know, I know we have asked
many times for some Board members to resign, they just ignore it.
I wish the players and parents of the Midget players the best in
dealing with their upcoming tryouts. Make sure you start finding out
now, the BAA and OMHA are not in any hurry to give you answers.
