I coached girls in both slow and fast pitched softball. I had a talk with the entire team on day one, parents and all. The subject:

Cat fights!

Here was the entire message:

"Cat fights are unacceptable! Negative players are unacceptable! If you are mean-spirited, negative, and engage in back-biting you and I will talk. The second time? I will talk with you and your parents. The third time? You are gone! That simple! A negative player can destroy a team. We are all here to have a good time and there is no place for negative individuals. So, if you are angry, mad, or have had a bad day? Leave it at home! Enough said?"

Without exception, the heads would nod, the parents will smile. The boundary has been defined and they have been warned. If you don't follow through with the warning, they will never take anything you say seriously, and you will have created your own environment.

Be firm, be consistant, and if you have to boot the best player on the team, do it! If you do not, that player will destroy your team and no one will want to play for you!

Coach Z
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

I like what Coach Z said, you have to lay out the ground rules and enforce them. Also when you are practicing in groups make sure you break up the clicks so there is a chance the girls can get to know each other outside the pressure of their posse'. Also I have found theat team building activities also can break up this issue.

Finally the one thing I would add to coach Z's comments is to tell the girls that they do not have to be friends but when they are on the field they are one team and everyone is to be treated with respect and support.

I Thank You Both for your input! I will take heed on both responses, I must and still stay firm. Thanks alot.

I agree with what they both said. Even my team which is a highschool team gets into arguments. You cant just yell at them. There should be consequences like making practices longer or running to the fence. Because i know my team will be quiet after having to do more work. You need to have a sit down with the team. Tell them that softball is a team sport and you wont win games with those type of attitudes. Hope this helps!

well what a alot of coaches do even my coaches is run them and if they keep on hearing it they sitt who ever is fighting on the bench and it works cuase there were these 2 girls on my team that argued about whos the best and he sat them both and then they stoped now they are friends cuz of what coachdid to them