My point was this... i am not going to allow a player to transfer to a team that could possibly hurt my team just b/c my team may not be doing as well as he had hoped or if it's a playing time issue. I would also not allow that player to train with my team. If you as a player are not willing to stick it out through the tough times with the team you were selected to (and presumably chose) then why should I as the coach be willing to make it easy for you to go to a different team? Ahhh, b/c I am supposed to be most concerned with player development. Well, if that is the case, parents have to be ready to hear that answer when the player who left our team becomes the top weapon on the team who knocks us out of the playoffs... "I'm sorry parents that our former player, Joe Q. Soccer, scored 2 goals and ended our season, but I signed the papers to allow him to transfer in time to play in this game b/c I am most concerned about his development as a player."
As a coach, I do not want a player on my team who does not want to be there, but I'm also not going to let that player easily go to a team where he may affect the players who are honoring their commitment. If it's 30 days, then fine. It gives my team 30 days to practice without that player before we have to face him. If the player is leaving b/c of a legitimate physical move (parents moving from Charleston to Greenville, etc), then I understand, and I would sign the paperwork. But what about the player who wants to leave a Greenville based team to join a Charleston, Charlotte or Atlanta based club?
My thoughts are reserved for the 15+ age groups where most top teams should probably be results driven. At the 14 and below ages, coaches AND parents should be concerned with player development. But in my experience, it is the parent of a simply bad 17 year old player who says, "you are too concerned with results and not with player development." And it's the parent of the talented 12 year old who says, "you are too concerned with developing players and not concerned enough with results."
If you believe that every coach should automatically sign the transfer papers, then you should be the one to tell the kids sticking it out with the team, that the papers were signed "b/c we are more concerned about that one player's development than we are about succeeding as a team." If a coach of a 15+ team tells their team this, then they lose most of their credibility b/c the kids will see it as the coach being more concerned about one player instead of team success.
No one wants people to focus on individuals and we try to teach kids this... just look at the penalties for celebrating a goal. However, now we are concerned about the success of one player over the team? Yes, the team may be better off without that player on the team, but we are probably not better off with him on a team we play in the near future.
That player and his parents have made a choice to leave my team and join a new one. I am going to do what i think is best for my current players, and I would expect the parents of a 15+ year old team to expect the same.
