Adventures of the lessons learned

It seems that my adventures lately with coaching have not been of the instructional kind.  But more so with life lessons.  Perhaps I am young and naive and just don't know any better but it appears to me that things are different then when I was youngER.  As a child my parents did their best to teach me wrong from right, manners, values, respect and all that good stuff.  Today I don't see it.
The past few weeks have been a struggle, I feel I have to keep telling myself  "I am their coach not their parent".  Who would have thought there would be a thin line here?  Perhaps this doesn't happen in all sports, doesn't help our season is 6 months long...2-3 practice/week and then tournaments 3 times/month.  As we only have 4 tournaments and 9 practices left, I'm wondering if I am making a difference.
Last night was another team meeting, we have these after tournaments and if discussion is needed on somethng else.  Commitment was the main topic last night.  I am baffled at the amount of sports and other activities these girls are in.  This year it was dance, soccer and softball.  I actually had a parent ask me if it was okay for their daughter to miss practice because they had dance.  Are you kidding? NO it's not okay.  But usually my response is, "That is your decision, not mine"
Anyway getting back to last night...I started by thanking those who stayed till the end of the tournament on Sunday.  Why? because someone left.  You see we lost semi's, so that means we would work.  And earlier in the season THE TEAM decided as a whole that everyone would stay if such situation occurred.  After we lost semi's this parent grabbed her girl out of a huddle and said "we need togo , we don't have time for this, she can still make a soccer game at 3" as I was later informed by a parent.  She did come up to me to tell me she was taking her and what was my response? "That is your decision, not mine".  How is this acceptable, she left her team.  No one except a coach probably understands the importance of team unity.  We work so hard to make the team unified and then someone pulls that. UGH.  Her leaving left the team sour, "wait, she left?" "why did she leave?" "I thought we were all supposed to stay"  This is what I am left with, a team feelin abandoned, asking questions.  How am I to answer.
You may think, geez why say that then at the meeting if it wasn't the kids fault?  Here's why...beginning of the season we try to instill responsibility.  They are responsible for getting to practice and tournaments, making sure their parents leave in time to get where they need to be.
Sorry for the babbling I'll stop now.  This time of the season is always hard, usually these are the days when I second guess why I am here.  Is it a waste of everyones time?  Only time will tell...
On a happier note I do have a handful of loving, caring, commited, respectful girls on the team.  One who thanked my Dad and I for staying.  The girl who left asked her why she would thank us (in a sarcastic tone I might add..)  I said, "Exactly"