Neither Yakima Youth Baseball nor Beetles head coach Ryan Froula and his staff expected to part ways this offseason. But in a sudden turn of events in recent days that's exactly what they have done.

After 10 seasons and
353 wins as the Beetles coach, Froula and all six of the other coaches in the program have resigned over issues with a coaches directive drafted by a newly formed coaches committee.

In addition to Froula and assistants Ryan Johnson and Darren Cooper, Kevin Taylor and Shawn Thompson of the Blues and Adam Speer and Doug Mitzel of the Scarlets have also resigned.

Yakima Youth Baseball is scheduled to convene a selection committee Monday to began the search for Froula's replacement.

The mood at last Monday's YYB Board Meeting, when the resignations were announced, was "very somber," according to Bob DiPietro Jr., who is on the coaches committee. From a pool of ideas and input from the committee, DiPietro wrote the original draft of the coaches directive.

"I was absolutely shocked. It's a terrible loss for us," DiPietro said. "It's extremely disappointing because it seems like whatever issues there were could have been resolved. It was a work in progress."

Froula and YYB president Ken Weaver met last week to review the initial coaches directive, a two-page, seven-point outline of requirements and expectations for the staff and its handling of players.

"He seemed fine at the time with it," Weaver said. "But a few days later it was bad enough to resign over. It shocked me, and I can't help but think there's just a misunderstanding here."

With a few days to further review the directive, Froula came to the conclusion that the situation was "unwinable." And resigning was by no means easy for someone who has invested more than two decades in the program as a player and coach.

"I've spent 21 summers at Parker Field and I still believe in Yakima Youth Baseball," he said. "But right now, with this directive, we're not in the same place philosophically. To me, it shows a lack of trust. My way of doing things isn't acceptable to them anymore."

Weaver and DiPietro insisted the directive was still being shaped and had not yet been approved by the Board of Directors.

"The process was supposed to develop an outline of ideas that would make the program stronger," DiPietro said. "We wanted it put to the coaches so we could hash it out, see what's doable and what's not before we had a final version."

Froula said there are good things in the directive, many of which he had already implemented in one form or another. But much of it, he believed, called into question his on-field decisions and roster selections.

One point of particular concern for Froula was item No. 3: "Coaches will meet with the coaches committee before final rosters are posted to review and discuss roster choices."

With many of the committee members also parents with players in the program, that was a red flag in Froula's mind. When he shared the directive with his staff, they all agreed the direction and tone of the text -- and the potential for greater parental influence -- created an unworkable situation.

"After I went over the directive with Ken I didn't really show my feelings one way or another," Froula said. "I took a few days to really go over it, and then I met with the staff. Every time we went through it we came back to the same thing -- a lack of trust in what we're doing."

DiPietro claimed the roster review item wasn't intended to give parents a say in who makes which team. Quite the opposite, he said.

"This was supposed to be a way to better understand the decisions and defuse some of the chit-chat in the stands that can be hurtful," he said. "Parents don't belong in that role, deciding the teams. That's what you hire the coaches to do."

Weaver said this was a situation that could have been saved, and having it slip away so suddenly "was mystifying."

"Ryan has been a great coach for long, long time," he said. "The entire staff has been exemplary. I just wish this could have been avoided."

With two young sons, Froula concedes he would have soon considered stepping down to spend more time with his family. But that time was not now, and certainly not under these circumstances.

"I wasn't ready to give up the reins," he said. "I felt like this was a vote of no confidence. But I did not want a negative power struggle -- this program and its history mean too much to me for something like that."