You coach a competitive team in which playing time is not guaranteed but earned. You have players (and parents) who grumble about not getting to play as much as they’d like. As a Double-Goal Coach, what can you do?

Let me say right off that good coaches get players into games. They may be creative about how to do it in high-stakes situations, but good coaches – Double-Goal Coaches – get kids into games.

Lack of playing time for their kids is probably the biggest source of frustration and anger among sports parents, so this is worth your attention as it can eat away at team solidarity.  Save yourself a lot of grief by making your playing time policy clear before athletes join your team. Parents and players may still be unhappy about playing time decisions, but at least they will have been forewarned.

But having done that doesn’t get you off the hook for getting all your players into games. Kids love to play. They don’t like to sit on the bench.

Most of the benefits of sports are tied to competing in games. Kids who sit benefit less from sports than kids who play. And lack of playing time is a big reason kids drop out of sports, which, to a Double-Goal Coach, is a tragedy.

Here are some strategies for getting more kids into games.

• If coaching elementary-aged kids in a recreation league, give all kids equal playing time even if the league doesn’t mandate it. The primary goal coaching young athletes should be to have fun and help them develop a love of the game. This comes from playing, not watching.
• With middle and high school kids, tell players you reward effort and then do it. Reward high-effort players with playing time, independent of ability. Players will realize that they don’t have to be as talented as the best players to get into games, they just have to outwork them! This is incredibly motivating to your weaker players. And it is a wake-up call for stronger players who will up their effort level to stay in games longer.
• Use blowout games to get kids into games before the game becomes a blowout.  Look for mismatches coming up and start kids who normally don’t start. If that puts your team behind, the starters coming into the game will have to work harder to catch up, which is good for them. If the subs outscore the opponent, they will have the satisfaction of doing it when the game was still up for grabs.
• In high-stakes games with older players where you know some players are unlikely to play much, prepare them. “We’re playing a tough team this week, so you may not get in much, but you’ll play more next week. Keep working hard in practice so you’re ready when we need you.”
• Coach all players including those on the bench. Talk about what’s going on in the game. Have them watch for things that can help the team. Have them do Positive Charting. Involve all your players, and you’ll have a more cohesive team and players will work harder because they feel a stake in the team.
• Get creative like this high school basketball coach did. On a 12-person team, he called his bottom five players the “Mad Dogs”. The Mad Dogs knew they would play the last minute of the first quarter and the first minute of the second quarter in every game, whether preseason or state title game.

Unlike typical bench players, the Mad Dogs worked extremely hard in practice because they wanted to be ready for their moment. This pushed the starters to play harder in practice. They played all out during their two minutes. They were all over the court and were highly aggressive. Over time, they became a competitive advantage, with the team being in a better competitive position after the Mad Dogs came out.

The Mad Dogs developed increased self-confidence and a sense of possibility for themselves that helped some of them become starters. And when an individual latches onto a sense of responsibility, watch out! Getter every player into every game helped this entire team perform better. So getting players into games is not just for their individual benefit. It ups the effort level – and ultimately the success – of your entire team.

Editor’s Note: This is case study is an excerpt from the Positive Coaching Alliance’s (PCA) book called ‘The Power of Double-Goal Coaching’ by Jim Thompson. It has been re-printed here in promotion of Minnesota Hockey’s partnership with PCA which enables youth hockey associations to receive grants of $500 for hosting a PCA workshop.