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.
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.