10 Reasons for Equal Playing Time
On most youth teams, there are players who are physically two or three years ahead of their teammates in size, speed, or strength. These players often form a core of talent that coaches can use to their advantage to win games. Especially in youth travel and select teams, the temptation for many coaches is to use this talent more during a game to go for the win. While this method is appropriate at the highest level of athletic competition, it seldom has any place in youth sports.
In professional sports, players do not get equal playing time. So, when is it appropriate for youth sports to mimic this behavior? One test is when a team is not committed to individual players and rosters may be changed at any time during a season. When teams exist for the team’s sake and not the players’, as is the case in professional and collegiate sports, then coaches are left with no other choice than to give more time to their best players. However, until that test is true, coaches should make sure their player times are equal.
Click the Link to read article in FULL. Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Sports Esteem for the above article.
