As a parent, you are understandably concerned about your child’s best interests and want to ensure that your son or daughter can succeed. You may have decided on a specific path to prepare your child. In some cases, you may expect that the coach will play your child at a certain position. In youth programs that emphasize relatively equal participation, you may think that your child should always get equal playing time each game. And depending on the extent of involvement and the competitive level of the youth sports program, you may decide to forcefully engage the coach to make your expectations known. Think twice, however, before you do so as this can sometimes set a bad example for your child and possibly worsen the situation.
As you watch your child’s season unfold, and observe the coach’s actions as they relate to your child, understand that the coach’s goals and approach may vary from yours. First and foremost, he or she must balance the best interests of your child against those of the other individual children on the team, and the best interests of the team itself. Secondly, a good coach may accurately recognize existing traits in your child, along with potential abilities, that suggest a role for the child that differs from the one you envision. He may see a different path to success for your child. And finally, your child’s coach will have his own method of achieving results. If he follows the guidelines advocated in this blog, he will believe in building a custom framework of opportunities for your child over the course of the season—one that leads to growth and success.
For example, several years back the mother of a seventh grade boy in a middle school YMCA basketball league approached me after a game. In no uncertain terms, she stated that her son should play the point guard position and that he was better than the current backup point guard. Although this boy had reasonably good ball handling skills for a player his age, and showed the markings of a potential point guard, he was undersized and physically overwhelmed by the other eighth and ninth grade boys. In addition, two other boys on the team demonstrated equal or better point guard skills and were better equipped physically to handle the speed and power of the game. For both the boy’s personal development and the best interests of the team, I decided to keep him at the off-guard position.
As the season progressed, I gave the boy opportunities to play the point in practice and occasionally in a game; but his primary role remained the same. He developed an understanding of his role and how he could contribute now to the team in a meaningful way. We won the championship that year and both the boy and his mother were pleased with the way the season turned out.
In a league that promotes equal participation, some parents expect absolutely equal time in each game. Depending on the team matchups, this may not be the best developmental approach. A coach may sometimes choose to play one player slightly more than another and instead balance playing time over the course of a season. By doing so, he can maximize the number of opportunities for both individual and team success. He or she can avoid placing players in situations in which they are overmatched and will necessarily fail. Against weaker opponents this coach will play the less skilled players more than the skilled players, giving them increased responsibility and more challenging roles. In the previous example, this is where the seventh grader gets to play point guard.
If you are confused by the coach’s actions as they relate to your child’s development, talk with the coach to gain a better understanding of his approach. Recognize that his or her responsibilities, along with his knowledge of the sport and experience developing young players, may lead in a direction different from yours.
Copyright 2009-2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads; All Rights Reserved
2 comments:
How does a child develop expertise in a new role unless a coach is willing to rotate the player roles? Parents often have to become coaches themselves in order for their kid to be a pitcher, quarterback, point guard, etc.
Gaining expertise in an important team role (point guard), and developing the necessary skills to play the role well, is a process that develops over time and with a number of influences.
At the earliest ages, kids are taught fundamental skills by adults and ideally every child has an equal opportunity to play each position. Parents may sometimes become the child's personal coach to help advance a child's skills. Likewise, a child learns from his or her peers in neighborhood pickup games. This latter element is important, as children will find themselves in games where they may be the "best" point guard, pitcher or quarterback for that group of kids. This is one of several reasons why I'm a big believer in complementing adult-run organized sports with self-directed "pickup" games. Take a look at my post on The Role of Organized Sports in Your Child's Life for more info on this subject.
Regarding skill development for 4th grade and above basketball players, I follow a Teach Everyone Everything approach. From a point guard perspective, each child learns the key dribbling techniques in practices. Drills are run to teach keeping the dribble alive, the child's head up, seeing the court, and how and when to make the proper pass.
But in most participation-based programs, kids of different ages, sizes, skill levels, and innate athletic ability, are grouped together on any one team. Expectations of what makes up a "fun" and successful experience vary. With limited practice time and the importance of certain roles to a team's opportunity to succeed, it's simply unrealistic for a coach in the typical youth program to provide every child (ones who are older) with equal time at the key positions.
As I mention in this post, playing a child who is overmatched at a key position invites failure for both the child and the team. There are usually times in practices and games, however, where you can give kids a taste of playing a key role.
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