Girls and Boys Playing Sports Together—A Few More Thoughts

PARENT  

I received a number of interesting comments on an earlier post titled Another Reason Why Competitive Girls Should Play Sports with Boys. Some reflected strong opinions for and against girls "Playing Up" with boys. The last two people to comment didn't waffle in the least. One said, "Boys and girls playing together in competitive sports after adolescence is rubbish." while the other stated, "You are absolutely wrong...you are setting the interests of competitive female athletes back 20 years with this philosophy."

Well, the last thing that I meant to do with my original post was to diminish the opportunity for female athletes to enjoy competitive sports!

In some of these blog comments and a few related tweets mentioning @InsideYouthSprt, there was some confusion regarding a couple of points I originally made. So let me clarify the message I was trying to communicate.

"Strong and Competitive"

First, my support for girls Playing Up with boys was directed primarily at strong, competitive girls who want to improve their play. These are the girls who have the physical ability, sports skills, confidence, and desire to compete against the best competition—regardless of whether its boys or girls, young or old. There is little doubt that these girls (and for that matter, any athletes with these qualities) benefit from this type of play.

In a recent twitter conversation on this subject, an interview with Katie Smith (the WNBA star basketball player) was mentioned. In that GameChangers interview (about 16 minutes in), Katie talked about always playing with boys when she was young. Katie recognized early on that boys provided her with the best competition to improve her already formidable skills.

But as one person later tweeted, "Not a whole lot of Katie Smiths out there." My response: "True...but they're out there! Get the best comp, wherever."

I had the opportunity this last summer to meet and briefly talk with Brianne O'Rourke, a former Big Ten honorable mention point guard who played at Penn State. She was working on her outside shot with another friend of mine. Watching her, it was obvious that she was both physically strong and possessed skills that were better than those of many (most?) high school boys basketball players. As we talked, Briane also struck me as both confident and tough minded. In other words, she possessed all of the traits need to compete against males, and get better in the process.

Still another example is my local high school's point guard. Although not tall, she is extremely athletic. She regularly competes against boys in pickup games to improve her play. (One of the tips I included in my original article came from a discussion with her.)

Self-Directed Play vs. Organized Sports

The second point I want to reiterate is that the recommendations in my original article were mainly directed toward participation in self-directed play (pick-up games). Although my response to some of the article's comments made this point clear, the wording in the initial post unfortunately did not do so. So here again is the point I was trying to make: For strong, competitive girls there are few drawbacks, if any, of Playing Up against boys in pickup games. It's simply one more opportunity to find better competition.

Playing Up in organized sports is another matter—especially when it supplants play with other girls. Whether its boys or girls, Playing Up at higher/older levels has its risks. One of these is that the young athlete ends up playing team roles that possibly stunt the player's development. Also, young players may find themselves in a social environment that is more challenging (and less fun).

In Mars & Venus Have Nothing To Do With It, the blog's author discusses in detail his real world experience with both coed soccer programs and ones that were separated by sex. He makes a number of good points why, for most girls, play with other girls is more beneficial. Even though many of the girls were physically able to compete with the boys, the drawbacks mentioned above came into play. Girls played less aggressively, focusing their play on team roles ("passer") that were not necessarily in their best long term developmental interest.

A similar experience occurred at my local YMCA several years ago. Although the Youth Basketball League was coed (ages 6-11) at the time, the Y's new director decided to establish a separate girls program. Girls participation substantially increased beyond what it was in prior years. For most girls it seemed, the "girls only" approach was the better one—at least in terms of joining in on the play. Interestingly, there were no girls who decided to participate in the "boys" league (which was still coed and available to the better girls who wanted to Play Up.) I can't help but wonder if the strong pull of "community" was in the best athletic interest of the more talented girls.

Summary

So to sum up, here's my recommendation: Physically strong, confident, and skilled girls should always seek opportunities to Play Up in pickup games. To find convenient competition, this will most likely mean playing with boys. Regarding Playing Up with boys in organized sports, parents should think carefully about the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. The right choice is likely one that is particular to each girl and each opportunity.

Do you have any further thoughts on girls competing with boys?

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

Read more...

Scrimmage for Fun and Development

COACH

  Most of your players, if not all, prefer playing the game over the alternative—drills and instruction. It’s a rare practice where I don’t hear one of my young players ask, “Are we going to scrimmage tonight?” Even if we always scrimmage, the question is asked by players to try and get more scrimmage time!

Since kids enjoy scrimmaging, let's consider how you can use this activity to not only satisfy their desire for fun and competition, but also teach principles, skills, and teamwork.

Different Perspectives

Coaches tend to view the benefits of practices scrimmages differently. Some coaches believe that scripted drills and instruction are the most effective use of practice time. These coaches may think that scrimmaging is worthwhile, but only when his or her team is “ready” to scrimmage (i.e., the players have a good understanding of skill fundamentals and their team’s offensive and defensive schemes). These coaches see little benefit in the confusion that typically arises when a group of novice players scrimmage.

Other coaches, however, believe that scrimmages are an important teaching tool—even when the coach’s players are not yet ready to execute his or her strategy and the play is filled with mistakes. They view practice scrimmages as a means to help develop each player’s fundamental skills and capacity to quickly (and correctly) react to game situations.

Practice Scrimmages—Controlled vs. Uncontrolled

Before we take a closer look at the benefits of scrimmaging, understand that scrimmages can either be controlled or uncontrolled. The latter is typically where a coach throws the ball out on the floor and simply lets the players play. In this type of scrimmage, the coach is not actively engaged. Uncontrolled scrimmages may be useful to let players enjoy some self-directed, competitive fun.

In controlled scrimmages, the coach sets the conditions of the competition and provides feedback to his or her players during the play. A coach may bark out instructions as opportunities present themselves, encourage players when correct decisions and plays are made, and sometimes yell at players who fail to make a proper play ("John! Alex was open under the hoop for an easy basket. Keep your head up when you're dribbling!"). When a serious mistake occurs, the coach may choose to stop play and provide more detailed instruction. Controlled scrimmages are usually the best approach for both learning and having fun, so let’s focus on the benefits of this form of scrimmaging.

Connecting Skills to Game Situations

First and foremost, scrimmages provide a setting that helps enable your players to connect a skill with a situational game opportunity.

For instance, a basketball low post player may understand how to perform a drop-step move to score a basket, but does he or she recognize the moment when the opportunity presents itself? Is he aware that his defender is positioned such that he can seal off the defender with his body? Does he recognize that his point guard is positioned (or will soon be positioned) at the correct angle to make an entry pass? And if defended a certain way, can he or she quickly identify the available options to regain positional advantage? Recognizing these game situations, and instinctively applying an appropriate skill, are most often learned by playing the game.

Yes, certain competitive drills can simulate a game situation, and may be a steppingstone to learning how to perform and apply a skill. Combined with instruction, these drills may be the necessary first step in this learning process. But most sports are a real-time, interactive experience that often requires split-second decisions and reactions. The constant flow of movement, the opening and closing of space, the fleeting moments that provide opportunities to gain advantage, are best understood when players participate in the game activity itself. And in an age where neighborhood “pickup” games are much diminished, scrimmages in organized sports programs play an essential role in exposing players to game situations—ones that provide an opportunity for the players to learn which of their “moves” work, and how and when to use them.

Teaching Moments Abound

Secondly, as touched on above, controlled scrimmages provide the team’s coach with one teaching moment after the next. As the scrimmage’s game situations change, the coach can shout out instructions to his or her players, helping them to understand and recognize opportunities to succeed, and any mistakes made. This type of engagement by the coach provides instant feedback to his or her players, and helps tie a game situation to an appropriate response. Where a serious error is made, or an opportunity missed, the coach can stop play altogether and instruct the player(s) on how they should have reacted or performed. The instruction that arises out of a controlled scrimmage can be especially helpful to beginners.

Setting a Scrimmage’s Conditions

Another important aspect of a controlled scrimmage is that the coach sets the conditions within which the play takes place. A coach can change the conditions as needed to help teach certain behaviors.

Each sport is different, but you can usually modify either the number of players on each team or the rules to emphasize a certain skill or principle. By reducing the number of players on each team, you can change the game’s dynamics (i.e., more space, more one-on-one opportunities, more ball touches) and also stress certain skills. Modifying the rules accomplishes a similar result, and also gives you the opportunity to change behaviors and tendencies that are unproductive.

For example, in youth basketball, many kids tend to dribble too much—often with their head down and concentration fixed on the ball or defender. The desired behavior is for the player to dribble the ball with their head up and see the court, always looking for opportunities to pass the ball to an open teammate and quickly advance the ball up the court. To help young players better understand this concept and break their tendency to dribble with their head down, I will occasionally scrimmage five-on-five—but with one important rule change:

Players are only allowed to dribble (one time) when converting a layup. At all other times, the player who receives a pass must advance the ball down the court by making another pass.

Players typically struggle with this rule at first, continuing to immediately dribble the ball upon receiving a pass. But after blowing my whistle a few times, they begin to make the proper plays.

What does this one rule change accomplish? Players who have the ball quickly realize that they need to keep their head up and have an idea where their teammates are located on the court. They find that upon making a pass they must move to get open (“move without the ball”) to again receive the ball. They learn that they cannot run away from the ball, but must instead go toward it when no other teammate is open. They realize the importance of being in control of their body when receiving a pass. They become aware that passing can move the ball down the court faster than dribbling. They learn how to play as a team.

Leverage FUN

Try to see beyond a practice comprised only of drills and instruction. Allocate time for scrimmaging in each practice. Even though your players are beginners, and your practice scrimmages full of confusion, use these scrimmages to better develop your players’ understanding of game situations and provide them with a measure of competitive fun.

Engage your players while scrimmaging, taking advantage of teaching moments as they arise. Use your imagination to modify the scrimmage’s rules to fit your teaching purposes (and refer to coaching books specific to your sport for additional ideas). You will find that your players enjoy these slightly twisted rules and modified scrimmages.

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

Read more...

Pickup Games Are Dead!

PARENT

  If you read enough articles about youth sports, it's hard not to come away with the belief that pickup games are dead. That with the rise of technology, two paycheck families, and safety concerns, this form of sports play is a quaint relic of our past. Great back then, but impossible now.

The baby-boomers of course still prattle on about how they spent much of their youth outside playing neighborhood games of pickup baseball, football, and basketball; how their moms used to kick them outside, telling them not to come back until lunch or dinner. But modern parents and youth sports pundits know better. Society has changed, kids are different, and youth sports reflect this new reality.

The golden age of pickup is dead—forever rest in peace. Hail to the new age of organized sports!

Or so it would seem if you believe all you read.

But wait, not so fast... Like the elderly man being hauled away in that old Monty Python movie, The Holy Grail, the spirit of pickup play is crying out, “I’m not dead yet!”

Pickup games are alive—at least in the sport of basketball. Take a look at the short video clip below. (I shot this a few weekends ago at my local YMCA.)



As you can see, the gym was filled with kids (of all ages) playing pickup basketball. There was a full-court game going on and kids shooting and playing on the side baskets. Other kids were on the sidelines waiting to play; many of whom were talking with their friends.

Technology was also on the sideline. Cellphones were laying on the floor near the wall (and many other phones were undoubtedly tucked away in sweatshirt pockets). Occasionally, a kid picked up a phone and checked for new messages. But technology wasn't winning kids' mind share in this gym—self-directed play was. Face-to-face, physical interaction was crushing "social networking."

I've coached several of these kids and am aware that they play on local school teams. They get plenty of exercise and basketball. But as this video shows, they still want to play in a more social setting with their friends (many of whom do not play on the school teams). They want to have fun—but a different type of fun than they experience playing organized sports.

Other kids, who either don't have the ability or desire to play on the school teams, were also on the court and sidelines. They were having fun, socializing, and getting exercise.

So what's going on here?

It sure doesn't look to me that kids have given up on pickup games. So why do so many proclaim that self-directed play is largely a thing of the past?

The Culture of Self-Directed Play

Pickup basketball games are alive and well at my local YMCA for a couple of reasons. First, the Y provides kids with a central gathering place. It’s a semi-supervised, safe setting in which kids can play basketball the way they want and need. The YMCA also serves a second purpose—the culture of playing pickup basketball is passed on within its walls. Older kids watch adults play pickup games and younger kids watch teenagers do the same. This transfer of culture and experience fuels the pickup game engine.

Unfortunately, things have changed in other sports (and settings).

Neighborhood games in baseball, basketball, and football once had the same transfer mechanism at work. Younger kids played with older kids, emulating their play. The culture of pickup play in the "big three" sports was continually passed on within neighborhoods. But not so much anymore. Basketball rims are still plentiful in driveways and streets, but the kids are not.

Other team sports in the USA—such as soccer, hockey, and lacrosse—never shared this same rich tradition of neighborhood pickup play. Kids have always played these sports mainly within adult-run organized programs. (One might even argue that youth soccer's growth helped fuel the overall cultural movement in the USA toward organized sports play.)

But even in these sports, there's evidence that the culture of pickup play both exists and is beneficial to the development of young players. A 2010 article, Dempsey a poster child for casual play, describes how Clint Dempsey—one of the USA's best soccer players—developed his creative style by playing "street soccer" in his youth. Other articles have discussed how soccer excellence in countries such as Brazil stem from a wide base of youth who play pickup.

So despite a healthy culture of pickup basketball at my Y, there's little doubt that the traditional pickup culture in several sports has diminished over the last few decades. And in those sports (soccer) where pickup games always played a minor role, organized sports continue to be the preferred form of play. Considering the benefits of self-directed play, why has this happened?

Are Parents Limiting Opportunities for Self-Directed Play?

We've all heard about how our world has changed and how it's affected youth sports. Neighborhoods are more dangerous; stay-at-home moms are an anachronism; and many kids prefer their electronics to pickup games. To some degree, these observations are accurate. But are they the cause of self-directed play's reduced role in sports play?

In talking with a good friend who is the father of a young boy, he made an astute observation: "One of the biggest problems is that kids are over-scheduled. They don't play neighborhood pickup games because they're all off participating in organized activities. I would like my boy to play more pickup, but I also don't want him sitting around by himself playing games on his XBox."

Despite a neighborhood full of kids, no one is around to play. As a result, my friend feels he needs to sign his boy up for multiple organized sports.

Over-scheduling children in organized activities is but one example of how parental choice affects self-directed play. Other examples include limiting self-directed play because of safety concerns and choosing organized sports because the "experts" says this is the best developmental approach.

Whether these choices are rooted in parental fear, a misguided belief that all knowledge must come from adult instruction, or some other motivation, it is about choices. It's about how parental choices affect a child's opportunity to experience sports.

Are Today's Kids Different?

What about the kids themselves? Is this generation that different from past ones? The above video would suggest otherwise; it certainly seems that the core issue isn't kids who just want to play on their computers and XBox 360 all day.

Kids still want to play pickup in sports like basketball. And there's no inherent reason why they can't also do so in other team sports. Each sport has its small-sided games and other variations of play that can readily provide neighborhood fun for kids. Expensive equipment is not needed to engage in this type of sports play.

So let's put aside the mistaken notion that kids have inherently changed, that technology has corrupted their desire to play sports on their own, or that our "new" society has irrevocably changed what we can and should value.

What today's kids do need is more exposure to each sport's respective culture of pickup play. And just like kids from past generations, today's kids need the opportunity to engage in self-directed play.

Seek Solutions

As I've discussed in other articles and in my book, The Joy of Youth Sports, pickup games provide kids with many benefits—ones not easily replicated in an organized sports setting. Because of this, let's not casually toss pickup games on the scrap pile of history along with our VCRs and Walkmans. Let's instead seek some innovative solutions to strengthen this valuable form of play.

Technology can work for and against self-directed play. Although it may draw some kids away from playing sports, it also potentially provides answers to some of today's problems that inhibit self-directed play. Texting and social media provide kids with tools to more easily communicate and organize pickup games. For parents concerned about safety, mobile phones provide parents with easy access to their child and his or her location. Inexpensive cameras can also provide additional monitoring where needed. Consider how these technologies might be used to create safe play environments in neighborhoods with fewer stay-at-home parents. Like the semi-supervised setting of basketball at my YMCA, is there an opportunity to create similar settings for other sports?

Beyond technology, youth sports advocates and parents should step back and reevaluate their perspective on various issues related to children's play. Consider whether safety is a real issue in your child's play environment, or one driven more by our society's expanded awareness of every tragedy that occurs. Reevaluate the risk/benefit ratio and the best way to manage the risk component.

We also need to better understand why boys readily engage in pickup games, but girls do not. With the emphasis on getting more girls involved in sports via organized activities, have we distorted how they experience sports? And more importantly, have we distorted parents' view of how all children should play sports?

Pickup games are too important to let them casually fade into the night. Let's do all we can to create the best, most balanced opportunity for kids to enjoy sports.

Do you have any innovative ideas on how to promote self-directed play and pickup games?

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

Read more...

Player Success in Team Sports—Finding Your Role (Part 2: Primary and Secondary Roles)

PLAYER

  My recent articles on How a Coach Builds a Team and Player Success in Team Sports—Finding Your Role (Part 1) both emphasized the importance of team roles and how they affect the success of individual players and their teams.

In part one of Finding Your Role, I gave you an overview of a simple process that you can follow to discover where you best fit your team and coach's needs. As I pointed out, this approach can help you identify the available team roles and which ones best fit your abilities.

By targeting the right roles, you can improve your chance to make a team, gain more minutes, and play in a way that is appreciated by both your teammates and coach.

Because roles are so important to finding success in team sports, let's dig a little deeper into this topic.

Although we can view team roles from a few different perspectives, let's start by breaking them down into two major categories: Primary and Secondary.

Primary Team Roles

Every sport requires excellence in certain primary roles. In basketball, most successful teams require quality play at the point guard and low post positions. A successful basketball team also usually requires that someone play the important functional role of “scorer.”

Each team sport has its primary positional and functional roles. A pro football team’s most important positional role is the quarterback. Baseball games are more often won by the team that has excellent pitchers. Soccer, hockey, and lacrosse teams need a forward who can "score" and a goalie who can "defend."

Failure at key positions can doom a team’s chances for success, negating any advantage the team may have at other positions. For instance, a basketball team that lacks a guard to bring the ball up the court against a pressure defense will rarely have the opportunity to get the ball to its outstanding big men.

These primary roles tend to go to the better athletes and individuals with exceptionally strong skills that match the requirements of the associated position. But through diligent training and effort, less talented athletes can sometimes succeed in these primary roles.

If you’re expecting to play one of these “glory” positions, understand that you will need to show your coach that you have the required talent and skills.

Secondary Team Roles

While there are only a few primary team roles available, there are many secondary roles. You should understand that these secondary roles are essential to a team’s success. Understand also, that almost every coach appreciates this truth.

These roles encompass all the “little” things that lead to a team’s success. Examples of functional secondary team roles include “defender”, “ball-handler”, “rebounder”, and “utility man.”

TIP: Each player who plays a secondary role benefits from having the ability to additionally play other roles. For example, a basketball player who is an outstanding defender, but is also a good passer and threat to score, provides more value to a team (and its coach).

Again, try to identify any attributes you possess that can lead to success in one of your sport’s secondary roles. In Part 1, I discussed the "defender" role. If you have a stubborn, persistent nature, are reasonably quick, and possess good endurance you may find success in that role in any number of sports. Other functional roles are also available to you. For example, if you lack outstanding athleticism, but have the ability to accurately focus on and consistently hit a target, you may still find success as a “shooter” (spot-up shooter in basketball, football place-kicker, etc.).

Remember that coaches are always looking to find players to fill team roles.

WARNING: Playing a secondary role well only takes you so far. If you’re missing an essential skill, it’s less likely that you will find success playing that sport.

Your Role Can Change

As you mature and continue to develop your skills, the team role you play often changes.

A physical change can suddenly provide you with the ability to excel in an entirely different role or position. For example, the middle school volleyball setter who gains a foot in height after puberty may become a hitter on his high school volleyball team.

Skill development can also lead to a different team role. A basketball shooting guard, for instance, may work hard to improve his or her ball-handling skills and evolve into an outstanding point guard.

Good coaches constantly evaluate their player’s ability and skill. They realize that individual player development is a path to improving their team’s likelihood for success.

TIP: Your role may change as you move to higher levels of competition. Where once you were the outstanding athlete and “scorer”, you may now play a secondary role. Be prepared to adapt, especially when you first move to a higher level.

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

Read more...

Unequal Playing Time in Youth Sports

PARENT

The One Sport Voice blog recently posted an article titled Why is unequal playing time the norm in youth sport? In the article, Nicole Lavoi advocates equal playing time for all players up until age 12, regardless of competitive level.

I posted a comment in response, but for whatever reason my comment didn't make it past the moderation filter. But hey, one advantage of having my own blog is that I DO get the opportunity to comment! So here we go.

Although I don't fully agree with Nicole's perspective, she raises a good question, "Why shouldn't every child receive equal playing time in organized youth sports?"

In competitive organized youth sports, there's undoubtedly a wide range of opinion held by parents and coaches regarding playing time (and the overall merits of this form of play). I'm not going to address this side of the issue except to make two points.

• First, in some (most?) team sports there is an inherent conflict between the greater number of kids needed to conduct productive practices and the smaller number required to field the most competitive player rotation in a game. On a basketball team, for example, coaches usually consider ten to fifteen players the ideal number for practices. But in a competitive game, coaches typically prefer to rotate 7 or 8 players in and out. To optimize a team's chance to succeed, coaches (and many parents) understand the above reality and why playing time will likely be unequal in a more competitive setting.



• Secondly, I would suggest that as long as coaches are honest and transparent with parents about the overall opportunity that they will afford a child, less playing time for some is okay. On most youth sports teams, there is usually a mix of players who are at different stages in their development (age, skill, etc.). For those who are slightly younger, inexperienced, or less skilled, they may initially benefit from smaller roles that don't overwhelm them. As they get older and improve, their playing time will likely increase and possibly exceed that of their newer, younger teammates. (This is especially true of programs where teams are comprised of both younger and older kids.)

Regarding sports programs that DO emphasize equal participation, there are instances where a coach may believe it's best to play one child somewhat more (or less) than others. To this point, here's the comment I submitted:

"Without wading into the waters of older, more competitive youth sports, the goal of providing players with equal playing time in participation based programs is a good one.

But even in this setting, there are qualifiers to an approach of simply dividing playing time up equally.

Most team sports require a certain level of competence in key positions. Without a minimum level of performance in these positions, the play can disintegrate resulting in NO FUN for many of the other players.

For example, a competent point guard in basketball is needed to handle the ball against pressure and make good passes to his or her teammates. Likewise, a good “big-man” is needed to provide a young team with second shot opportunities (there are MANY missed layups).

In the pursuit of equal playing time, taking out a key player can ruin the play for others. It also can diminish the self-esteem of a young player who does not yet possess the necessary skills to play a certain position. This is even more evident when teams are not equally matched in terms of talent and age (something that regularly occurs in the real world of organized youth sports programs).

I generally prefer an approach that builds individual paths to success—especially for kids in the 10 to 13 age group. Teach Everyone Everything in practice, but tweak playing time as necessary in games so that everyone is placed in the best position to succeed. (I discuss this approach in several articles on my Inside Youth Sports blog.)

Yes, the emphasis is on equal playing time in each game. But the goal of equal playing time may also be achieved over the course of a season, with better players possibly getting a little more playing time against the tougher opponents, while the weaker and younger players receive more time against lesser opponents. The goal is to challenge players, but not put them in situations where they are destined to fail. Unfortunately, some parents only look at each individual game in judging whether their son or daughter is receiving equal playing time.

Like many other issues in youth sports, the equal playing time one is magnified by today’s youth culture that places so much emphasis on adult-run organized youth sports. Promoting more opportunities for children to engage in self-directed play (e.g., pickup games) would enable kids to naturally get the “equal playing time” they need to develop their skills and have fun."

As I was finishing this post, I saw a tweet referencing an older MomsTeam article that expressed similar sentiments to the One Sport Voice article. The MomsTeam article also includes several reader comments that express varying views. It's a worthwhile read. The article's main anecdote highlights an instance of questionable coaching behavior that touches on several issues including: The Coaches Kid Always Plays, coaches who are too win-oriented (and consequently distort the intent of playing time guidelines), and not reducing playing time for those who consistently miss practices. But I would disagree that the remedy for these instances is across-the-board equal playing time in all youth sports programs.

Finally, one "equal playing time" practice that I didn't see mentioned in these other articles, is mandatory substitution stoppages. These provide coaches with a reminder and easy opportunity to get players into a game. This practice works well within the participation oriented basketball leagues in which I coach. In addition to asking coaches to substitute players at the end of each quarter, play is also stopped half-way through each quarter. In the younger leagues, coaches are not permitted to substitute players except at these points. This helps ensure that players stay in the game even when things start to go bad.

The above approach can also improve substitution patterns in more competitive programs. A variation of this practice is successfully used in my YMCA's more competitive middle school basketball league. (Coaches can freely substitute players in the 2nd and 4th quarters.)

Do you have any thoughts on the best approaches to playing time in youth sports programs?

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

Read more...

Player Success in Team Sports—Finding Your Role (Part 1)

PLAYER

  In my last post, I discussed how a coach typically selects players and builds a team. Although the article was directed toward sports parents, players should also understand how they are evaluated by coaches. By knowing what a coach is looking for, players give themselves the best chance to make a team, get more playing time, and possibly go from being a backup to a starter.

Not Everyone's a Star

One of the most important points I discussed was that a team's success largely depends on different players playing different roles well. Why? Because teams rarely consist of players who are each capable of playing every position and team role. Absent great all-around players, achieving success instead becomes an exercise in matching certain players to certain roles. Most teams need to leverage their players' individual strengths while hiding or minimizing many of their weaknesses. With the right mix of players, the whole can become greater than the sum of its parts.

This reliance on roles to achieve team success is what provides many opportunities for lesser athletes with limited skill sets. It can help open your door to success in sports.

So let's take a quick look at how you go about finding your possible team roles.

Finding Your Role

First, spend some time thinking about your situation. Start by asking yourself three basic questions:

1. What strategies and tactics are favored by my coach?


2. What roles are needed within this style of play?


3. What are my strengths and weaknesses?

As you consider each of these questions and formulate your answers, try to see where the answers overlap. This is where you will find your best opportunity for success.



For instance, in football, a coach may prefer a run-first version of a “spread” offense. In contrast to a “pro” offense that requires a quarterback who is an excellent drop-back passer, this spread offense needs a quarterback who is first a good runner. Likewise, it may require more mobile lineman. The emphasis is placed on lineman who are quicker, have good feet, and can get downfield or to the outside to block their opponent. In this case, size and strength are less important than speed and agility.

Now, where would you and your unique set of characteristics possibly fit in the above example? If you do not possess good hand-eye coordination or outstanding size and weight—but you’re quick, intelligent, and like contact—you might target playing the offensive line position in a spread offense.

Of course, the ideal setting that best matches your abilities may not exist. (In the above example, your high school's football coach may run an offense that's based on a more traditional power-running game.) But you should try to understand where your unique attributes best fit in and whether a certain position or role is one that you would possibly enjoy playing.

TIP: Each coach has a unique view on what mix of players, strategies, and tactics best leads to success. To help you better evaluate and understand where you possibly fit in, don’t hesitate to ask your coaches where they believe your opportunity lies.

TIP: When you apply the above approach to all of the sports available to you, the possibilities expand for you to find the right role within the right sport.

Consider the "Defender" Role

Excelling in a defensive team role is an avenue to success for many young players who may have limited sports skills—especially in smaller schools with fewer athletes. This role is one that depends to a large degree on a player's desire, hustle, focus, and other attributes related more to the mind than the body. A good defender is appreciated in virtually every team sport and by most coaches.

In high school, I played varsity basketball for a coach who preferred an aggressive man-to-man defensive scheme. He appreciated players who hustled and could defend their man well. My junior year, having only limited offensive skills, I always focused on playing excellent defense—both in practice and in games. I wanted to shut down my opponent. This defensive role was the one in which I could contribute to my team, get more playing time, and eventually would leverage to become a starter.

In my next article, I'll talk more about team roles—both the primary and secondary ones that can provide you with your opportunity for success.

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book:
The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the best youth sports experience for your child (Amazon $8.95)

(Kindle Edition $2.99)

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