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- Navigating Playing Time
Hi Everyone, thanks for checking out this week’s newsletter. Below you'll find:
Performance Concept of the week
Navigating Playing Time: How To Support Your Athlete
Action plan
Resource of the week
Things to Explore
Got Questions?
Performance Concept of the Week
Have you ever thought to yourself, why is my athlete not playing more?
One of the most difficult challenges athletes face is navigating playing time.
It is no secret that by the time your athlete gets to the competitive or high performance level of sport playing time becomes something you pay attention to. Today in this article we will look at the complexities of playing time such as how it is determined, what coaches are looking for, and practical steps athletes can take to earn more playing time. More importantly we will discuss how you as a parent can help support your athlete in this area.
Playing time is hard for athletes, hard on parents, and challenging for coaches!
Understanding Playing Time
Playing time is very subjective in competitive and high performance sports. Just because you play, doesn’t mean the minutes you play are meaningful, and just because you are not playing as much as you would like the minutes aren’t meaningful.
So how is playing time determined? Most coaches consider a number of factors such as:
Skill Level - How does the athlete’s skill level fit into the game plan for the season or game/match?
Commitment - Showing up to practice is one thing, but practicing with intention is another. Coaches want to reward athletes that are committed in every aspect of preparation and training.
Work Ethic - An athlete’s commitment to practice, attitude towards improvement, and overall effort (physically, mentally, and cognitive (thinking skills) impact playing time.
Team Needs - Depending on the opponent, a coach may alter the line up to suit specific game strategies or needs.
Game Dynamics - Sometimes decisions and adjustments are made on the fly based upon how the game is developing.
Be Professional - Too often players when not playing behavior in an unprofessional way. Check out the video below of Matt Painter on being professional.
How Do Coaches Think at Higher Levels?
Purdue coach Matt Painter says he doesn't have enough minutes for all his guys this year. Great message on what he expects from players"I don't want them to be happy, but be professional.When you get mad and stew. When you get your opportunity won't do as well"(Purdue Athletics)
— Rick Semmler (@Rick_Sports10)
7:46 PM • Nov 14, 2023
What are Coaches Looking For?
In order to understand and playing time you need to know what coaches are looking for?
Coachability - Athletes who accept feedback, work to improve, implement new tactics, and show promise towards earning more playing time.
Consistently Perform - Athletes who are reliable and consistent can make or break game-time decisions. In the heat of the moment, coaches do not have much time to make decisions. They usually default to who is performing in the moment, and/or who has shown to consistently perform over time.
Show Resilience - Coaches look for athletes who are resilient and bounce back from setbacks, errors, or mistakes…..without losing their confidence!
Understand and Execute Game Plans - Athletes who grasp strategies, tactics, are more likely to be favored for playing time. This is a difficult factor for parents to understand because they are not in the room when strategy is discussed.
At the end of the day encourage your athlete to do everything they can to earn their coaches trust, confidence, and eye. Check out the video from Greg Popowich of the San Antonio Spurs on playing time!
Earning More Playing Time
The best way to support your athlete in their quest for more playing time is to help them understand the five factors to playing time:
Set Goals - Set small goals each day. Work on specific aspects of your game, or the team’s play each session both on and off the field of play. This means in the gym, video, developing your mental game, etc. A lot of little goals add up to big things!
Show Initiative & Take Action - Display a proactive approach to practice, extra training sessions, and developing your game.
Demonstrate Improvement & a Growth Mindset - Show you are willing to learn and improve and that you can execute in game/match.
Seek Feedback - Athlete’s need to ask for feedback. They will not always like what they hear, but being able to take constructive criticism and feedback and using it as motivation to learn, develop and grow is key.
Stay Patient & Positive - Just because your athlete does the first four in this list doesn’t mean playing time will improve right away. Be patient and maintain a positive attitude. Stick to the process.
Here is a great message for parents on what to encourage your athlete to do!
Summary
As a parent of a competitive or high performance athlete you can play a crucial role in helping them navigate playing time. Remind your athlete of these factors above. Changes are they will need your help to keep perspective and need some support or tough love as a reminder.
Lastly, remember the ultimate goal isn’t just about playing time, but also ensuring personal growth, resilience, and embracing the process and journey of being a high performance or competitive athlete. The more you support them in taking control of navigating their playing time, the more likely they will take action and play more.
Action Plan
This week’s action plan includes a 8 step plan to support your athlete in their quest for more playing time:
Step 1: Educate Yourself and Set Realistic Expectations
Understand the Factors: Familiarize yourself with the various factors that influence playing time decisions.
Set Realistic Goals: Discuss with your athlete what is an achievable and realistic aim regarding playing time.
Step 2: Foster Athlete-Coach Communication
Encourage Direct Communication: Urge your athlete to be proactive in seeking feedback from their coach.
Role-Playing: Practice scenarios at home where your athlete can ask their coach about what they need to work on.
Step 3: Help Your Child Seek and Utilize Feedback
Feedback Implementation: Ask your athlete how they are going to implement the coach's feedback. This will build their autonomy and get them to take action!
Document Progress: Encourage your athlete to keep a journal or log of their progress based on the feedback and overall development.
Step 4: Build a Supportive Environment at Home
Positive Reinforcement: Maintain a positive home environment that celebrates effort, not just playing time.
Promote Work Ethic & Effort: Encourage hard work and dedication during practice, highlighting the importance of consistent effort physically, mentally, and cognitively (thinking skills).
Step 5: Teach Resilience and Patience
Resilience Training: Emphasize the value of perseverance and dealing with adversity such as errors, setbacks, or mistakes.
Patience Practice: Remind your athlete that improvement and increased playing time are often gradual.
Step 6: Encourage Additional Training and Skill Development
Explore Training Options: Invest in extra coaching, clinics, or camps that can help your athlete improve their game. Keep in mind that mental performance is the most under trained skill in athletes.
Skill Enhancement: Encourage practice outside of team trainings to focus on specific skills that need development.
Step 7: Establish Open Lines of Communication With Coaches
Coach Meetings: If necessary, encourage your athlete to set up a meeting with the coach……but do not do this for them!
Support Network: Support your athlete in building relationships with not just the coach but also other staff such as assistant coaches and trainers. Simple things like asking someone how their day is going, goes a long way!
Step 8: Highlight the Value of the Experience
Beyond Playing Time: Help your athlete appreciate the value of being part of a team and the lessons learned that go beyond playing time. Remember the best of the best love the process!
Resource of the Week
This week’s resource is the Earn Your Playing Time Checklist. Download the checklist and ask your athlete if they are doing everything on the list. Challenge them if you need to!
Things to Explore
Read: Our Reading Library
Download: Resource Guide Series
Got Questions?
Do you have a question, or want to know more about a topic. Let our team of experts help you. Ask your question here by clicking the button below. We will post answers to questions within future newsletters.
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