Minimum Play Players, Favoritism, & Parents
I planned to write about defense today, but I received an email last night which begs me to address minimum play players, favoritism and parents in today’s blog post. My coaches and I rank our players each week and use these rankings to determine who will start and what positions they will play. I develop a depth chart each week from these rankings. I do not believe in favoritism. Our players win a starting position based on intelligence, physical abilities, football skill and football knowledge. Just because a player is a top starting player and plays a majority of downs, does not equate to favoritism, it equates to smart coaching. Coaches should field their best talent.
In today’s youth sports, many coaches must weigh fielding the best talent and playing the minimum play players. How do you weigh the needs of the team above the needs of one to three minimum play players (MPP) and their vocal parents? This question frustrates me each week. I want all my players playing every play of the game. I want all players getting a good rest on the sidelines. I want everyone to score a touch down. But the reality is, this is not Drake and Josh afternoon TV. Some players are not ready to play more than the mandatory minimum plays. I want to win American Idol but I can’t hold a note. Should the network force American Idol to allow me to sing at least once in front of National TV audience? I doubt it.
But many MPP parent’s feel the coaches are playing favorites by not playing thier children more. I am sure there maybe a minority of coaches playing favorites, but if your child can contribute to the team then your child will play more. I’ll guarantee it.
One last point that I find surprising. Why doesn’t anyone talk about the starter who must sit out while someone takes his place? How do they feel? Are they upset that we substituted a player in the game that does not do the work required to play the position? Who is speaking up for the starting player and their feelings?
If I had one wish as a coach, I would wish that all the players on my team were starters. Now that would solve my problem. Although, I have 24 players on my team. Hmmm, I needed to be more specific. It’s always something!
My son plays both youth football and baseball. He does well and plays more or less based primarily on what age level he is in any given year.
The problem I have is dealing with a greater level of favoritism than just games. He is now the youngest player on his Little League All-star team. He had a great year during regular season and his team was one of the top teams in the entire district. However, now the Allstar coaches are coaches from other teams and have seemed to pigeon hole kids that weren’t on their regular season teams.
So instead of letting everyone have a chance to practice in a few different positions they put the kids from their teams in the primary positions and stick the rest of the kids in outfield. The whole practice.
I understand playing the best kids the most during the game but I don’t understand not even letting them practice a little at other positions that they were successful in during the regular season. But more importantly, I am torn on how to advise my child that life isn’t always fair and just because you may be a little better you don’t always get treated that way.
Any sage advice?
I don’t know about sage, but I am familiar with this issue. My son is an ok baseball player and did not play as much as I would have liked on his baseball team. But like you said, life is unfair and not everyone gets to be pitcher or QB.
I told my son that he must work harder than the other players and prove himself on the playing field. Anytime he gets an opporutnity, he must excel and show the coaches that they are making a mistake by not playing him more.
If your coaches are not mixing it up during practice, and favoring their players, I would politely approach them on the issue. They are probably doing this because they are comfortable with these players and has nothing to do with the ability of the other players. They are hurting the team and themselves by not playing the other kids. This will become an issue in a tournament when someone gets hurt or on vacation. No one on the team will be ready to play the top positions.
Bottom line. Talk to the coaches and ask them their strategy about play time and positions. Ask for an honest answer. You may or may not like what you hear. Since this is an all star team, let your son know he had an excellent regular season and now he must be ready to play any position even if he’s not getting practice time. Practice with him at home or after practice, and when the team needs him in a tournament, he’s ready to go and shines like an all star that he is.
here’s our HS situtation: Chad Kota’s kid is a freshman and plays on the VARSITY team.. and HE is a coach there…is his kid really that good…some say no. soooo… would that NOT be favoritism?? and how does this reflect on the head coach there…kind of a no-integrity move is how i some see it. an thoughts on that!!!
I have known many players that started Varsity their Freshman year. I started Varsity my Sophomore year because our HS did not have a Freshman class my Freshman year. So if you are good you can play.
I do not know the coach’s son but this is probably favoritism. Many HS coach’s sons play for them so not a new issue with HS coaches. I would say its bad if the Coach’s son plays more then 10 plays a game and he is not very good. I think John Elway played for his dad in HS and a few other pro quarterbacks. I know many HS do this so they can have their son practice with them.
Ya life is unfair. But if you are really good, then the coach’s son on Varsity will not matter because the coaches cannot overlook great talent.
A similar situation is in college when non scholarship athletes look better than the players on scholarship. The non scholarship athletes usually sit since the coaching staff looks bad by giving a scholarship to a second string player. The coaches feel they MUST start the scholarship player or just plain look bad for wasting the universities money.
Ok, I understand that when kids mess around durring practice they shouldn’t be starting; but what happens when you have a child that can push back, and hold back consistantly, the starting line and yet he is considered 3rd string because he isn’t in the front half of the running pack. Now understand this child is 123 lbs w/o uniform. And the starting line- coaches kids who didn’t even show up 3 out of 5 practices?
This is normal, My daughter play’s Varsity Soccer and was TOP striker on her club team and her coach is well aware of this but refuses to put her up front because he want’s other girls up there. We have lost both of our first 2 games and its always the same girls up front. How do you get this coach to realize there are “better” player’s for the front line?.
Coaches see something different in players. We do not always agree about who can do this or that. He is the Head Coach and he’s going to do what he wants to do. I certainly have my opinions about my son’s teams that I do not coach, but I keep quite because I am not the head coach. I don’t like it but it is not my place to question the high school coaches. If your daughter thinks she is that much better than the other players then SHE needs to talk to the coach and show the coaches in practice that she is too good to be sitting on the bench. It is up to your daughter to convince the coaches, not the parent. BTW I feel your pain, but such is life.
Playing time is a tough subject in youth sports. Parents must remember that it’s not only the physical part of the game that determines play time but also knowledge of the sport and position disciplin.
I have coached great athletes that did not start because they did not listen or did not have the capacity to learn the playbook. I won the starting MLB position in HS because the starting MLB would not play his responsibilities and kept running into the line of scrimmage. My knowledge of the position and disciplin won over his athletic talents. Of course, I also had talent. I was the starting DE before moving to the MLB.
I know parents think their son or duaghter is the greatest player on the field. I think the same thing. But we look at our children through eyes of a parent, and its not always that rosey to the Coach.
My daughter goes to a strong high school program in her sport. The volleyball coach is not good coach, she is just lucky that this area has kids in some strong club programs an this coach just adopts the talent.
Speaking as a parent I do not favor my kids. This coach gives playing time to kids that go to her church and the other assistant coaches and current players can not stand up to her because they know if they did, then the coach would ban them in a second. The coach is not open to any conversations from the parents period. My daughter has been a starter on a very strong club team and was MVP on her JV team. She obviously is the strongest player in her position but has not had any playing time because my daughter does not kiss her butt. This coach finishes second in league every year but never improves in state matches because she plays enough to do well in a weak league, but you would think she would want to play the best players at thier position. not in this case, coach is a head case and athletic director does nothing to make sure the athletes that deserve to be playing are getting that chance. Its ashame to see phycos able to try to distroy a atheltes time in high school and jeperdising the kids future because
she just does not like your kid. Players on the team assistant coaches have told her they do not know why she is not starting or even playing over the kids in her postion. No one will stand up to the coach because they know they will not be on the team if that was to happen. And it has in the past.
My son Tyler is in his 5th year of football first year in tackle. The coaching staff has only three new players on this team and after the first practice (conditioning) identified all of his starters. I find this appalling and unacceptable as there was no attempt to identify skill or ability. My son works harder than any player and the coach identified this to us. Secondly, he continually beats several players in blocking drill and offense vs defense in practice. Yet during practice he was one of three who stood around for an hour while “starters” practiced. The following day they had a 2 hour scrimmage Tyler played in a total of 18 plays in 2hours while the starters played more than 45 on offense and 45 on defense. Tyler would come in make beat the TE or Tackle on 3 consecutive plays and then was sent to the bench. After the game he says why dont I play more and why did I have to come out after 3 plays. This is heartbreaking for a child who gives everything for a sport he loves and has to pay for a coaches selfish desires. Ive always coached sports and have never seen anything like this. All they talk about is run this from last year, remember this play from last year and Tyler gets no chance to show his ability. What should we do??? I want to talk to the coach again but I know he will not care. Tylersfunmama@yahoo.com
I came across this article while looking for articles about HS favoritism.
I don’t know a whole lot about football but I struggle with my son who is a Senior this year.
He has played football at the same school since the fifth grade. Now that he has just completed his two-a-days he is on the verge of quiting before even the first game.
I’m not sure what advice if any I can give him.
Per the author of this article if your a MPP… you might as well pack your bags, right ?
Is it really fair to pull the Farmer’s, Dentist’s, Doctor’s starting kid out of the game for a MPP ?
I think the depth chart you reference is a good cover for HS favoritism, right?
A few questions for you… I’d really be intersted to hear your responses.
1. What advice do you have for MPP’s who are sophmores and seniors that figure why even play??
2. Do you consider the families of the MPP’s or is it more important to focus on the starter’s and their families?
3. Regardless of the depth chart or the “MPP” name given do you think all students who put forth an effort should be allowed to play without favoritism and have equal play time?
All I know is that when I was in HS playing football I was not a starter, I knew I wasn’t a starter. I still went to EVERY practice and gave every last bit I had, because I knew if I didn’t the starters wouldn’t get better. When I did get the opportunity to play, I was that much better for it. I don’t care if your the number one guy on the team, or the team punching bag.. go out and do your best.. it helps the whole team, and that’s what football is.. a team sport