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Playing Time
Fri July 18 2008 @ 10:09 AMShould there be mandatory playing time for all levels of CYO Athletics?
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Region 17 Board of Directors in West Chester. They are a dedicated, energetic, and passionate group of people who do great things for the kids in that region.
After the meeting ended, I stayed around for a few minutes to see if anyone had any questions about Wagdogs. The conversation turned, as it invariably does in these settings, to the issues we face in running youth sports organizations. And in this particular case, we ended up discussing whether there are valid reasons to have a child spend an entire game on the bench, regardless of the level of competitive play.
By virtue of our volunteering in a CYO organization, we agree to support and promote the Athletic Ministry mission of managing "a sports program that allows youth to grow in their relationship with God and come to better understand themselves and the Catholic Faith." The first objective of that mission is to have a program that "employs healthy and enjoyable competition to promote the sharing of gospel values among athletes, parents and coaches."
There is great debate among administrators, coaches, and parents about whether every child that regularly attends practices and games, works hard, is respectful and cooperative, and is a good teammate should be given the opportunity to play at least a few minutes in every game. Many organizations and some regions mandate playing time for both Region and Parish teams, but give the coaches the flexibility to adjust playing time guidelines for playoffs and tournaments, as well as for rules violations or disciplinary reasons. That seems like a fair balance between our responsibility to develop each child's spiritual, emotional, and physical growth and the lesson that sometimes the needs of the team supersede those of the individual.
However, there are arguments to be made on both sides. One father with whom I spoke, whose daughter sat out an entire game early in a season, said that the situation motivated her to work harder to become a better player. In a short period of time, she raised her motivation and skills and became a regular in the coach's substitution rotation. I don't know whether that was the coach's intent in bypassing her originally, but it worked out for the best in that case.
What are your thoughts about playing time, coaches' responsibilities, and how to manage what is arguably the most important issue we face each season?
Posted By: Jim Roynan
I believe in giving each child a chance to play. However, as long as the coaches approach is known prior to joining that sport I believe that is fair. In short, my kids enjoy sports, may not be "talented" as other players.
the message of our CYO is share your gifts the God gave you to the best of your ability. If the CYO will not allow that, then I will go to an group that will.
reply to commentI believe all kids should get an opportunity to play. I think the problem is to be competitve sometimes it does not always happen. I also think its not the same across the board. Some teams do and others do not. We need to be consistant.
reply to commentCYO provides an opportunity for all the kids and that opportunity should not stop at game time. I support all kids playing in all games. Coaches that sit kids simply because of skill level, grade or experience need to think about the kids first and their coaching record second. A rule requiring all kids playing will facilitate the mission statement of CYO. As an example, I've never heard anyone complain about Little Leagues rules requring playing time.
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