Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?


Parents and coaches often have repeated disagreements about whether or not children should get equal playing time in youth sports. On the one hand, advocates for equal playing time argue that playing sports is a learning opportunity and their priorities lie in letting the children enjoy the sport. Others value competition and want their children to learn to play to win.

coach pointing with players on the bench | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports? For young children who are just learning a sport, dividing playing time equally makes perfect sense. However, as children progress and enter middle school, playing time should be based on effort and ability. As children age, the game becomes more competitive and should be played as such.

This issue is not cut and dry. As either a coach or a parent, you will want to carefully consider all angles of this argument. Join us as we explore the topic of equal playing time in detail throughout this article.

Should Beginner Youth Sports Have Equal Playing Time?

When very young children first begin to play a sport the end goal is not to win the game. Instead, the goal is to teach children how to play the sport. Sports can get complicated. There are a lot of rules for children to learn and follow. Beyond that, a lot of really young children are still developing fine and gross motor skills and learning a sport is an intricate journey that takes quite a bit of concentration.

In very early years, children as young as 4 and 5 years old are often invited to join sports teams. During this time, the children rotate through different positions and hone in on all of the different skills involved in that sport. This means that children may have a hard time playing to win because all of their concentration is going toward learning the actual game.

Let’s take baseball as an example.

Children can be invited to sign up for T-ball at the very young age of four years old. T-ball players will rotate through several positions; through practicing batting, first base, second base, short stop, third base, left field, center field, and right field.

Each of these positions have their own unique set of skills and coaches will begin to take note of the player’s strengths and weaknesses in different areas of the game.

However, as children grow and develop, coaches will lessen the amount of time children spend rotating through different positions.

While children may still be developing a lot of their skill set involving a sport, much of their strengths will be clear after a year or two of playing. Allowing children time to play in the position in which they show great strengths will allow them to really hone in on those skills.

Early in a sports career, the goal is simply to learn how to play the game. At these very early ages in youth sports, children do not understand the game well enough to demonstrate their true abilities. By limiting playing time based on skills or lack there of, you may be stifling a child’s ability to showcase what they can really achieve.

Boys sitting on the bench | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Game-Time Practice is Crucial for Children Developing a Skill

Kids not only need routine practice time to develop their skills as a successful player in their chosen sport, but they require a lot of time in the actual game, when the pressure is on.

For very young child, the purpose of games simply serves as a different kind of practice, and in-the-action kind of practice.

Kids benefit from game-time practice tremendously.

During game time, they are allowed to practice new skills with a group of other kids who are at similar levels of development. This time is different from other types of practices because practicing with similar skill sets to your own is more beneficial in the development of skills.

Further, game time allows kids to practice these skills with an added amount of pressure. The audience that comes along with game time can be incredibly beneficial for developing sport skills.

Even more, the fans in the stands add a level of pressure that may allow kids to blossom in front of their audience. Some kids perform better under the pressure of scrutiny from moms and dads.

Lastly, game time incorporates a stricter set of rules than does practice time. During game time, kids must practice synthesizing skills learned during practice, game rules, time limits and working together with teammates.

That is a lot of different things to think about during a game for easy distracted individuals.

Related: Coaches Guide to Managing Disrespectful Youth Athletes

Basketballer watching from the sidelines | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Should Middle and High School Aged Students Have Equal Playing Time?

As children progress through youth sports, they should move from learning the sport to trying to master the sport.

As we mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons that equal playing time is considered crucial for very young children is that they are still learning how to play the sport.

However, by the time children have begun playing for a middle or a high school team, most are well beyond the learning stages of the process. This is when the mindset will shift to playing to win – by both the coach and most times, the player.

Middle and high school-aged children thrive in competition. Denying them that competition is a severe injustice that should not be taken lightly.

Sports teams that are associated with middle and high schools are designed with the notion of competition in mind. These programs are built to develop highly competitive athletes, and in some cases these children may even be on a track to earn a scholarship to a college.

Giving all children equal playing time in higher-level sports removes the competitive aspect of the sport.

If coaches are required to let every child play equally, then the sport is no longer what we think of as a traditional sport. Rather than being a competition, it is simply some children kicking a ball around for fun. Of course, playing ball is fun, but the competition is a huge part of that fun.

For this reason, we believe students in middle and high school sports should have to earn their playing time through effort and skill.

Skills are something that can be developed and sharpened. Students who are passionate about the game, though worry they will lose playing time are more likely to work hard to develop skills and spend time in practice seriously working toward goals.

As an added bonus, all of these things help to develop serious character traits that are sought after in today’s youth.

Related: The Best Way Coaches Should Communicate With Athletes

Girls lacrosse | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Competition is Crucial for Athlete Development

Student athletes need a competitive nature that is brought about by real competitions in middle and high school sports.

Competition is believed to be a major part of what drives talented athletes to excel to become the sports stars. Without competition, children may not see the need to work hard for achieving certain goals.

If every child is able to show up and get playing time just by putting on a jersey, then many of them may stop putting the time in on the practice field and in the weight room.

Children who are picked to play based on skill and effort are more likely to exert themselves and put in the work over children who do not have to prove their worth.

Black and white swimmer on the blocks | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Athletes in High School are playing for Something Bigger

If every high school sports program adopted the equal playing time theology, then college sport recruitment would be majorly affected.

Students who excel in their sport should get more playing time. That additional playing time gives them opportunities to continue to grow and sometimes it gets them recognition within their community. That recognition could lead to scholarships to universities to play their sport of choice.

If every child was always given equal playing time, then the stars would have a harder time showing out during their high school career.

Not to mention, the college recruiters would have to sit through a lot of painful game time to seek out the players who they believe were truly at the level of their program.

This could be extremely detrimental to students who could you sport as a way to a free education and potentially better their current situation and lives.

Soccer drills | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Equal Playing Time Diminishes the Game

Giving older children equal playing time is a recipe for disaster.

These students who do not work as hard during practice or in the weight room will certainly change the dynamic of the game.

When a student who does not take their sport seriously is put on the playing field with a child who takes their sport very seriously, the former child is likely to change the dynamic of the field. This means that the team functions may be messed up.

The more often this happens, the more often this diminishes the quality of the game for all of the athletes involved.

Some Kids are in the Sport for the Wrong Reason

Sometimes there can be a conflict between parents and coaches when in the sports arena.

We’ve all seen it.

Part of this may come from a parent having unrealistic views of their child’s skill set in the game.

There are also a lot of children who find themselves playing a sport that they truly have no passion for, due to wanting to appease their parents. Mom or Dad might be huge basketball fans and would love to have the next NBA or WNBA superstar in the family. Of course, this is not true of every child, but all children do not necessarily crave playing the sport their parents want them to play.

Further to this, some children join a sport because they enjoy watching the sport, but not because they are actually talented at it or want to be the best at it.

Sure, these children could deserve some playing time if they were good enough to make the team. However, these students most likely will not put in the effort to improve themselves to a point where they deserve playing time over those who pour everything into the game.

It all boils down to talent and effort. Awarding children playing time for no reason does not teach them any valuable lessons. However, requiring children to prove their worth on the field or the court before giving them playing time provides them with many life skills they need to get through adulthood. It teaches them that instant gratification is not always achieved.

It teaches them that they must work hard to achieve their desires. Perhaps most importantly, it teaches them that things in life are not always handed to you, but through effort and practice you can change your circumstances.

Kids sitting on the bench | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

What about Teamwork

A lot of parents argue that denying older students equal playing time in sports is damaging to the teamwork aspect of a team. However, teammates should be encouraged by adults to help their friends develop skills needed to earn playing time.

A true friend should not be discouraged because their friend is good at something.

As adults, we must help our students understand that teamwork means developing skills together. Students must learn that throughout life there will be things that others do better than they do, and that it is natural and okay.

Most coaches can attest that having students earn playing time does not tear a team apart. On the contrary, students work together to develop and teach each other the necessary skills. They encourage each other and cheer each other on to work harder and smarter toward goals.

I’ve used the saying before, ‘we are only ever as strong as our weakest link. And we need to work together to strengthen the chain every day.’

Related: Why Coaches Should Encourage Parents to Attend Sports Practice

Further, kids tend to cheer each other on when they are part of a sports team. They understand that celebrating success is important for friendships and teammates and they often do it naturally without prompting from an adult or a coach.

The notion that earned playing time will diminish a team’s morale is silly.

Teamwork is about helping teammates through tough times and celebrating when they come out shining on the other side. Those opportunities for wins and losses as a team are part of what makes a team draw closer together and builds better friendships.

A good coach recognizes the value of allowing a team natural circumstances to build relationships whether than forcing an “equal” viewpoint on children to tiptoe around their given feelings.

Related: The Complete Coaches Guide to Building Team Culture In Sport

Hockey young players | Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

Address the Topic Before the Season Starts

As mentioned earlier, many parents and coaches have had conflict over this viewpoint for years.

Every parent wants to believe that their child deserves to be the star player on every team. On the other hand, every coach has the right to make decisions that will allow his/her team to be the most successful it can be.

So, how can the coach avoid the negative ramifications of not giving children equal playing time on the field?

The answer to this question is simple.

A coach should be upfront and honest about his/her intentions before the playing season ever begins.

If you do not intend to give children equal playing time, then lay that information out in a parent meeting at the beginning of the season. This is an excellent method to avoid conflict later in the season.

Giving parents clear expectations and understandings is a great way to avoid conflict during future practices and games. Further, allowing parents to know what it is that you expect of their kids in order to earn playing time is also a good idea. What do the players need to be able to do to earn time on the field?

Related: Obnoxious Youth Sports Parents: Your Role As Coach

As a coach, it is probably a good idea to create a manual for your players to review upon being chosen for the team.

The manual is a great place to address your expectations for work ethic, skills and effort. Further, this is a place where you can specifically lay out your theories about how playing time is given or awarded.

You might want to consider having parents and students sign a contract saying they have reviewed and agreed to your playing manual to further discourage parent involvement regarding playing time for their child.

Mother watching sports |  Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

In Summary: Should There Be Equal Playing Time in Youth Sports?

All children should be given a fair amount of playing time in their chosen sport. However, the definition of “fair” playing time changes as students grow and mature throughout their young sports careers.

Kids should definitely be given time to play equally at the beginning of their sports careers. Early sports teams are designed to teach children skills; the purpose of the game is a learning focus not a winning focus. However, at some point, this focus has to change so that the game can be played in the way that it was intended.

In middle and high school-aged students, they should be expected to earn their playing time through hard work and significant effort. The very definition of a sport is that it is inherently competitive. Competition is natural, and children should be invited to enjoy and indulge in that competition.

Cheers,

Daniel

Daniel

I’m sports mad! I’ve been coaching youth sports for over 15 years, with basketball being my primary passion. You can typically find me in the gym, outside on the court or in front of the TV being absorbed by a competitive sporting event. Sharing my knowledge and thoughts with other youth coaches out there gives me the greatest buzz!

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