🏆 Playing Time is Earned

It is critical for coaches to create a culture where playing time is earned.

Author

Greg Berge
November 23, 2023

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Here's what's coming:

  • 10 Ways to Earn Playing Time 🏆

  • Billie Jean King on Winning 🥇

  • Michael Jordan Video Gold on X 🆇

  • Read Time ~ 5 minutes.

Let's dive in.

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💭 ONE THOUGHT
10 Ways to Earn Playing Time

Playing time.

Everyone wants it, but it has to be earned. How do coaches create the proper mindset and mentality in their team regarding playing time?

I believe it is all about culture and communication. Here are simple 3 steps that coaches can follow.

STEP 1: Create Your Culture.

It is critical for coaches to create a culture where playing time is earned.

When playing time is not earned, you create a culture of entitlement. Entitlement is devasting for team cultures and very hard to overcome.

How do you create a culture of “Earned” playing time?

There are many ways. For our basketball program, we consistently emphasize the theme, NO DEPOSIT - NO RETURN. This mantra is shared every year throughout our entire program.

Our 300-Hour Club Off-Season Program (free) is also based on this same theme.

It has become part of our culture. After all, you are what you repeatedly emphasize.

This is why I have written my two books, Culture WINS and Culture WINS 2. They both provide 50 unique ways coaches can help solidify the culture you want in your program.

So step 1 is to make sure that an “everything is earned” mentality is a pillar of your program.

STEP 2: Clearly define roles for your players.

One thing I know for sure is that coaches cannot sugarcoat player roles regarding playing time.

Coaches must be 100% honest, clear, and upfront with their players.

If not, you risk creating animosity, negative energy, and disgruntled players.

Another culture killer.

I use my Pre-Season Self-Perception Form (free) to help me see where my players see their roles each season. It is a critical tool to have some very important conversations early in the season.

Here are a few critical reflective questions that coaches can ask themselves regarding playing time:

  • How do you discuss playing time with your athletes?

  • Do you clearly define player roles on the team?

  • How do you communicate these roles to players?

  • Do you share them with the team?

  • How can players earn more playing time?

All of these questions are critical for coaches to ask.

Side note → I understand that, more often than not, playing time issues tend to come from parents. Here is a very popular thread I wrote on how to address this with parents:

STEP 3: Share ways that athletes “CAN” earn playing time. I have created a list of 10 great ways that athletes can earn playing time. Share these with your team. Talk about them. Encourage and emphasize them.

Remember, you are what you emphasize.

10 Ways Athletes Can Earn Playing Time:

1. Be the hardest worker in the room. There are no secrets to success. Want to stand out? Be the hardest worker on the team. Stand out. Prove how badly you want it.

2. Encourage your teammates. Positive energy is contagious. Do you support and encourage your teammates? Do you show MUDITA? Those who encourage others make the team better. Coaches love playing guys who bring positive energy to everything.

3. Be a relentless competitor. What is the #1 skill most good coaches look for in a player? The ability to compete. How do you earn playing time? Hate to lose more than anyone else on the team. Prove it every day in practice.

4. Make the hustle plays. Hustle plays WIN games. Coaches want these types of players on the court. They make things happen. What are hustle plays? In basketball, Dive for a loose ball, Draw a charge, Get an offensive rebound. Hustling is a choice.

5. Have a great attitude. Your attitude determines your altitude. Attitudes are contagious. Coaches look for positive energy givers on their teams. Want to stick out and earn playing time? A good attitude is a great place to start.

6. Be a great teammate. Great teams have Great teammates. Coaches what the team that best gels together. The pieces have to fit. The team needs to be connected. Be a great teammate and work to be a connector for your teammates.

7. Do the little things. Details WIN. Do you do the little things? How can you stick out by doing the little things in your sport?

8. Know your role. Be Great at what you are Good at. This is the essence of role definition on teams. Don’t try to do too much. Don't try to be someone you are not. The players who can provide a role the team needs have a great chance to play.

9. Be coachable. Listen with your eyes. Accept coaching. Apply the feedback given to you by the coach. Coaches play players they can trust. Trust is earned when players are coachable.

10. Be a leader. Leadership is a choice. Teams need leaders on the court and off the court. If you can lead by example and become a vocal leader for your team, you will separate yourself. Player-led teams win. Be that player and earn your playing time.

Summary:

Playing time can be a hard topic for coaches to discuss. Follow these three steps to create a culture where playing time is earned:

  • Step 1: Create an Everything is Earned Culture on your Team

  • Step 2: Be Honest and Clear with Roles

  • Step 3: Share the 10 Ways Athletes Can Earn Playing Time.

Always remember to be honest, transparent, and up-front when discussing playing time with your athletes.

Use these 10 Ways to Earn Playing Time with your athletes to discuss the all-important concept with your team.

Create a culture where “Everything is Earned” on your team.

Good Luck!

📜 TWO QUOTES

“There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder what happens.”

– Tommy Lasorda

“A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.”

– Billie Jean King

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