WHAT'S AT THE END OF YOUR BENCH?

Coach DeAngelo Wiser

As a spectator, what do you see or focus on as you watch a game from the stands?

Nothing more obvious as you watch a team’s bench during a game. There are glaring positive moments or actions, such as:

Standing and cheering for their teammates.

Acknowledging teammates as they come off the field.

Going crazy when a usual sub scores a goal.

But have you zoomed into the 5 or 6 at the end of the bench?

Is their demeanor different?

Are they focused on the game?

Very often they rarely get to play. Without engagement, that’s where issues grow, and resentment is fostered. Over time you stand to lose these players, if not physically, when they decide to quit, certainly mentally as they start to infect your team with dissent/resentment for you and other players.

So, what can you do? It may be easier to think about what you can’t do.

Avoid having them work out or practice within that group. Isolating them just feeds that infection and resentment. Plus, the skills will not improve. If possible, put one of them in every group of players in your initial warmup or small sided games. It gives them a sense of what it takes to play at a higher level. Then pull them aside after practice or the next day and let them know your motive for putting them in higher skilled groups. Showing genuine concern for their development will give you credibility and put the challenge on them to improve to have the possibility to play. You may not develop or win every player, but you have given them the opportunity to develop their game, with a possibility to play. The choice and responsibility now rests with them.

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I wish you and your team the best as the fall season begins.

Visit my webpage and podcasts? @wisersportsleadership.com