Life isn’t fair. Sometimes, the better player doesn’t get playing time. Sometimes, the coaches can’t see talent. Sometimes, you can’t see your own mistakes. There’s a plethora of reasons why you may not be seeing more playing time, but the fact is that you’re not getting the playing time you think you deserve.
If you have any morsel of a competitive spirit, you’ll find this to be infuriating. You put in more work than anyone else, you’re better than the next guy, you get taken out for no reason, and you’re not getting feedback on what you can do differently. This is a tough spot, and it could mean a couple of things:
- It could mean that you have a blind spot and can’t give yourself an accurate assessment. This can certainly happen, as it certainly happened to me.
- OR your coaches aren’t doing their jobs because any good coach would LOVE if their players asked for feedback and had the will and the work ethic to implement their coaching.
Whether you’re in the first or the second category, it doesn’t matter. The matter lies with the fact that you’re not getting playing time. If it’s the coach’s fault, truly, then complaining about how bad the coaches are won’t do you any good. In fact, it’ll lead you deeper down on the depth chart.
Instead, taking extreme ownership of the situation, which means that no matter what, you’re taking the blame for everything that happens and fixing every problem that could be occurring in your preparation.
When you take it upon yourself to fix the problems, what else is there for you to do? You’ve fixed the problems. Why wouldn’t the coaches put you in?
Even if you think there aren’t any problems, obviously the coaches believe there are, which is why you’re not in the game. They want to win above all else, so your job is to prove to them, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’re the right man for the job.
The tricky part is that every coach coaches with a different set of eyes and training. They value different things for different positions. Are they looking for a leader, somebody who will do whatever they are told, who is tough beyond measure, or who is coachable? There are so many different things that coaches look for outside of physical “talent,” and your job is to fine-tune your preparation to provide the complete package.
What’s the complete package? Leader, soldier, tough, coachable, great communicator, humble, hungry to learn, work ethic, etc.
In this article, I’ll go through three easy tips to help you earn more playing time by taking ownership of your preparation and performance:
1. Assess the Problem(s)
To assess your performance, you need an unbiased eye dedicated to serving your best interests, not the interests of the team. This is where BEC comes in. We provide the true coaching you deserve, giving you active feedback to address your problems and move on.
But not only do you need to assess your performance, but you also need to assess your:
- Preparation – What part of your routine can be improved? Can you sleep more? Eat more whole foods? Spend less time watching TV?
- Mentality – Your mentality is how you respond to negative things that happen to you. This could be your position on the depth chart, missing a play, etc. Coaches will not play you if your mentality shows negativity, complaining, and corrosiveness.
- Leadership – Are you encouraging other teammates and improving the people around you? Or do you want the glory of playing but are unwilling to do the work?
- Coachability – Do you listen to what coaches say or tune out? Do you apply coaching, or do you continue using improper techniques? Coaches cannot do the work for you. You must do your part in applying their instruction.
- Team Player – Are you doing what’s best for the team or are you in it for yourself?
Having an ultra-critical eye and fixing every tiny detail can make a huge difference in your coach’s perception of you. Watch film, get extra coaching, and ask your teammates. There’s no excuse to know exactly what you’re doing wrong.
2. Fix the Problem(s)
Assessment of your issues supplies you with the unbiased information you need to fix the problems. It’s now time to resolve the issues. If there are several different issues, which there always are, it can be overwhelming to fix every single one, so start with just one.
Which one do you think is the most important?
While it may seem that having the right mentality could lay the foundation for everything else, improving your preparation is the most important. Improving your preparation actively shows others that you will not succumb to the frustration of not playing and that you will do what it takes to help the team win.
Coaches want guys who help the team win, and if you prepare adequately, you will help the team win because you know your role and can help others perform their roles better.
Further, fixing mentality is often an ethereal subject to attack. Instead, doing the work of cultivating peace and confidence within, with proper preparation, lays the foundation for the right mentality to occur.
When you know without any doubt that you’ve prepared as much as you possibly can, your mind has no option but to be confident. Preparation cultivates confidence. Therefore, whenever the opportunity arises for you to step into the game, you’re ready to make the play.
By starting with just one, you learn the framework to handle the next problem. This is a constant refining process that nobody is immune to at any stage of their life. Learning this process now, will set you nicely for a life full of growth, progress, and overwhelming success, on and especially off the field.
3. Lead
Finally, you must be a leader. It’s easy to think that you can only lead when you’re in the front of the pack, but a true leader leads regardless of their anointed position. They are leaders because they lead, and lead actively, plain and simple. If you’re not playing, the most important thing you can do is encourage and support your teammates, helping them improve.
Everyone on the team plays a role. From the head coach to the star player to the water boy, everyone plays a role. If you’re not on the field and want to be, then complaining and being a negative influence on your teammates is the worst way to show coaches that you’re able to do your role when the situation is unideal. It shows that you are selfish.
Instead, knowing your role of being a support player at this point, and encouraging your teammates, shows coaches that above your self-interests, you’re a team player willing to do whatever you’re called to do.
THIS is what a leader does. THIS is a player that coaches want to put into the game.
It’s not fun riding the bench, but you can only control what you can control. Control the controllable by assessing your performance, preparation, mentality, leadership, coachability, and team player spirit. When you actively address those core problems, taking it one tiny step at a time and instilling a spirit of being a team player, coaches will open up and see how you can provide much more than mere talent.
A talented team can only do so much. A team full of guys who are willing to put it all on the line for their teammates, those are the teams that win. Those are the players that see playing time. It’s not your coach’s fault that you’re not playing; it’s YOURS.
What are you going to do about it?
BE
