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Entitlement has Become Part of Equal Playing Time

October 12, 2014November 2, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

In its most pure form, the concept of equal playing time (EPT) has merit as a means of helping young athletes improve their skills. Unfortunately, there are unintended consequences associated with EPT.

Parents and players have forced their own EPT agendas on some school, club, and recreation programs. As a result entitlement has become part of the EPT mindset in these settings. For example,

Some players feel it is not necessary to show up for practice. When they grace the team with their presence they don’t feel it is essential to focus and work hard. EPT is guaranteed during competition.
Some players don’t feel the need to practice the way the coach wants, nor do they choose to execute the coach’s strategy in competition. They know they are assured as much time on the court as the players who are more talented or dedicated.
It is not important for players to abide by team rules because EPT policies mean their court time is guaranteed.

Equal Playing Time - Entitlement — For some parents, entitlement is part of the definition of equal playing time

Entitlement has become part of EPT.

In some cases the definition of EPT has been extended to include equal everything (EE).

The following examples illustrate how the entitlement mentality has adversely affected EPT.

Some parents think players are entitled to play where they want to play a portion of the time. The problem is that not all players have developed the skills to play in such positions as a baseball catcher, first baseman, hockey goalie, or center in football. Players should not be allowed to play positions where they may be a hazard to themselves or others on the field. EPT policies should not force coaches to put players in positions that may destroy the playing experience for all other players or risk damaging the mindset of the player being put in that position. Mental and physical safety of all players should trump EPT.
Because some coaches have been forced to adhere to EPT policies, they have created specialized roles for the weaker players so they will get “equal” time on the court. For example, in 12U volleyball, a player who can’t serve or pass may be designated as a hitter or front row player. Players who are forced into specialized roles because of EPT policies will often fall further behind the curve even if they are getting “equal” time on the court.
Some parents have carried the “EPT=EE” mindset so far as to expect that kids should have equal time on the bench sitting next to the coach or that players should be allowed to be team captain an equal number of times. In extreme cases, some parents feel it is important for the coach to make sure that team members get to be first in line an equal number of times for the for post-game high-fives and snacks.
It has become easier for parents and coaches to measure EPT with spreadsheet and apps for mobile phones. With entitlementThat should add an interesting twist
In an effort to adhere to EPT policies coaches may allocate playing time based on the number of minutes in game. Some parents feel that EPT should be based on the amount of quality time played, the number of points played, or the number of minutes played as a starter.

Because entitlement has become part of EPT implementation, EPT policies will often send the wrong message to young athletes. Weaker players who have shared equal time on the court with superior athletes may wrongly think they are as good as their peers. They may also feel they will always be entitled to EPT. In these cases, they failed to learn the valuable lesson that all players must work hard, have discipline, and God-given talent to improve their skills.

Do these shortcomings with EPT suggest it should be eliminated as a guiding philosophy for younger level sports programs?

NO!

There can be problems with EPT policies, especially those in programs hijacked by the personal agendas of parents; however, EPT is a reasonable philosophy for sports programs for young athletes, especially those under the age of 14.

Athletic and club directors need to review their EPT policies and understand the extent that entitlement has crept into the implementation of their EPT policies. This will allow them to understand whether their EPT policies are having their desired impact on the players. Such a review should prevent a good idea from going bad.

Secondary School Sports Programs Have Become Less Relevant

August 13, 2014September 8, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Over the past 25 years many secondary school sports programs have become less relevant than non-profit or for-profit club programs. Many years ago, they did not have competition and were supplemented by seasonal activities provided by city recreation departments, country clubs, YMCAs, schools, and other local entities.

As the population increased and participation in sports became more popular, club sports entered the scene. They became a viable competitor because they satisfied unmet demands and they marketed their programs effectively. In addition, school programs changed in ways that made them less appealing. These changes were a result of funding issues, societal demands, and the quality of coaches.

Funding – Many school districts have reduced funding for sports programs or they have not been able to increase funding at levels necessary to maintain quality programs. The impact of insufficient funding has been exacerbated by increased expenses in most categories. Some of the areas where funding issues have become a problem include:

Increased athletic fees paid by students.
Decreased program offerings or inability to expand to include popular sports.
Reduced funding or inadequate increases for facility maintenance.
Reduced funding or inadequate increases for equipment.
Reduced budgets or inadequate increases to cover travel expenses.
Reduced salaries or inadequate increases to cover salaries for coaches.
Inadequate funding to maintain previous levels of competition, i.e. it may be necessary to have shorter seasons or fewer competitions.

Any of these factors may decrease the appeal, accessibility, safety, or the perceived value of secondary sports programs.

Societal Issues – The appeal of secondary school programs has been impacted by the following:

Many school programs have developed no-cut policies. In most cases, these policies increase the number of participants, but do not include an increase in facilities or the number of coaches.
As well, equal playing time has become a standard policy for schools. While there is merit to equal playing time, some parents and athletes prefer club programs where playing time is based on ability not attendance.
Parents enroll their children in club programs to increase their chances of being successful in school programs. This is important for parents who want their children to succeed or for those who live vicariously through their children. In many sports, it has become necessary to play club sports to be a star on their school teams.
Other parents view sports as a means for helping fund their children’s college education. In some sports, success on a secondary school team is not as valuable as success in club programs. To that point, the perception has developed that participation in club sports is a requirement if a player wants to play on their high school or college teams.

These factors may increase the appeal of club sports as parents help their children gain a competitive advantage over other athletes.

Coaching – The following factors relate to the quality of coaching in school programs:

Most school coaches have good intentions, but many are not qualified to coach. Many lack meaningful certification, personal skills, or knowledge of the sport they are coaching. In many cases, they are the only person in the school willing to take on the responsibility of being a coach. In other cases, they choose to coach to ensure their son/daughter gets “adequate” coaching and/or playing time.
Coaching is a thankless job, particularly given increased expectations of coaches in school programs. A local coach anonymously said, “High school parents are golden if their kids have a coach who knows something about the sport, is organized, and is a teacher in the school who can keep track of the kids during the day.”
Some school programs are more worried about the paperwork associated with hiring part-time coaches than they are the needs of the athletes. Quality coaches often don’t want to deal with secondary school bureaucracies.
In some instances, parents don’t feel it is possible to have a say in how their children are coached in school programs. For them it may be important to feel they can influence the children’s coach. They may feel this is easier to accomplish in a club program.
Unfortunately, many school programs have had the misfortune of having had a coach who has violated the trust of the students. Such situations always draw attention in the media and give all secondary school coaches a bad reputation.
In some sports, the club season is four to six months long while many school programs last six to 12 weeks. As well school programs may have limitations on the amount of contact time a coach may have with the athletes.
In many cases, coaches in club programs have a strong network for helping their athletes secure college athletic scholarships.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the county it has become more difficult to find quality coaches for high school programs.

Which is better – school or club ? This discussion is not an indictment of school sports programs, rather it illustrates how school sports have changed over time. Club programs face similar issues regarding program costs, the quality of coaching, and dealing with the needs of the athletes.

Most importantly, both provide different types of opportunities for adolescent athletes. In a perfect world, the focus of both types of programs should be on providing young athletes with a pathway for growth as athletes and individuals.

High School vs Club Sports, the Battles Rages On

June 28, 2014September 1, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

The high school vs club sports battle rages on, with the most recent flare-up touching the baseball diamonds of Colorado.

The following comments are excerpted from an article by Paul Willis in the June 28th Boulder Daily Camera. The article “Baseball: Area high school programs fighting club-team takeover – Increasing club presence could de-emphasize varsity season, coaches fear”.

The excerpt follows:

“The more Scott Weiss considers the club baseball scene, the more his blood boils.

The Monarch coach isn’t alone. Several other prominent coaches in the area share his concerns, with some believing the club scene soon could invade the varsity season, much like it already has in soccer and hockey.

The value assigned to Colorado high school baseball is in peril, many coaches recognize, and in need of some reconstruction to combat the encroaching club presence.

It’s a slippery slope. Clearly, not all club baseball teams are disreputable. But in the shady underbelly of the circuit, deplorable tactics are abundant. False promises of prime exposure, low-brow recruiting measures and several additional dangled carrots designed to lure an athlete away from his team’s summer program.

“We’ve been talking about it the past few years that these club teams, they’re getting into these kids’ heads, and they’re buying into it,” Longmont coach Tom Fobes said. “Some of them are good, but the majority, I don’t see the benefit.”

Monarch is fielding only a Legion B squad this summer, because most of the Coyotes’ marquee athletes have fled to the purported greener pastures of the club scene.

“I’m all for our kids getting varied coaching, different points of view and becoming better baseball players,” Weiss said. “But what happens with some of these club teams is, they go about their business in a way that they’re trying to discredit the high school coaches.

“They tell kids that they need to play with them in order to get better or get a college scholarship. It’s a big sales pitch that’s put on, and it creates a lot of tension between the high schools and the club teams — and the parents and the kids.”

Make no mistake, high school programs are fighting back, with Fairview coach Rick Harig spearheading an effort to overhaul the current high school landscape, which clearly is a decade or two behind states such as Texas and Florida.”

The coaches quoted in the article appear to be knowledgeable, highly regarded, and passionate about their sports. Hats off to them for having a positive impact on the youth of Colorado.

These coaches correctly spotted the trend that high school sports are not as relevant as they were 25 years ago and that club sports have become more relevant. Right or wrong, times have changed. It is GAME OVER for the good old days.

These changes have occurred for a variety of reasons such as funding cuts for education, a poor economy, weak school programs, policies that are unfavorable to athletic programs, and overzealous parents and club directors.

Along the way there are plenty of horror stories, as suggested by the article. Both club and high programs are guilty.

For example, some private coaches for individual sports don’t want “their” athletes “wasting their time” high school programs. In some cases, high school coaches have banned their athletes from cross training or playing club sports during “their” season. Unfortunately, the list goes on and on.

These disagreements are unnecessary, as most high school and clubs claim to be looking out for “their” athletes. The bottom line is that some of the coaches and programs have chosen to make themselves the focal point, rather than focusing on the athletes.

That is the real problem!