guest players and playtime

[jrcaesar]

If the issue is development ... 91.3456% of the development time (give or take .020525 percent) occurs in practice. Games simply allow the player to demonstrate their development during a competition with kids that have different colored backpacks. Sure, they are going to learn a few things, but the real development occurs in practice.

If development means learning technical skills, kids can do that anywhere.

I think the reasons you sign up a 9 year old for soccer instead of, let's say, baseball are only learned in games:
1. Experience in making quick decisions under pressure.
2. Learning how to work with teammates, some who are stronger, some who are weaker.
3. Understanding your ability to be a leader or to follow other peer leadership.
4. Adjusting your approach based on real life results.
5. Interacting with different groups of peers over the course of multiple seasons.

Those are the reasons my children play sports, and why youth sports is important to child development.

 

[sandshark]

I think the only time a guest player should be involved is when your team is missing players. I don't think a guest player should start and play over the less skilled team members..EVER. This is a team sport and they win as a team and they learn to lose as a team! The less skilled players are putting in their time and paying their dues so they are ready when they get the chance to step in and play, that is when it is time to see what they can do they all earn that option ..right? Remember this is about the children, YES even the less skilled children are as important to the team and this is about their personal development as much as anyone on the "TEAM"!

I remember a couple years ago a coach named Ernie Romero (Albion SC ) decided to actually cheat and bring down a keeper to "guest" on the B team in National Cup. This coach was smirking as he did this as if no one would catch him bringing in his "ringer" but he did get caught and the team was docked all games that the "ringer" played with that team. He of course pulled your typical BS and claimed he had no idea of the rules even after 20 plus years of being a coach! I was told by his team parents that its easier to ask forgiveness then permission LOL well that did not work out to well.

Guest players are nothing more then exactly that.. a guest! They should be treated with respect and made to feel like a member of the team but never at the expense of a real team member! Again this is about the young athletes development before anything else. What message is this teaching the children when coaches cheat or bring in the "ringers" as guest?