I had a talk with my assistant coach ( womens basketball) and asked how could I earn playing time. I was told I practice well and I’m not doing anything wrong. What else could I possibly do to get playing time? This confuses me because I don’t get in at all.
When is a good time to ask for a release? I am currently a sophomore playing at a NAIA division 1.
If the coach was honest in their assessment, then it simply sounds like there are more talented players. Someone has to be at the bottom of the pecking order, but it doesn’t mean you’re not a talented player. Remember that when you get to college, every player on the roster was usually one of the best on their HS team.
I understand what you are saying, but there has been plenty of times where I have competed with and have done better than the players he plays. The head coach said himself that he has favorites.
My D is in her first year playing D3. None of the freshman are getting more than a few minutes playing time, if that. I would ask your current coach/asst coach for more specifics. Am I not fast enough?, my ball handling not good enough, etc. Get specifics and work on that on your own in between practices.
@mamom Good idea. I will ask that.
The assistant coach said, “It’s not that he doesn’t wanna play you. We just haven’t been doing good with the rotations.”
I assume you are at a school you would love to attend regardless of basketball. And I assume you are on a team you wanted to play for, with a coach you like. Do not give up so easy. Talk to the upperclassmen and find out what it is like. Keep working and stick with it. Transferring to a new team will not get you more playing time unless you are a superstar. It is frustrating, but stick with it!
If these answers aren’t giving you enough to chew on you could go back and look at previous seasons’ stats and box scores to get a feel for how this coach has distributed playing time in the past. Some coaches only play a core of starters, some play a hot hand for a couple weeks at a stretch, some honestly involve the bench more, and on and on. You can go back to the past couple years and see how many of what class played, how the lineups changed after wins and losses, etc. It can let you know if the asst is just feeding you a line or if there’s a chance your turn will come before junior year.
But let me warn you now: getting obsessive about usage patterns is corrosive and won’t make it easier to be patient. If you start thinking about this as a transactional relationship (ie “I worked harder so now I should get minutes”) then you’re setting yourself up for frustration. Also, if you’re into this level of detail then it’s really something you should have done when selecting a school. Coaches rarely change their stripes when it comes to this sort of habit, so you should have known if freshmen play, or new kids always jump to the front of the line or whatever.
The better way to approach these things is to honestly try to see things through the coach’s eyes. Why is this player or that player getting a chance? Why is she a favorite and not me? You may be better than another in some areas but be behind in others (ie better 1-1 but worse on three point shooting or working with the all-conference forward or whatever your position calls for.) The idea to get specific things to work on is great because you’ll have some task to focus on plus it will illuminate what they’re not seeing from you today. You can work to advance and have some peace of mind knowing more about why things are happening.
And if they can’t/won’t give you specific things to work on and can’t/won’t honestly say “Sally’s just better than you” then maybe think about leaving. Coaches have to be able to know what their players have to do to improve and be able to communicate. But give them chances to help you before pulling that trigger. If it’s you not them then this could repeat at your next school and you could miss your entire career before you figure it out.
It’s hard for anyone on here to give you answers since we don’t see what goes on each day. As someone else said, the level of competition is greater in college. What position do you play and are the girls ahead of you all upperclassmen? What was the history of underclassmen getting playing time? Meaning if you have a Sr or Jr ahead of you at that position did they get much time their Fr and So. years?
Coaches can fall into a pattern and if something is working then I know some that don’t like to disrupt the flow. It could be something simple like that and nothing really that you are doing or could do.
I wouldn’t look at it as what are you doing wrong but rather what do you need to work on or improve to earn more playing time? Are you stuck in a certain position or could you double up and play another spot in other words are you versatile or stuck in one position?
Are you consistently playing at a high level in practice, not taking plays off when on the court? Basketball, unlike football, is a two-way game. You must play at a high level of intensity at both ends of the court. Coaches always find court time for the player that plays their heart out on defense, like scrambling for a loose ball on floor.
Curious, do you play man-to-man or zone defense? If you play man-to-man, then can you defend more than just your position?
Also, do you spend extra time before and/or after practice working on your skills and conditioning? IMO, the coach has to reward someone working hard on and off the court.
Agree with @StPaulDad. My D was told upfront she will not get a lot of playing time as a freshman. Going over the stats from previous years, no freshman got a lot of playing time. Made me feel better knowing that is the coaches style rather than my D not being up to snuff.
@dcolosi My main position is a 1/2 but they have played me as a 4/5 in addition to the guard position my freshman year. I do get in the gym and plan on continuing to do so.
@sushiritto We plan a match up zone a majority of the time with a little man to man here and there. I personally feel like I practice hard in practice (but I always feel like you can do more), but there are times the practices are 20-30 min where we just go a shooting game and leave. I do get in the gym before practices or after.
@StPaulDad I agree with what you’re saying. I’ve talked to the assistant coach and I’ve asked how could I earn playing time and the response was “You’re doing nothing wrong. You’re practicing well?” What do I do with that information?
Sometimes the players who are getting more playing time are just better. The coach may be honestly telling you that you are practicing hard, are learning the plays, but are your stats the best for your position? Do you hit all your free throws? Are you the fastest in workouts?
Most players who are playing in college were stars on their high school teams. Everyone wants playing time and there is only so much time to be divided. Does your coach use a lot of bench players in games? Some do, some don’t. Before you transfer, make sure you like the way the new coach manages a game or you may find you aren’t getting any more playing time than you are at the current school.
Look at your current team and see if there is a way you can become a starter. Are you backing up a starter who is graduating so you can move up? Is recruiting strong and might a new player knock you down a spot? Are you happy other than your playing time?
So this is life. For whatever reason (talent or favorites), you are not playing. All you can do is work hard in practice and keep a good attitude. No matter if it’s a high school varsity team, D3, D2, or D1, some will sit the bench.
One thing nobody has mentioned…how is your chemistry with the other players?
Put in more work. Practice on your weaknesses.