Great question about deciding whether to be a top player on a lesser team or a role player on a better team.
Question For the Coaches: Tier 1 or Tier 2?
What are your suggestions on a Peewee boy trying to decide which team to play for.
The tier 1 team has been together for a couple of years now and has a set 9 player squad, with three bench players. The three bench players are going to move down to the tier 2 team.
2 of the boys on the tier 2 team are thinking of moving up. The problem is cracking the nine-player squad as a full-time player will be difficult due to mostly political issue. The two boys wanting to move up skill wise would be in the 5/6 level compared to the current nine squad on the tier 1 team. I would really hate to see them move up and ride the bench when they could be getting more playing time on the tier 2.
What are some things to be telling them or doing to help them decide on what to do?
Thanks,
Adam
The Answer Comes Down to Experience Versus Competition
Hi Adam –
Thanks for reaching out with this question. It’s a really good one and one we come across often.
There are two schools of thought on this. Sometimes the higher level team plays in more competitive tournaments or league, and therefore, parents feel the player is getting a better experience by seeing a higher level of competition or playing more games.
The other school of thought and the one I’m more likely to subscribe to is that players need to play. Train, play, adjust and repeat.
I would be hesitant to put my son on a team that didn’t have a clear policy on playing time. Teams need to address how playing time is determined and how they will develop the players who get less playing time.
Let me know if you have any questions or want me to address any other aspects of this. Thanks for your question. I hope this helps.
Dan
admin
Download this cheat sheet to optimize underperforming posts on your website.