At every level of sports, each team handles the issue of when to re-insert a former starter, coming off of an injury, differently. Like most issues in sports, communicating with all parties involved is a key factor for a smooth transition, and this includes the parents.

One week into the spring season, a high school flag football team’s starting quarterback — let’s call him Joe — from the last year had his cast removed late in the preseason and was cleared to play. However, Joe had not practiced during much of the preseason and his would-be backup, Steve, had proven during scrimmages that he was very capable of playing the position.

The coach basically had two obvious choices. He could put Joe immediately back in the starting lineup as soon as he was cleared and ready to play, or tell him that Steve was now the starter and he would serve as the backup.

Instead, the coach decided to approach the situation in a way that was very fair to both players. He told Joe that since he had not practiced much, he wasn’t going to play in the first game. Instead, he would use practice to get in playing shape and in the second and third games, split time with Steve, with each playing a half. At that point a decision as to who would be the starting quarterback going forward would be made based on practice and game performances.

This approach allowed Steve an opportunity to keep the job and also enabled Joe the opportunity to earn it back, since it was originally lost due to injury, not performance. It was a process similar to what might have happened had both been healthy at the beginning of the preseason, with each given an equal opportunity to earn the starting job.

Like many situations in high school sports, communication was the key. As soon as the players were told, the team had a meeting about how the transition would unfold. Following the meeting, both sets of parents were informed. (Note that they were informed, not asked their opinion.)

While the final outcome has yet to be decided, the most important thing is how the situation has been handled thus far. Each player has been given an equal opportunity to win the starting job, and everyone involved has a full understanding of just how that progression will happen.

As a player or a parent, it’s hard to argue with this approach.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years, originally as a coach and board member with his now-adult son and most recently "just as a dad" with his 8- and 10-year-old sons. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Not an Expert, Just a Dad … In this Crazy Game Called Life,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.  

To learn about injury prevention, assessment and rehab, visit St. Vincent Sports Performance.