Playing time is easily one of the largest points of contention amongst youth sports organizations and their parents. There are a number of things organizations and coaches can do to ensure playing time doesn't become a major issue.

Below is a list of tips and advice from Positive Coaching Alliance founder, Jim Thompson, on how to improve playing time conflict.

Coaches, especially first-time coaches, should have strategies for getting all players into games for meaningful minutes, not just "garbage time" in a blowout. Coaches should have all players feeling successful, and not like the underdog every time they get playing time. For example, consider in advance the situations in which you as a coach can rotate in non-starters. 

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Coaches of selective teams where playing time isn't guaranteed need to be clear about it. Much negativity results from parents being disappointed when their (perhaps unrealistic) expectations about their child’s playing time aren't met.

• Coaches, be absolutely clear at the beginning.
• Tell parents and players what they can expect in terms of playing time before they commit to the team.
• If you aren't going to get kids in unless you're confident they'll contribute to a win, say that at the beginning. It'll save you a lot of grief down the road.

A creative idea for getting kids into games came from an Ohio high school basketball coach who took his bottom 8–12 players and termed them the “Mad Dogs.” The Mad Dogs knew they'd play the last minute of the first quarter and the first minute of the second quarter in EVERY game, whether preseason or the state title game.

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This accomplished a number of things:

• Unlike typical bench players, the Mad Dogs worked extremely hard in practice because they wanted to be ready for their moment. This pushed the starters to play harder, which benefited the team on the scoreboard.
• They played all-out during their two minutes. They were all over the court and had no hesitation about being highly aggressive. Over time, the coach told me, they became a competitive advantage, with the team being in a better competitive position after the Mad Dogs exited the game than before they entered.
• Some of the Mad Dogs became starters. The self-confidence they developed helped them develop a sense of possibility of themselves as starters. When an individual latches onto a sense of possibility, watch out!

Parents can also find strategies for dealing with coaches who won't budge on playing time. This is a critical component for your child's success, and it's important to make sure the coaches and parents are on the same page.

You can find this full resource and many more on pcadevzone.org.