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Click here for ideas on coaching youth basketball. Also check out our ideas for coaching 9U Baseball!
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Coaching Youth Basketball Resources
Coaching youth baseball is a huge challenge. We would like to thank all the youth sports coaches who donate their time to help children learn to be part of team.
For a recreation league, there usually are some guidelines for playing time. At a young age it is best to give equal playing time to all players whenever possible. Ideally a team will have no more than 13 players, however if you have 15 players how do you manage playing time?
Below are 3 different substitution patterns to use with a 15-player team with 6 innings.
With 15 players in a basketball rotation, the rotation system becomes a little more complicated. When coaching youth sports, whenever possible develop a system that is fair and easy for you to remember. With 15 players, 9-10 players will be on the field (some developmental leagues have 4 outfielders) and 5-6 players will be sitting out.
3 options (based on 10 players):
- Assign numbers 1 – 15 rotation
- Free Substitutions
1. Assign numbers 1 – 15 rotation: With this rotation, it is simple. Each player is assigned a number. The 1st 10 numbers play the 1st inning and with each inning, the next 5 players take the court. A coach needs to assign the players a position.
* This system can be used for any number of players on a team.
1st inning 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (sitting out: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
2nd inning 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (sitting out: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
3rd inning 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (sitting out: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
4th inning 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (sitting out: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
5th inning 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (sitting out: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
6th inning 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (sitting out: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Pros: Simple, no thinking. Playing time is equal. (If you want you could start the next game exactly where you left off or you could start over.)
Cons: Assigning players numbers should take a little time if done correctly to make sure the teams are balanced.
Assign positions: With the number system, you still will need to assign positions to the players. This can be challenging because depending on your team’s attendance, you might not know until right before the game who will be there. (As the team is in the field, you might have time to plan out the next inning or assign an assistant coach to complete this task.
3. Free Substitution: This can be tricky for coaches. With this method, coaches substitute as the game goes on.
Pros: Might help with wins by substituting based on the situation and talent.
Cons: Very difficult to keep track of playing time to make sure all the players receive appropriate playing time. Challenging for an inexperienced coac