Garbage time. It’s a
term I’d never heard before my kids were involved in sports on a competitive
level. Garbage time is the playing time
at the very end of a losing game; the thirty seconds before the half, the last
quarter of a football game if your team is winning by three touchdowns.
Garbage time. The
time that really doesn’t make any difference at all in the game. The time reserved for kids who aren’t as
athletic, talented or maybe they are just younger and need better skills. The time reserved the players that stand on
the sidelines waiting their turn to get in the game, with their uniform still
clean from last night’s wash.
The time that truthfully, isn’t garbage at all. It’s the game time that many parents wait for; the
time that builds confidence and makes many kids feel like they’re part of a
team. It’s the time that some kids never
have to wait for, while other kids pray their team scores just one more time so
they can be assured a few minutes on that field.
I’ve been on all sides of the “garbage time” fence. My kids have played it and my coaching
husband has managed it. My kids have
also played entire games and entire seasons and only come off the field for the
other kids to get their “garbage time.”
It’s such a horrible term.
I loathe it. I have sat so many
times in the cold huddled under a blanket, waiting to see my son run onto the
field. In the heat, sweltering, waiting
for an at bat. I’ve driven over an hour
to games just to watch that three minutes of “garbage time,” and it’s made my
entire week.
That time is essential to so many athletes. Kids who have yearned to be a part of a team
and kids who have practiced just as hard (sometimes harder) than the athletes
who have more natural ability. When kids
decide to go out for a team, they are putting themselves out there. They are chancing ridicule and embarrassment,
but they are also hoping to gain teammates and the bragging rights to say they
are part of that team. I sincerely feel
that every kid who goes out for a team, on any level, deserves a place. Whether it be a scorekeeper, waterboy,
equipment manager or the kid who gets that precious “garbage time.”
In the days of youth sports, I can only pray that there are more coaches
that will share that mentality. We need
more coaches that give a shout out at practice to the kids that continue to show up without
basking in the glory of winning touchdowns and grand slam homeruns. Coaches need to remember to stress the value of every
player, because a team couldn’t scrimmage against themselves if every player
didn’t show up to practice.
Every player has a value.
Every. Single. One.
I must admit that I'm thankful over the years I have been on both ends of this spectrum, because I have gained so much perspective seeing the field from both sets of eyes. I've watched with eyes so competitive and hungry for the team's success, and I've watched with eyes on my son, waiting patiently for his turn to take the field.
I must admit that I'm thankful over the years I have been on both ends of this spectrum, because I have gained so much perspective seeing the field from both sets of eyes. I've watched with eyes so competitive and hungry for the team's success, and I've watched with eyes on my son, waiting patiently for his turn to take the field.
I’m not saying teams shouldn’t aim for a winning
record. I’m not saying every kid
deserves equal time. I’m urging parents
and coaches and players to view that “garbage time” differently. It’s the stuff that kids need to learn to be
proud of. They earned it, and even if
they are just trying a new sport or the most unathletic on the team, their parents are up there smiling in
the stands. Those three minutes at the
end of the game can make a child’s day, and considering 99.9% of kids in Little
League, Midget Football, Tee Ball, Elementary Soccer, Junior High Basketball
and even many high school teams will never go pro, let’s keep things in
perspective.
Success isn't just a winning record. It's how you send those players into the world.
Give the players their time. If you’re winning by a decent margin rotate them in. Most of all, teach the more skilled players to cheer them on and encourage them. Good teammates are the ones that recognize every player on the team. They see them every day sweating through practice even though they barely see the field, and they pat them on the shoulders even when they make a mistake.
Give the players their time. If you’re winning by a decent margin rotate them in. Most of all, teach the more skilled players to cheer them on and encourage them. Good teammates are the ones that recognize every player on the team. They see them every day sweating through practice even though they barely see the field, and they pat them on the shoulders even when they make a mistake.
That’s what being a team is all about. Along with building records and legacies, let’s
build something that kids can really take with them.
Character.
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