My son is riding the pine as a freshman

[Anonymous]

My son is on a freshman team - billed as "development." Well the same six kids play all game, every game and the same six kids ride the bench and get one minute of playing time ice cold in the fourth quarter. My kid is getting demoralized. Advice?

[Anonymous]

Welcome to high school sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to high school sports?

That is not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Lol if he is unhappy don't make him play next year. If he is happy who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol if he is unhappy don't make him play next year. If he is happy who cares?

?

[Anonymous]

He's lucky there are only 12 on the roster! Usually the big publics have 14.

[Anonymous]

Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

[Anonymous]

I think you misunderstand the situation.

The varsity coach views the 6 playing as kids they are actually trying to "develop". The rest of the team are there as essentially practice players.

If your son wants a shot at JV next year, he needs to really work on his basketball skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

Must be a really small school!

[Anonymous]

That’s really normal. Freshman get very little playing time unless they are already being recruited for college sports teams. And that only happens if they are exceptional players so of course they’d get a lot of play time.

If this is what your kid wants, it takes a lot of practice year round. Even then, only the good players get court time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

Must be a really small school!

No. We are talking about one of the more competitive schools in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

As PP have said, this is common. My kid barely played as a freshman. Grew six inches in a year, made JV, now is a starter - and a couple the kids who peaked as freshman stopped growing and get less playing time. A lot changes between freshman and sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

Must be a really small school!

No. We are talking about one of the more competitive schools in the DMV.

One of the most competitive basketball schools in the DMV has a non re-classed, non-recruited regular junior student as the best player on Varsity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

Must be a really small school!

No. We are talking about one of the more competitive schools in the DMV.

One of the most competitive basketball schools in the DMV has a non re-classed, non-recruited regular junior student as the best player on Varsity?

“Clearly” the best player on varsity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has to train and work hard in the offseason.

My sophomore son played JV basketball last year and the first 2 games the coach only put him n for about 1 minute. He realized he needed him after that, the he started the rest of the season. This year, he’s a junior and clearly the best player on varsity.

Another kid was a freshman last year playing JV and got no minutes. This kid is now on Varsity and is like a 6th man getting lots of minutes over kids that got more playing time than him last year. Some get no minutes at all.

Must be a really small school!

No. We are talking about one of the more competitive schools in the DMV.

Then you need to help him manage his expectations. He is not a good enough player to get playing time in a competitive school. He'll get put in when the team is up and his playing won't screw up a win. Otherwise, he is going to sit on the bench. In the meantime, he needs to practice whatever it is that is holding him back from being a good player.