116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Help your athletes understand the bench
The bench doesn’t have to be seen as a demotion or punishment
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
“Star where you are.”
That’s what a father said to his two sons who loved sports. The fact the boys were mostly undersized, they saw little playing time.
They were part of the bench. They were role players.
That situation can be uncomfortable for coaches, players and parents alike. Coaches don’t like to tell kids they won’t start a game, they don’t like to send players to the bench if they make crucial mistakes. Players are disappointed, may pout and hang their heads. Parents may complain.
The bench doesn’t have to be seen as a demotion or punishment – if the coach explains the purpose of the move and the players understand the role they can play from afar. The process is called “bench speak” in a blog recently posted in tocculture.com.
The coach believes the delegation to the bench is obvious. The player is oblivious.
“The (coach) kept getting mad. The (player) kept getting sad. The bench wasn’t doing its job.”
Bob Knight once said, “The greatest motivator in the world is your (fanny) on the bench.” It can be a great motivator, but if it isn’t explained well enough, if it doesn’t explain what needs to improve, which is the coach’s job, the communication is lost.
“We assume players can speak bench. We expect them to know what we’re thinking … However, think of bench as a foreign language … We are good at making our displeasure obvious, but without a proper explanation, players are too often left to their own devices to interpret why their fanny is suddenly on the bench,” the noted.
The blog provided a template to help coaches interpret bench for players.
- Here is where we are. What is the problem we are trying to solve? Are we getting killed on the glass, for example?
- Here is what we need (and the values we will work to protect)
- Here is what has been decided and why. Once a decision has been made – clear communication is vitally important. It is best to explain the plan moving forward with the people involved. This is not a time to be vague, to “hope they figure it out”…I asked a few current players how they would want me to address a demotion if they were to lose playing time or a starting position. “Just tell it to me straight.” The majority of players want the truth even when it hurts because they want to have agency over their improvement.
- Here’s where you can find me. Creating a system of periodic check-ins, following up with players after the fact, and making yourself available for questions demonstrates a high level of care for each individual and help you continue to frame the situation. One conversation is rarely enough for a player to fully understand bench.
The father of the two sons previously mentioned told his kids, “Be the most valuable player you can be. Practice hard, be coachable, have a great attitude, be engaged from the bench, and be the teammate you want to play with. Focus on the “we” not the “me.”
“You may not be the best ON the team, but you can be the best FOR the team … focus on how much you are learning, growing, and developing … and how much you are contributing to the culture. Everything you do now makes a deposit into your future … So make daily deposits. Be ready, as there may not be time to get ready.”
Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and college sports information director. She is a partner with Justis Creative Communications and the founder of Iowa Youth Sports Initiative. Contact her at najustis120150@gmail.com
Daily Newsletters