Fair draft processes can create better experiences for kids and coaches
One of the most distinct memories from my first coaching experience happened before I ever had a team! I signed my son up for T-ball and volunteered to coach. There was only one open coaching spot since all the previous season’s coaches had returned. Little did I know, that should have been the first red flag.
A Broken System
At the time, one might expect I would have been more prepared since I had more than 10 years of experience working in youth sports. But, even in a decade, I hadn’t encountered every problem. Looking back now, with 30 years of experience under my belt, I recognize the value of long-term work in the field. To teach others how best to operate their programs, there is nothing like real-world experience.
After being accepted as a coach, like in most leagues, all coaches’ first duty was to draft teams. During the first week, the head of coaching messaged me that I should be at the park on Saturday for evaluations. The players’ draft would take place Sunday night. Of course, I’d conducted drafts and assumed I knew what to expect. I thought the coaches’ primary goal was to balance the teams, not to see who could draft the best team. Boy, was I wrong!
The first thing I learned was that, if I wanted to have the best team, it was most important to find an assistant coach with one of the most talented kids. Each team automatically received its coaches’ children as players. So, the draft before the draft required making friends with the coaches of the best-performing kids from the evaluations. But, as a new coach, I didn’t realize that all the returning coaches knew each other and had long since been paired.
What happened next was truly shocking. I overheard numerous parents telling their kids not to do their best during the evaluations. This way, they’d receive a lower evaluation score and end up with a coach who understood their actual skill level. I thought this was crazy. Of course, to any youth-sports administrators, I’m sure this isn’t surprising.
This story could go on and on. Drafting players and creating balanced leagues continue to be pain points for league directors. But I raise the issue here because I recognize today’s leagues have made some strides in this area. At NAYS, we hear many great ideas about ways to effectively compile balanced leagues, which we know results in the best experiences for participating children.
A Better Way
One interesting idea came from a recent NAYS Excellence in Youth Sports Award winner from Newton, N.C. Instead of an evaluation for starter programs, the league has created preseason prep sessions that are attended by all participating athletes.
Regardless of age or skill level, every athlete completes a dozen one-hour sessions before being placed on a team. This gives every player a chance to soak up all sorts of valuable instruction and confidence-building feedback that sets them up for a successful transition into upcoming seasons.
“The parents love it,” says Carol Stiles, the Assistant Director at Newton and a long-time Certified Youth Sports Administrator.
Plus, the program enables Newton’s staff to evaluate players and create balanced teams while preventing coaches from manipulating the draft system to stockpile players they perceive to be the best.
This idea tackles so many of the future challenges that can plague youth-sports programs, including stacked teams, families and kids who are intimidated to learn a new sport, and parents who lack appreciation for volunteer coaches. These are all factors that, if confronted early, can relieve the stress of the most common issues that occur during the season.
Newton’s Pre-Season Skills and Drills Assessment Program has been measurably successful. Participation rates in volleyball, basketball, and soccer have increased—and kids are competing in balanced leagues and having fun.
That’s what it’s all about.