We get a number of questions about playing time, especially when players move from the Rec to Select level. The attached document should give you a better understanding of the factors a lacrosse coach considers regarding playing time. This is one coach's opinion - your mileage may vary with different coaches.
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I’m often asked by parents ‘Why is my son not playing more?’ As a coach, the biggest misconception I hear is a parent saying ‘Hey, my son is just as good as player X, why is my son not playing?’ Or ‘If my son doesn’t play in games, how can he improve?’ Hopefully I can help you understand the coaching perspective, especially on Select teams.
At the Rec level, all players get playing time. It’s a recreational league.
At the Select level, expectations are different. Select is a competitive league where the top teams make the playoffs, and the goal is to prepare players for high school. This doesn’t mean Select only cares about wins and losses, but it clearly is different than Rec and there may be games where a player gets little or no playing time. That doesn’t mean the coaches are not actively working to develop your player, although some players may have more of their development in practice versus games. Lack of playing time in games does not mean your player is not developing.
So what can a player do to get more playing time? Click here to read the playing time tips.