"THE GAME IS THE INCUBATOR OF THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE"
WSA WAY PARADIGM
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THE GAME IS 15% of athlete's time TRAINING IS 85% of athlete's time |
THE GAME IS 85% of athlete's experience TRAINING IS 15% of athlete's experience |
NOTES: The "Player Experience" is formed from other time spent outside of the GAME and TRAINING, including such elements as social interactions with teammates away from the team, casually watching the sport, family interactions regarding the team and sport, rehabilitation from injury, independent reflection, thought, and memories.
The illustration above is over simplified to demonstrate that the athlete will spend far less time in "game mode", and will perceive their experience based far more on "game experience". The game is the INCUBATOR in the sense that the GAME GROWS and NURTURES THE ATHLETE'S PERCEPTIONS OF HER/HIS EXPERIENCE.
The illustration above is over simplified to demonstrate that the athlete will spend far less time in "game mode", and will perceive their experience based far more on "game experience". The game is the INCUBATOR in the sense that the GAME GROWS and NURTURES THE ATHLETE'S PERCEPTIONS OF HER/HIS EXPERIENCE.
GAME DAY PERSPECTIVE
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PLAYING TIME
Playing time affords the unique opportunity to participate and apply practically the trained components of the game. This creates a unique environment for learning and growing.
Furthermore, playing time often aligns with "being selected" and "feeling valued". Playing time can also create anxiety, stress, and pressure. Performance failures can become magnified as an athlete develops identity, and sense of self. Performance successes can inadvertently create falsified confidence, which can lead to mediocrity, arrogance, negative pride, which can lead to poor teammateship. Most importantly playing time can often be connected to "sense of belonging". It is important for all stakeholders to understand the personal impact that playing time has on an athlete's perception of the game, and perception of self. Guiding the athlete through humility and strength in response to perceived success and perceive failure is the role of the leadership. Too much playing time at older ages (14U and onward) can lead to physical and emotional burnout. Coaches are intended to govern this balance to ensure athletes have every opportunity to receive maximal and not detrimental effects from playing time. PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY Practical application what is trained Creates Sense of Belonging Aligns w/ feeling valued Might produce false confidence Sense of success can lead to mediocrity Can create sense of pressure & anxiety May create false perception of success Does not produce mental endurance Impacts relationship to team positively Impacts relationship to team negatively Seems "fair", when in fact playing time is not |
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THE BENCH
Missed playing time, or lack of expected playing time, commonly referred to as time on the "bench", creates a unique opportunity for learning and growing.
Sitting and observing, provides a unique observational perspective, that is not overridden by pressures of the game. This allows theoretical learning. The capacity to learn how to not participate in the actual game, but still participate in the success of the team, and contribute is a substantial opportunity for learning about self, and developing self-esteem and self-confidence. It is also an ultimate teacher of "teammateship". The WSA Way refers to an EACH OTHER COMMITMENT. A significant component of commitment is BEING THERE. When a player is injured, or not selected by the coach, but still is PRESENT to support and advocate for teammates, this is monumental lesson and opportunity for SERVANT CHARACTER development. Not being selected, or being injured, also is a critical opportunity for an athlete to learn resiliency, and an important lesson that others opinion of you do not define or limit you. And the most significant lesson of all: Life is not designed to be fair. Doing the right thing, putting forth effort is required of us in spite of this truth. BENCH TIME OPPORTUNITY Theoretical application of what is trained Requires athlete to activate Belonging Challenges sense of value Helps an athlete develop self worth Humility usually catalyzes effort Provides opportunity to observe freely Safe place to endure frustration Produces mental endurance & fortitude Impacts relationship to team positively Impacts relationship to team negatively It may seem "unfair", & require adaptation |