Keeping Bench Players Engaged

How to keep substitutes interested in the game in front of them (and help them learn from it)

There’s no doubt that kids like games more than practices. But even when us coaches are pacing and wringing our hands on the sideline, grimacing at every play-by-play action on the field, the substitute players are more interested in making little piles of black turf.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the excitement of the game, but if often comes at the expense of what’s happening on the bench. It’s there, where the substitutes sit, that team culture is created. Becky Burleigh, former University of Florida head coach, believes in this so much that she actually sets up a camera to record bench players during games.

There is a palpable difference when players are interested in the game in front of them. They stand and cheer for their teammates and pull their hair when the game is tense. Players engage with the match and they come into halftime talks focused and ready to problem-solve – all of which helps them learn, perform, and play better.

So how we get more players to pay attention?

Clickers

An easy way to keep players interested is by giving them something to do. Tally counters, like the ones doormen use outside of nightclubs (or more simply “clickers” as I call them), are a great tool for driving player engagement.

Give each substitute a clicker and have them tally an easy-to-track statistic; things like the number of passes completed, corner kicks, shots, shots on goal, intercepted passes, etc.

I usually have two players keep track of the same statistic since there’s room for interpretation and no one observes perfectly. This creates a fail-safe where the two numbers can give a rough snapshot of what’s happening, but the real benefit is that it gets players to interact with each other. Players check-in with each other to see what numbers they have, which usually spurns a conversation about on-field events. (remember Principle 2 of Good Coaching: coaches need to create social environments where players talk to each other)

Using clickers, players gather evidence about what is occurring, and then use that evidence to guide problem-solving and goal guidance during halftime and full time. During these moments, I ask the players who were keeping stats to present their data and break down why the number was good or bad and how it fit into our objectives for the match. This presents a great opportunity for players to collaborate, as well as teach them about leadership, public speaking, respectful listening, etc. – all valuable traits they need to have outside the pitch.

Field Maps

Another way to gather data is by using field maps. Bring a whiteboard or piece of paper with a soccer pitch on it and hand it to the substitutes. Tell them to draw where certain events occur; things like fouls, free kicks, center forward touches, passes from the goalkeeper, etc.

These field maps can even be broken down into different zones to create more nuanced information (and keep players from being overwhelmed). Where did we turnover the ball in the defensive third? Where are we winning the ball in the attacking half?

Again, the maps won’t be perfect, but having visual data is a great way to instigate problem-solving. Having a visual aid is crucial to teaching because it gives players an accurate idea of where things are occurring – and while their eyes are focused on the diagram, their ears will be focused on the speaker. The next step (predictably enough) is to get their mouths involved and contribute their own ideas to the process.

Stat Sheets

During one of our high school seasons a coach from the girls team gave me a sheet of paper I had never seen before. It was incredibly helpful as it combines aspects from both of the suggestions above. It looked similar to this but I’ll track down the original for you.

It’s a simple sheet that has maps of the field and categories to track basic statistics. It’s a good way for substitute players to mark where shots were coming from, where we took shots, how many corners were taken, etc.

I ended up storing a few in my waterproof clipboard and would hand them out on game day for any of my teams. The advantage – as compared to what you want to track using the other methods – is that they’re easy to understand, quick to setup with players, and gives reliable data to refer back to.

**Quick Tip

All of these methods create quantifiable data which will be useful in your coaching for two major reasons:

First, it gives you something completely separate from the scoreline that you can use to reinforce or challenge your players with. We’ve all had teams that played well and lost, and matches where we played poorly but won. Having other sets of data, even if it is the most basic information, gives you another tool to gauge and frame a team’s performance and can help set specific goals in the future.

Second, and the importance of this cannot be overstated, it gives you information to share with parents. Sending weekly emails that summarize that weekend’s game(s) that incorporates hard data resonates with parents. It gives parents a framework to understand what you were working on, puts the goals for their children in context and informs them of their progress, and – this cannot be oversold – it just looks cool.

Talking

This last method is the simplest and easiest. The best way to keep players interested in the match is by talking to them about what’s happening. Instead of anxiously stalking the sidelines and quietly cursing under your breath (...Oh, is that just me?) go sit next to a player on the bench and talk about what you’re seeing. Let them hear your thought process so they can figure out the patterns of the game and start identifying trends by themselves (similar to giving examples I might add)

I’ve found that having one-on-one conversations with players about who they’re subbing in for, what’s happening in their position, and what you want them to do specifically elps keep them focused. Giving players micro-goals to achieve on the field allows them to stack decision-making and technical skills on top of each other, which is how mastery is achieved.

Work your way down the bench, talking to each player and preparing them for what they need to do once they’re on the pitch. Not only does this create the opportunity for players to observe and receive guided reflection about what they’re seeing, it also shows you care about them and strengthens your relationship. (again, the Third Principle of Good Coaching in action). A knock-on benefit is that group conversations tend to arise among the players after you start speaking to them individually.

Wrapping Up

Whether it’s through collecting numerical data, mapping out events on the field, combining them both, or simply engaging with players on an individual basis, the goal is to keep players interested in what’s happening in front of them. When we fail to do this, players miss opportunities to learn from the game and deepen their relationships to their teammates, the coach, the club, and the sport. Yet the ideas mentioned above are simply the means to an end, and there’s plenty more ways to achieve player engagement on match days. If there’s any methods you use to ensure players get the most out of game days, let me and the other coaches know through comments or shouting it out through Twitter.