Perhaps the most emotional part of a student athlete being involved in high school athletics centers around playing time. Attendance, attitude, commitment, and of course playing skill enter into the decision. It is the responsibility of the coaching staff to decide which athletes should start a contest and at what level of play. These coaching decisions are made only by the coaching staff and are approached very seriously after having observed and evaluated the athlete in practice sessions, game like situations, scrimmages, camps, and games. The decision for who starts or plays in a contest will be based on the team's best interest.
Also, some athletes who start the season as starters may not retain that position due to competition or caliber of play. Consequently, we feel it is important for parents and athletes to understand how we will decide the depth chart as the season progresses. The following will be the criteria used in selecting starters and developing depth charts.
1) Athletic Standards Testing Results - on the first day of practice (August 1st) the WIAA allows for athletic testing. This helps assess each athlete's speed, strength, power, quickness, and conditioning level. We test the athlete's ability to perform the parallel squat, power clean, the 40-yard dash, 300-yard shuttle, standing long jump, and bench press. The results from these exercises (excluding bench press) are totaled and an overall athletic score is determined. This allows the coaching staff to track athletic development from year to year.
The higher the overall athletic score, the more physically prepared an athlete is to play at a varsity level.
2) Dedication & Hard Work – Athletes choose to train to make themselves and their teammate better prepared for athletic competitions. This may involve participating in school weightlifting opportunities, team outings, captain’s practices, summer camps, etc. Dedicated athletes are important to the team’s success. If an athlete is not dedicated and they earn a starting spot, they learn that they do not have to work to be given a reward (which starting in a varsity sport truly is). Athletes that are not dedicated have little to lose (in team losses or disruptions) because they put limited time and effort into helping the team be successful.
Dedication is also represented in the classroom. We coach student-athletes, with an emphasis on the student first. Athletes that are dedicated students and consistently follow classroom and school rules are more likely to be counted on during the season. It is difficult for the coaches and peers of a non-dedicated student-athlete (especially in a team sport) to rely on such an athlete because they may miss practices or games because of poor academic performance, breaking school rules, or legal issues.
3) Athletic Intelligence (Knowledge of Assignment) - Players must be able to comprehend and execute specific actions or techniques as a part of the overall offensive and defensive scheme. The inability to mentally know your assignment disrupts the entire team and therefore will impact playing time.
4) Competitiveness & Effort – Varsity athletes must have the drive to compete. The ability to constantly compete and strive for excellence is important in all team sports. Everyone is expected to show maximum effort at all times.
5) Mental Strength - The Athletic Standards Testing focuses on the physical development of the athlete, but the second dimension of the football purpose statement emphasizes the mind of the athlete. Players that develop positive mental characteristics are more likely to play.
6) Character Strength - The third area of emphasis with the football program is character development (teaching athletes to win within and with others). We want athletes that are more concerned with the team than themselves, show positive character attributes, do everything that is asked of them, serve others, motivate their teammates to do better, and show leadership qualities on and off the field.
7) Talent – There is no doubt that talent (physical attributes, for example: natural speed, agility, quickness, or strength) is important in being successful in any sport. Coaches want to play athletes that have the best skill set for a given position and/or give athletes the best chance to play in relation to their talent/ athletic ability. Players and parents must understand, that for the overall benefit of the team, an athlete may have to play a position(s) that do not emphasize a player's natural talents.
We will give every athlete the opportunity to earn a position on the varsity team. It is our desire to play the best players (as outlined above), and as many people as possible.