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How Coaches Allocate Playing Time

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Santa Clara University Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jerry Smith (@SCUJerrySmith), a PCA National Advisory Board Member, has established a standard of excellence few can match, ranking as one of the five winningest women’s soccer coaches in NCAA Division I history.

Coaches who carry a big roster also carry an extra challenge in allocating playing time. Smith, who carries a roster almost three times the size of the starting line up, has gotten creative in managing playing time issues. As he discusses here, his approach is to welcome athletes to talk with him about their playing time, and to establish goals to help make that happen.

That motivates them to work hard, sometimes pushing the others players harder during practice, as all vie for playing time. If you keep a big roster, consider Smith’s approach to keeping non-starters motivated.