My Coaching Philosophy: Development, Confidence & the Value of Playing Time


⏱️ Estimated read time: 5 minutes







COLM MCCOLE

Introduction

Player development is not an accident — it’s a deliberate, values‑driven process. At underage and amateur levels especially, the purpose of coaching is not to chase results but to build players: their skills, their confidence, their resilience, and their love of the game. This article highlights the importance of ensuring quality playing time for all players and the positive impact that will have on their development, confidence and performance.

Playing Time Is the Foundation of Improvement

No player, at any age or level, has ever improved by regularly spending 90% of the game on the bench. To develop:

  • They must be on the pitch.
  • They must feel the support of their coaches and their team.
  • They must be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them.

What is Quality Playing Time - Not all Playing Time is Equal

Time on the pitch is where learning happens and where players develop most. It is important to ensure all players have as much playing time as possible. The FAI minimum game time guidance is 25%, my rule is 50% for all players.

It is also important to give players exposure to playing time through different periods of the game. Q4 playing time is not always the same as Q1 playing time. Q4 playing time in a game where the result has long been decided is not quality playing time. In professional basketball it is called ‘Garbage Time’. The learning opportunity is minimal.

Time on the bench is also part of the game and all players should spend time there. It gives players the opportunity to rest, recover and reflect on their performance and the game. It gives coaches an opportunity to praise the player for their contribution and to provide timely feedback that can be taken into the next phase of play or the next game.

Giving all players time on the bench also takes the stigma out of it and separates the allocation of playing time from performance.

If the same players are on the bench most of the time it can be seen as:

  • Punishment for poor performance; and
  • A vote of no confidence from the coach to the player.

It can lead to isolation of a player from their team and have a negative impact on their confidence.

Confidence, Performance and Team Spirit

Confidence is not a luxury — it’s a performance tool. It shapes how players behave, how they respond to mistakes, and how they contribute to the team. It can be built by giving players multiple opportunities to try and fail and without fear.

Players with confidence show:

  • Improved execution of skills
  • Optimal focus and calm
  • Effective decision making
  • Maximum effort
  • Greater resilience

Players with low confidence often experience:

  • Self‑doubt
  • Anxiety and hesitation
  • Fear of failure
  • Reduced effort
  • Poor execution

Does any of that sound like fun for the player? It sounds like a really challenging period at work.

Team spirit is built not assumed. It requires all players to feel part of something, to know that they can contribute and that there is an expectation of them to contribute. It encourages players to:

  • Improve as a group
  • Support and encourage each other
  • Compete with opponents, not teammates

Conclusion

A great coaching philosophy is built on three commitments:

  1. Players must play to improve.
  2. Confidence must be nurtured, not assumed.
  3. Playing time is education.

If playing time is education, do better players pay higher membership fees for the right to a better education and opportunity to learn?

When coaches prioritise development over results, they create players who are confident, resilient, skilled, and connected — not just to the game, but to each other.

Remember, our need to win is far less important than their need to play.

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