Most athletes, parents and high school coaches don’t understand what it takes to get playing time as a college freshman. When they talk about playing time they usually start breaking down an athlete’s game or the returning players on the team, and it gets complicated and confusing in a hurry. It’s really pretty simple. In most instances, playing time as a freshman comes down to two factors – not making mistakes and physical strength. This is particularly true in the high profile sports.
Most outsiders think college coaches are inclined to not play freshman. In fact, it’s the opposite. Coaches want to play freshman. Generally, freshman don’t have to give them a reason to play. The trick is to keep from giving them a reason not to. That means not making mistakes. It sounds simpler than it is, of course. All else being equal, a younger player gets time over an older player. It’s a time honored truth.
Almost every college athlete, especially those at the scholarship level, was a standout or star in high school. In order to be a star they had to do great things. That usually meant producing lots of great stats that generated attention and lead to college recruitment. Once they get to college they quickly see everyone else is as good or better than they are. Their natural instinct, and it’s a hard one to fight, is to try to stand out by doing what got them there. Because the level of play is so much higher than high school, that reaction often results in the athlete trying to do too much. That’s rarely a good thing. All they really need to do is not make mistakes. That is usually more than enough to generate praise, which leads to playing time.
The physical aspect of college is different than high school. The athletes are no longer kids, they’re adults, making strength a huge factor that affects virtually all aspects of play. Lack of physical strength keeps the majority of college freshman from any significant playing time. Ironically, this weakness is easily fixed while in high school. Compared to improving individual skills, learning to understand offenses and defenses, or adjusting to the speed of the college game, improving strength is so simple. It’s also easy to measure and compare yourself to others. For example, if you’re a boys’ basketball player and can bench over 200 lbs., you are ahead of the curve. Most can’t. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a big city with a high level of play or a small, under recruited town in the middle of nowhere. Everyone and anyone can know if they are physically ready to play at the college level and they can do what it takes to be ready. There is some knowledge involved, but it’s easy to access. The real keys are desire and dedication. It sounds simple, and in many ways it really is. Doing it is another story. If it were easy most athletes would not arrive in college physically unready to compete.
Figuring out what it takes to be successful at the college level is a process that takes time for most incoming athletes. How quickly the athlete figures things out and makes the transition can be the difference between having a good career and never getting off the bench. Some incoming freshman simply are not even close to ready. A small percentage have talent that transcends mistakes and physical strength. Certain teams are just loaded with talent, so even the most college ready freshmen have no choice but to wait and be patient. In most situations the opportunity for playing time is there, if you know how to take advantage of it. Any athlete who doesn’t make mistakes and is physically ready is going to have a great chance to play right away.
