Double-Headers

This is the flip-side of bye weeks.

Sometimes league directors will schedule double headers in lieu of having bye weeks for leagues with an uneven amount of teams. This can be stressful and very tiring at any level, but it can be particularly so for the younger athletes.

There are several strategies available to you as coach. You can "coast", "load", or "spread". First, let's talk about coasting. The coasting strategy basically admits that your kids probably won't be able to handle two games, so you're doing whatever you can to get through it. In my opinion, this is the worst of the three options, but it is viable, and as such it's listed. With this strategy, you probably also have a glum attitude toward the double-header week... Regardless, do the best you can, and move forward to fight another day. I'll save the in-depth explanations in an effort to steer you toward either loading or spreading...

In loading, you basically gear up to play your absolute best during the first game, and then taking whatever's left in the second game (mini-coasting). Honestly, when you're 6 or 7, usually one game is a lot - so there's no shame in doing this. Typically, the second team you play will understand the situation, and you can work together if your kids run out of gas... The loading strategy typically yields good results due to peer pressure - a few of the kids will still have energy for game two, and the rest of the team can sometimes be convinced that they then also have energy. Either way, you get at least one solid game out of your team - and that's enough to build on going into the next round of games.

For the spread strategy, prepare your team to play two full games. You may adjust practice slightly to focus on more endurance-related skills. You might also play a deeper rotation - or be sure to get everyone solid minutes in rotation to keep them fresher... This varies by sport, and can be fairly easy or difficult to pull off depending on your particular team. I like this strategy for the older kids - 8, 9 - but the 5-7's probably work better off the loading strategy.

Since double headers will eventually be part of life - embrace them. Try loading or spreading to ensure your team has solid game experience to build on for next time.

Bye Weeks

Inevitably, there will be a season where you're in a league with an odd number of teams - this can lead to either double-headers, or bye weeks. Bye weeks are those times when you are not scheduled to face an opponent, for those who may not have understood the term.

I have never been a fan of bye weeks. Not in the pros, and certainly not in youth sports. It seems that kids thrive on a regular schedule... you've probably noticed this - they get used to bed time, going to school, etc. Bye weeks break the normal schedule of sport.

During the last soccer season when we had a bye, we went ahead and showed up anyway - and played a scrimmage within our team. I typically will run a regular practice during a bye week, and - as with the soccer league - sometimes try to get in a scrimmage to keep the kids used to the competition. If your team is competitive in the league, the scrimmage can fine-tune the skills in a game-like environment. If your team is not as competitive, the extra work may encourage them, and perhaps give them a better chance the following week.

You'll have to deal with the dreaded bye week at some point. Make the most of them, and use them to keep the pace as normal as possible for the team.