So there are 2 factors at play to keep a team healthy year after year, season fees and quality of game. Ultimately, you need Spares to fill the spots when available. So that sounds easy, get a long list of spares. Oh no, there is another problem. Ever been the odd man out on a baseball team when there are too many players? I’m sorry but if you like sitting there watching your friends out there in the field and you are opted out, unless you have a 6 pack with you… that sucks!
Now we have to “keep the spares happy”. If they are invited to show up, they have to play! If this does not happen, then they find something else to do and your once healthy spare list evaporates and then the day comes where the regulars are missing, you are short players and the game just does not work. This can spell the beginning of the end for a lot of teams.
I will never forget playing as a spare for a soccer team and I never missed a game as the regulars were not very committed. We rarely had enough players for a full team. I had to drive an hour to make a game and for some reason all the alumni showed up. I was the odd man out because the organizer did not have the guts to sit out one of the alumni. I was so choked that I packed up my toys and went home, never to be seen again. Treat your spares well and they will be there when you are in need.
So there it is, by the numbers. It is all about getting the right number of players out. It really helps if you have the right number of regular full season players and then have a fair system to maintain a healthy list of spares. It is crazy easy when you find this balance. That is how TGO was conceptualized and now as an administrator I just need to pay the monies to the rink, set up the TGO game calendar and encourage the players to always be recruiting spares.
The rest takes care of itself with self-administration.
For the spares,
Kelly