The hardest, mentally, and emotionally grueling and most underrated position to play on any team is that of reserve. Whether you’re thought of as a role player, back-up, 3rd stringer, bench warmer, pine-time player, substitute or scrub, not being in the starting line-up takes tons more character, determination, guts, and discipline than is needed when you’re fortunate enough to play all the time. Any Joe Schmo or Martha Marvela can look and act like a winner when the coach is smiling down upon them and giving them the nod for the start.
The real test, the true test of what you’re really made of comes when things don’t go your way, when you don’t get the starting assignment, when you feel like you’ve been forgotten on the pine, when the coach looks down the bench and seems to look right through you. The mark of a true champion comes with how well you play this backup role on your team. The strength of a championship character is determined by how you deal with the lack of glory and the invisibility that inevitably comes from sitting when you’d much rather be playing.
You spend hours upon hours practicing, pushing yourself to do better and better. You run just one more sprint because you know that could be the difference between you and the person behind you on the ladder. The truth is, it’s all for not. All this work is for nothing. You may want to play, you may wish to play with every fiber of your being, but it’s not going to happen. Why? Because you’re just a “Role Player” and it’s your job to play whatever role the team needs you to play. Whether that’s defense dummy or waterboy, and you do it well.
Oh sure, you get the occasional moments of “garbage time” as it’s so lovingly referred to by other athletes, fans and the media. You know, that real exciting time when your team is up or down by so much that the outcome of the contest is no longer in question. If you’re lucky you may go in for a whole five minutes or more! All too often though, you only get to “play” for a lousy few seconds. But do you ever get playing time when the game is on the line? Does the coach ever look to you when the competitive pressures heat up? Unfortunately, only in your very frustrated dreams!
You may feel like a fifth wheel, or just an annoying tag-along that doesn’t really deserve any of the recognition the real players get. You may feel like you make no significant contribution to your team. You may believe that you are nothing more than an afterthought, unimportant, superfluous and unnecessary. But the truth is, you are needed. Good teams do not become great without the efforts of their role players. In my book, it’s not the stars that really make the team, it’s the supporting cast.
When you watch a movie, play, or even t.v. show, it’s always the stars that are mostly visible. They are on stage all the time. It seems like the play or movie is all about them. And, in fact, there’s no question that their talents and skills are necessary for a great production. However, without all the behind-the-scenes people, the make-up, lighting and camera crews, the set changers, the back-up musicians, the wardrobe people, the “gophers”, there would be no successful production at all. These invisible supporting players make the award winning production possible. Do they get the glory? Do they get any of the recognition? Fat chance! Do they get written up in the newspapers? Yeah right! Do the fans easily recognize them? Please!
They work and toil in obscurity because that’s the role that they have been assigned for this play. Many of them may even wish that they were the stars. A few may even be working towards getting “discovered.” However, until they do, they do their job to the very best of their ability. Why? Because they know that, deep down, the entire production’s success depends upon them just as much as it does on the stars.
As a support player, this is truly one tough act to pull off. Most reserves sit the bench during games trying their best to prevent themselves from becoming overwhelmed by waves of bitterness and negative feelings that seem to roll in nonstop. Even under the best of team circumstances it can be extremely difficult to keep your head above the waves of this internal negative chatter. However, if you let yourself give in to your unhappiness and frustration, if you allow yourself to wallow in a sea of bitterness and self-pity, then you are sunk and your team will ultimately go down with you. Being a true team player is all about WE and if you’re a team player, then you have to be willing to sacrifice your ME for the team’s WE. Is this easy to do with grace and dignity? Heck, it’s not easy to do period!
However, being on a team means that you have to be willing to accept the role that has been assigned to you. If you are not willing to play your role to the best of your ability then the entire team will feel it. Whether you like your role or think it’s fair is totally irrelevant.
As a former 10th man on a team that didn’t go ten deep, I appreciate the desire to want the opportunity to play. However, the opportunity is earned not given, and while it difficult to be in the shadows of anything worth while, let’s not take away from the countless hours those in the forefront have also given to reach that position. Let’s face it, team sports do take individuals willing to fill roles, but we also to know that there is no assist if there is no basket made. My advice is to never accept a role, but rather embrace it, grow from it, and with countless experiences (both good and bad), succeed from it. As a former sub/reserve, the truth is that it is not all for not, but rather the significance may not be known for years to come.
You are exactly right, Coach Rosno. The life lessons that come from this experience are valuable beyond the year or two on varsity.
Very Very proud to see this article come from my Alma Mater and the Tiger Cub. Great job Olivia!! You hit the nail Right on the head!!!