Should I talk to coach?

[Jazzy1000]

My 14 yo old son started playing basketball a couple years ago. He plays all the time with his older brother and loves it. His club have only recently started games again (after 18 months ) and have played 2 league games so far but he has only had 2 it 3 minutes play time in each game. He's on a division 2 team and there's only 11 or 12 players turning up. I would have thought it reasonable to give him a quarter of the game at least but he's only getting a few minutes.
It's very demoralizing - I don't think he (or me for that matter!) Can face another game .
I was so thrilled he d found something he liked as he's very shy and quiet so felt it was really bringing him out of himself.
Shall I say anything to coach?

Yes and then judging from their response either stay or find a different team.

I’d recommend your son asks the coach rather than yourself. Your son could ask if there’s anything he can do to improve his game time.

Unfortunately it is the way it goes with competitive sports, they are not there for all the children, they are there to compete. The coach is playing what he thinks is the best team and at the moment he thinks someone else plays better or they are friends with the parents than your son.

Some kids can pull themselves off the sub bench either if they get over the rejection/shame and improve their skills (difficult without match time) or are lucky and earlier puberty means develop physically beyond their peers.

It is shit, we had the same with football and ds, talking to the coach didnt help, he hung in there for a while then eventually left with his confidence rock bottom. Wish we had encouraged him to leave sooner.

Thanks for your replies.
Yeah I'm slightly obsessed this weekend about it as he's really just being pushed off the team isn't he(right after I paid my 250 subs!). how many kids will sit on bench week after week and be able to keep going. The coach has even told him that the reason he's not getting played is because he's so shy and lacking in confidence . His actual skills are good. So he has no chance of improving. Would be happy with a quarter game, he's only getting a couple minutes!
And this is Lowest division of 14 year olds .. I despair, humans are so stupid.
Anyhow I think it's time to look at other sports that will build his confidence rather than make him feel so rejected.
I actually think treating a teenager like that is bullying.. don't field them if you don't think they re up to it but getting them to drive across the city to sit on bench is really mean.
Thanks all

Seemssounfair sorry your DS had the same. Interesting to hear you'd have left sooner something to think about

£250 subs!!!! If you have only just paid I would ask for your money back or at least a partial refund and get him off that team. That's a rediculous amount of money for him to sit on a bench.

It is stupidly short-sighted of the coach. Have they never heard of positive reinforcement? Presumably if your ds got given more match time, his confidence would improve? Duh!
We had exactly the same with junior football and the bloody school PE department. Ds not ‘A’ team material, but not awful, loved sports and having a go, until….a PE teacher actually said on an end of term report that he was ‘not blessed with a huge amount of physical prowess’. Really know how to encourage physical activity in teens, don’t they? Twats, the lot of them.
Hope your ds either overcomes the twattish behaviour of his coach, or finds something he is allowed to try and excel at.

The coach has even told him that the reason he's not getting played is because he's so shy and lacking in confidence

A good coach would be working with your ds, supporting him to get over his issues and giving him fair opportunities, but in reality most volunteer coaches are there to pick what they think are the best players and hope for the best and take the credit. There is only a pretence of caring for all the individuals, they don't realise/don't care about the huge negative impact they can actually have, they forget these are only children all growing at different rates. Not their problem.