There are many benefits to be gained by participation in athletics at the high school level. Young people learn the values associated with discipline, performing under stress, coping, teamwork, sacrifice, commitment, effort, accountability, citizenship, sportsmanship, confidence, leadership, organizational skills, participating within the rules, physical well-being and striving towards excellence.
Although there are many measures of success in the minds of each participant, perhaps the most emotional is “playing time” during contests. If a student has questions as to his/her “playing time” he/she is encouraged to discuss them with the coach (See also section on Conflict Resolution).
The following are coaches' guidelines for this all-important topic:
A. Ninth
Grade and Junior Varsity Teams 
At the ninth-grade level the emphasis is on participation. The emphasis on the junior varsity team is balanced between participation and winning. Coaches will make a conscious effort to play all team members for as much time as is practical. There are many factors that govern an individual's playing time but perhaps the most important are practice attendance, quality of effort, attitude, commitment and athletic ability.
B. Varsity
Teams
While coaches at the varsity level will make a strong effort to play all team members, the emphasis at the varsity level shifts towards fielding competitive teams with the goal of winning as many games as possible. This emphasis may result in uneven playing time among the athletes, with some students not playing in every game. The coach makes the often difficult decisions on who starts, who plays and for how long.
Note: At all levels, when the coach feels that the winning or losing of a particular contest is not in doubt, the coach shall make every effort to insert as many players as possible who see little playing time.