There may not be a tougher conversation in a football program than the “bubble kid” conversation. You know the player I’m talking about. The kid who absolutely could help the Varsity team. Maybe he’s athletic enough. Maybe he’s physically ready. Maybe he flashes during camp or against older competition. But at the same time, you know deep down that his long-term development might be better served by playing meaningful football on Saturday morning instead of standing on the sideline on Friday night.
That’s the balancing act of sub-varsity football.
And if you’re coaching JV, you better get comfortable living in that gray area. Because these conversations happen every single season. Sometimes it’s a sophomore linebacker who’s physically mature enough to survive on Varsity, but still needs live reps reading run fits. Sometimes it’s a quarterback who can make throws, but desperately needs game-speed decision-making. Sometimes it’s just a really good athlete Varsity wants for depth purposes.
Whatever the case, the JV coach has a responsibility to advocate for development while also understanding the needs of the overall program. And that means communication has to happen early, often, and honestly.
One of the biggest mistakes programs make is waiting too long to identify bubble players. If you wait until Week 2 of the season to start having these conversations, you’re already behind. These discussions should begin during camp, summer workouts, or even offseason meetings. As a JV coach, you need to sit down with the Varsity staff and ask direct questions:
“Who are the bubble kids?”
“How do you see them helping Varsity?”
“What role would they realistically have right now?”
And here’s the important follow-up question: “Are they helping Varsity through development… or just through depth?”
That answer matters. Because there’s a massive difference between a player contributing meaningful Varsity snaps and a player existing primarily as scout-team insurance.
Now listen, every program needs bodies. Every Varsity staff needs scout looks. We all understand that reality. But if a player’s entire season becomes standing around holding cards and giving a look-team effort for five snaps a week, you have to ask yourself: Is that really helping the player develop?
That’s where the JV coach has to respectfully fight for the kid.
And this is where ego can become dangerous. As JV coaches, we naturally want our best players. Of course we do. We want to compete. We want to win. We want to build confidence in our teams.
But if your argument for keeping a bubble player is secretly rooted in wanting more wins for yourself, the Varsity staff will smell that immediately. And to be honest, they’d be right to push back. These conversations cannot be about protecting your record. They have to be about protecting the development of the player and the future of the program.
That distinction matters.
When you approach the Varsity staff, your mindset should be: “I want this player where he will grow the most.” Not: “I want this player because we need him to beat General Brown this weekend.”
And your intentions have to be crystal clear. Because once the Varsity coaches know you’re advocating for development—not your own ego—those conversations become much more productive.
Here’s something that’s hard for coaches, parents, and players to hear sometimes: Being able to survive on Varsity is not the same thing as being ready for Varsity. A bubble player might physically survive the jump. He might even flash occasionally. But if he’s only getting five meaningful reps a week, while he could be getting 40 meaningful reps on JV, what are we really accomplishing?
At the sub-varsity level, reps are oxygen. Especially for quarterbacks, linemen, linebackers, really any position that depends heavily on processing and reaction.
Development happens through doing. Not watching, not standing, not hoping your number gets called.
Doing.
And that’s why these conversations matter so much.
Now here’s the good news: this doesn’t always have to be an either/or situation. One of the best things programs can do is create flexible developmental plans for bubble players. Because if the overall goal is the future health of the program, there are usually ways to serve both teams.
Programs that truly operate as one program—not separate kingdoms—handle bubble players much better. If Varsity and JV practice together in portions, you create opportunities for those players to get exposure to both environments.
The player can:
That exposure matters.
One thing I’ve seen work really well is splitting responsibilities across practice days.
For example:
Or vice versa depending on where the Varsity need exists.
Now the Varsity gets developmental depth where they need it, but the player still gets substantial live reps throughout the week. That’s a win for everybody. And honestly, at the JV level, reps in practice are often just as important as reps in games.
Game nights can get complicated too.
But again, flexibility helps.
In some states and sections, players can appear in Varsity games under a certain play limit before becoming ineligible for JV competition. If your rules allow for that, it can be a tremendous developmental tool.
Now the player can:
That’s huge for confidence and development. Because now the kid feels connected to the Varsity culture while still actually playing the game. And for young players, there’s no substitute for playing.
This part is critical; the player has to be involved in the conversation. Too often, adults decide everything for the kid without ever really asking what he wants or how he feels. That’s a mistake.
Now obviously coaches and parents help guide those decisions. Young players don’t always see the big picture yet. But they still deserve honesty. They deserve transparency. And most importantly, they deserve freedom from pressure.
No JV coach should guilt a player into staying.
No Varsity coach should pressure a player upward just for roster convenience.
The conversations should be honest and centered around one thing: “What’s best for your development right now?” Because once players feel like they’re being pulled around to satisfy adults, trust starts to disappear.
And here’s the hard part for JV coaches.
Sometimes the Varsity genuinely needs the kid. Not for scout team. Not for emergency depth. Actually needs him.
Maybe he’s one of the best 11 players in the program. Maybe injuries hit. Maybe he’s just ready.
At that point, your job changes. Now your responsibility becomes developing the players beneath him. And that’s part of being program-first. Because the ultimate goal of JV football is not to keep talent hidden at the sub-varsity level. The goal is to prepare players for Varsity football.
So if a kid is ready and needed? You shake his hand, tell him you’re proud of him, and you go coach up the next guy. That’s what healthy programs do.
One thing that absolutely cannot happen: Coaches arguing about players in front of kids.
Never.
The second players hear “Varsity just wants bodies,” or “JV is mad they took you,” you’ve already damaged the program culture.
Those conversations ALWAYS belong behind closed doors between adults. Because regardless of disagreements, the players should always feel like the program is aligned. Even when difficult conversations happen internally.
And trust me, they will happen.
Good staffs disagree sometimes. That’s healthy. But healthy disagreement becomes toxic the second it spills into the locker room.
Final Thoughts
Bubble players force programs to answer an important question: Are we building teams… or are we building a program?
Because those are not always the same thing.
A team-focused mindset says: “Keep him where we need him right now.”
A program-focused mindset says: “Where will this player grow the most?”
Sometimes that answer is Varsity. Sometimes it’s JV. Sometimes it’s a creative mix of both.
But no matter what, the conversation has to stay centered on development, honesty, and the future of the program.
As JV coaches, our responsibility is to advocate for meaningful reps, meaningful growth, and meaningful opportunities for kids who are still becoming football players. Sometimes that means fighting for them to stay. Sometimes that means supporting them as they move up. Either way, the mission stays the same: Develop the player. Strengthen the program. Put ego aside.
Because at the end of the day, JV football isn’t about protecting your roster. It’s about preparing the future of Friday nights.
