Optimization of Playing Time Allocation in Youth Sports
Conflicts regarding playing time allocation in youth sports are a recurring problem. Although some tools exist to help coaches provide equal playing time for their players, they do not create an optimized substitution schedule for an entire season. Our team addressed this problem by using binary goal programming to create substitution schedules for youth basketball and soccer that balanced equal playing time with performance goals. The resultant substitution patterns were posted on our website for youth sports coaches to use for their teams.