playing time

I don't think that a team or league that has a goal to win will use this goal as a reason not to let 2nd & 3rd string players play in games. You, JT, must not coach your players to win if winning is not important to your program. I would not want my son to play on a team that is not interested in winning. Winning is a by-product of successful coaching, teaching, learning and playing. Teams who want to be successful will allow the younger and more in-experienced players the time and patience to develope so that when they take the field they will be successful. I have had to be patient for 3 years while one of my players developed so he could finally make a tackle and a half decent block during practice. I never fed him to the wolves, (forced him into a game), during that time. His 4th year he came in as a 240 6'2" 13 yr. old 8th grader and was probably the most dominate player in our league last year. This season he began ninth grade on his JV team and was moved up to Varsity by week 2 of the season.
When he was a scared, young & dumb in-experienced 155lb 5'11" 5th grader, his parents where the frustrated ones, wanting me to play this kid in games. My biggest suggestion is that coaches and parents must be PATIENT!!!!! Let them develope. They will show you when they are ready to compete on the field.
One last thought, most players I have coached or have been in contact with have learned how to play football in practice. Games don't teach, coaches do. Any coach who thinks a kid who goes out on a field on game day and does nothing more than "breathe" while out there, I wonder how valuable that experience really is. You don't become a football player during a game, it happens at practice!