"You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra
We can only play five. What responsibilities do "bench players" own? Who notices? Some coaches film the bench to monitor the attitude and engagement.
First above all, the "bench" should be "in the game." Concentrate to understand the game flow, what both teams are trying to accomplish (e.g. offensive and defensive strategies), what your role could be, study individual matchups, and how the game is being officiated. I was at a volleyball game in 2005, when our local high school was playing Andover, the second rated team in Division 1. Our all-league setter broke a shoelace and the reserve setter entered with no warmup. The team won six of seven points, the set, and ultimately the match, vital points in a 3-2 win.
Reserve players should support and encourage the players on the court. Bring energy to the game, regardless of your station.
Substitute players can make or break a team through willing teamwork and challenging the starters for minutes. Coaches see everything - attitude, choices, and effort. When the UCONN women began their practice with a few laps, nobody cut ONE corner. Champions don't cut corners.
Great attitude begins with elite preparation. Successful players are stretched out, "fired up and ready to go" when practice begins. "Don't cheat the drill." Every rep matters in practice, just as every possession matters during games.
Be ready. You never know when injury or illness inserts you into a more prominent role. We still remember the story of Lou Gehrig supplanting Wally Pipp as Yankees first baseman in 1925 when Pipp had a headache (actually having been hit in the head). The term being "Wally Pipped" means being replaced by another player. When Steve Kerr was a player, he used to practice "coming off the bench," literally taking practice shots seconds after simulating insertion into the game.
Coach yourself up. Dr. Brett Steenbarger wrote The Daily Trading Coach: 101 Lessons for Becoming Your Own Trading Psychologist. He shares great interdisciplinary advice, "When you are your own trading coach, you are trying to effect changes in your thoughts, your feelings, and your behavior." But changing habits is work. "The easy part is initiating a change process. The real challenge is sustaining change."
Find a way to add value every day. Become invaluable, not a distraction. Learn the game. Often the best coaches were not elite players. Gregg Popovich was an Air Force intelligence officer. Steve Kerr started thirty games during his NBA career. Lawrence Frank began as a manager under Bob Knight in Indiana. Translate knowledge into performance and performance into opportunity.