So a kid that runs track should slow down so her competitors can almost catch up and then start to run faster again? Heck no she is going to run her little *** of to break a record!
You are confusing an individual sport with team sports. And as a track parent, I can tell you that there aren't too many PRs when competing against a much weaker opponent. (PR - personal record)
IMHO, if there is a huge discrepancy in scores then that's when the non-starters should get their chance to play and hopefully step up and shine. It's a golden opportunity to develop the bench and boost morale overall. Give the non-starters some game time and let the starters take their turn on the bench, cheering for the team. And FTR, in my perfect world, that would go for both teams, the winner and the loser. If it's not a close game, clear the bench and you can always sub in your starters if it becomes a close game.
I have a kid playing in college, and let me assure you that college coaches are not going to be impressed by big numbers against weak opponents. Is it impressive winning a bracket in a tournament while you're in the weakest bracket? Not so much.
