Here’s a checklist of items that you need to expect of yourself and your staff to keep your coaching goals on course.
Provide one-on-one individual skills instruction when the situation arises. As coaches, we can’t sit back and expect the players to come to us. Pass on your knowledge by getting in there and working with your players. Your coaches shouldn’t be just supervisors during drills.
The only way players learn is when immediate feedback is given. Dedicate yourself to coaching your players during each contact time whether it be in practice or games.
If conflicts or situations prevent you from being dedicated coaches ( both during and off-season), make sure that your players or the quality of your football program don’t suffer.
Coaches are expected to be there for the entire scheduled practice time, pre- and post-game warm-ups, travel times and fund-raising events. Emergencies are an exception.
Promote the game of football. Encourage your team to play with pride and heart. Incite enthusiasm for the game. Make it fun. Promote cheering and motivational factors that your players may use to get themselves ready for the game (rituals, etc.). Some of these things may seem elementary, but you want your players to play with desire and love for the game.
Head coaches should always be expected to spend the most time coaching and preparing their teams. There is a certain amount of glory in being called the head coach, but that glory comes with the price of extra effort.
Head coaches also have the right to determine what the program does and who’s in it. They should have the ability to make suggestions as to how the junior varsity program is run or handled.
Make sure that everyone involved understands that suggestions are made to enhance total program development and future varsity success. All your coaches must be on the same page and suggestions must be followed.
If you’re not willing to do something extra, the program can’t afford you. Practice for coaches does not begin at the time your players are expected to be there. It begins at least 15 minutes earlier so that taping of players, equipment set up, practice organization and expectations can be discussed. Practices that run smoothly and on time make the most of your players’ practice time and will enhance success.
Practice also doesn’t end when the players leave. Coaches should meet for 5- to 10-minutes after each practice to evaluate, discuss instruction and the upcoming schedule, help with the little extras, etc.
As coaches we need to work together. Coaches constantly stress teamwork to players and need to lead by example. Your coaches may have different viewpoints or opinions on methods of instruction, player usage and a variety of situations.
Those viewpoints or opinions are good to a point, as it forces everyone to learn. But everyone needs to be on the same page philosophically and teach the same things so your players know what’s expected of them.
The ultimate decision-making responsibility rests with the head coach. Assistant coaches should have input, but should know that their input may not be used at a particular time. But that doesn’t mean it goes unnoticed or unheard.
If a difference in opinion should occur, coaches should discuss it immediately in private and not in front of the players.
Your players should never become involved in a difference of opinion.
Assistant coaches have responsibility for the junior varsity and freshmen programs, except for a few suggestions the head coach may have. They notify the players about practices and announcements, develop game lineups as well as handle other miscellaneous responsibilities.
All coaches on your staff need to be able to trust and confide in each other. Conversations held between coaches should be kept there. Trust in each other begins when your coaches believe in each other.
Coaches should never be satisfied with the level where the program is at. Complacency leads to failure!
Coaches should maintain a professional yet supportive relationship with players. Coaches should demand respect.
Remember that everyone on the staff is in this together. Coaches should bring out the best in one another.
Take your program to the next level.
It all starts here — right now.