WITH ANOTHER SEASON in the books, it’s time to evaluate your program from top to bottom and decide on the changes that can be implemented to help your team improve.
Allan Trimble, head coach at long-time high school powerhouse Jenks High School, Jenks, Okla., says that underlying any sound program are a key set of principles for success. The following are some of Trimble’s key principles for building a solid program.
Show Commitment. Recognize the coaches and players who are committed to your program. Surrounding yourself with committed people is a cornerstone for program success.
Have Integrity. Always play and coach within rules and confines of the game. Integrity, when instilled in young men, will make them leaders.
Be Unselfish. Unselfishness is a challenging trait to instill in young men. Emphasize the players who put the team ahead of themselves.
Exercise Discipline. Doing the little things right is critical in the heat of battle. Develop and demand discipline in your program.
Engage In Purposeful Work. All actions in your program should be performed with a purpose in mind. Do not tolerate poor attitudes, sloppy work habits or trivial items that take away from your purpose.
Display Intensity, Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is contagious and powerful. It spreads from coach to coach, from coach to player and from player to player. Script and schedule enthusiasm into every meeting and practice. Football is an intense game and needs to be played by intense players.
Be Honest. Be honest with players and let them know exactly where they stand and what you expect of them. Honesty in communication builds trust in players and lets them know you want them to succeed.
Execute Fundamentals. There are many great football plays, but none of them will work unless your team executes fundamentals.
Allan Trimble’s best-selling book Coaching Football Successfully is available at www.humankinetics.com.