HC telling you what Clinic sessions to go to

I think its a good practice and the usual practice particularly if the STAFF is attending a clinic paid for by the PROGRAM.

If you are doing your own thing, attending the clinic on your own, then Id think its reasonable that you attend whatever speakers sessions youd like to attend.

Think of it just like any kind of company sending its employees out for education.

well I think it is a little different asking vs telling..you are asking a grown man to give up his weekend...on our staff I am the only asst that has been to a clinic in three years..i would like to see these guys go to a clinic...any clinic.....learn something..

Yes but as a previous poster stated...if the school is paying for the staff to go then the head coach as more of a rigth and responsibilty to send his assistants to whatever speakers he feels will help the program the most....If each coach paid his own way then they should be able to go to whatever speaker they want.

Private Sector:
Lots of times we have people do stuff on weekends, training included.

Im paying for the training, I tell them where we as a company need the help
Me as their boss, I know where they need the help and in the grand scheme of things where the person fits into the org etc

How most private sector employment works

To make sure you were paying attention and to make sure all of us benefitted from the investment of time and money, you prepare a PRESENTATION on the topic and present it to the group the following week. Never really debateable in the Private sector

Helped me as a boss to see who was serious about getting better and who wasnt

The best ones were investing their own money and time well beyond the "clinics" and internal training we offered etc

Most viewed the whole proccess as a privledge. I had a great crew, Software DEv, biggest, best in 5 state area. No 9-5rs

This is why I prefer to spend our program money on dvds and vhs and manuals instead of sending folks to a clinic.

I see coaches hung over, drunk, sleeping or whatever at clinics all of the time.

I like DVDs too but there is something about a clinic and the opportunity to ask questions that is more valuable to me. I also have a staff of 10 coaches and drinking a few beers and telling stories helps moral.

Hell yeah I'm hung over Saturday morning but if you can't have a little fun in January & February at a clinic when can you?

So what happens if the coach's notes suck?

Also, what if the clinic is GIVING/PROVIDING the alcohol?

I like the idea of taking what you learned in the clinic and then having to make a presentation on it. It seems that you learn better when you have to teach the material to other people.

I'm old enough to remember scouting with pencil & paper. ALL assistant coaches were expected to hand in detailed notes. Young coaches often were NOT trusted to scout by themselves as these notes were our lifeblood.
Now, I get guff when I ask guys to VIDEO scout a game, because their kid got Karate or they'd rather watch the Varsity.

I reall think it depends on the experience of the staff and how they work together.

If a staff has been together for a long time and has a solid foundation I really do not see the need to tell them where to go or what to see.

Hell you can get a DVD about it if you really want it...

This is pretty standard fare from where I come from. I didn't actually require notes from each coach but would assign as the HC/OC and let my DC assign where his position coaches went. The idea was to come from each session with 2 or 3 main points for us to discuss. And we would for the sake of learning.

When we truly wanted to gain in-depth knowledge to learn for our own X and O's we would visit a college staff and spend a few days with them.

Hopefully your HC is doing something with your notes for the good of all and not just collecting them for the file cabinet.

If the program is paying then you go where the HC wants you to go.

If you, (the ast coach) is paying then you have some leverage.

I try to work it out with my guys. We will sit down a couple days before hand and I let them tell me what they want to see. Usually it works out. I think once last year there was a session going on and we drew straws for it.

I'm the header and I do assign my assistants certain speakers at clinics. From a technique perspective, I'll usually send them to someone who coaches their respective position group so they can enhance their teaching within those areas. When they become outstanding position coaches for their groups then we can expand their position group technique knowledge by going to other speakers. From a scheme perspective, I'll usually send them to someone who runs an offense we want to learn more about to stop on defense or a defense we see or could see against our offense. When other priorities are taken care of, I know I have sent assistants to speakers I know they want to have the opportunity to listen to. Perhaps I've heard them speak before and I tell them they need to hear this coach speak...he's great! I think assigning speakers to assistant coaches keeps the overall staff learning, organized and diversified. It hasn't been an negative issue amongst our staff. They seem to see it as a positive. I don't require them to make copies of their notes but I may do that now. I would also sell it as another coach stated, as a way for us to share and learn more from each other rather than as me keeping an eye on them. I feel like if I dismiss the possibility for negative perception by letting them know up front then taking notes and copying them for the rest of the staff wouldn't be an issue. As far as drinking goes, at the end of the day I'll have some beer. Never make an a$$ of myself but I do enjoy having a good time with my staff. They have enjoy having a good time as well. We've been through alot regarding the football program, we teach at a place which isn't real great so when we get the opportunity to unwind after learning at clinic, we take advantage. The next day, early in the morning, I'm always the one rousting up the group. I've told them if we're going to get after it the night before we had better be able to get going in the morning.

We would decide as a staff how to split up. Ultimately the head coach had final say, but most of our meetings went well to deciding who will go where and then re-teach what they learned.