Gameday Rituals for Coaches (especially those who teach)

I work in the private sector and set my own schedule with meetings and stuff. I don't schedule anything after 11 am (football season or not) unless its a have to.
I normally text the HC and see if he needs anything from Walmart or the local sporting goods store. I come home, pack, maybe sneak a nap or some film in (mostly nap. Get to school around 3:30, print call sheets, be avaliable for all the little stuff till the HC (also AD) gets down to the field house.

Wake up and try to cook some breakfast for the kids and spend some with them before we head out the door. It's going to be a long night and I need to get right with those that most important first.

During school I usually have something planned that will keep the students busy so I can work on film. Since I am the main film guy for the defense, I have seen all the film I can stand on tonight's opponent. If we get some film of the following week's opponent, I do some preliminary work on them. I also will spend some time getting ready for tonight making sure I have all my reports and files ready that I will be using tonight (special teams depth chart, hit charts, etc...). I usually skip lunch since our team meal is right after school, so if I'm needing a break I will head down to the cafeteria/office/gym/teacher's lounge to have some idle chit chat with colleagues and also make the effort to butter up the important people in my building like the secretary, custodians, and cafeteria staff, and such.

After school, it's off to make sure everything is packed on the bus if we are on the road, or make sure the home field is squared away. I'll make a few calls/texts to coaching buds to wish them luck if I get some free time. Also, mingle through the locker room to check the state of the kids before the game. I try to talk to the wife and see how her day went since I won't see her either until tomorrow.

Nothing out of the ordinary. I am not the superstitious type and I carry the attitude that if I don't do my job Sunday/Monday-Thursday, then there isn't much I'll do that will impact the game on game day. I'm no visored guru that comes up with the perfect call at the most dire time that will change the outcome.

The hay is in the barn; it's time to watch a good ball game.

If it's a home game, it's really just another Friday for me. Fridays are quizzes, notebook checks, things like that.

If it's an away game, I usually prepare a packet of work for them to complete since I'll have a sub for the last period or two at least.

I like to have a meal and red bull around 60-90 minutes before kickoff, but that's not sacred.

I will usually spend the time between school and the game watching our next opponent, forming a preliminary idea for what we need to do for them.

When I was a history teacher I always had a test or book work on Friday. Mainly because we coach both JV and varsity and I was dragging after a late jv game. Now I teach football Wt lifting so it differs based on home or away. I get up and come to school and get in a quick bi and tri workout. Then if it's a home game I start painting the field while our HC watches after the kids in class. After we paint the field me and a couple guys that help me go to a local burger joint for lunch. Then it's back to school for a shower. I make sure my call sheet and everything is ready to go for the night. Maybe watch a little film maybe shut my eyes for a few. Then it's pregame meal at 315. I eat a lot. Then hand out uniforms. Defensive meetings are at 5. Then I just hangout and wait till 630. Not a lot to do. If it's an away game it's really about the same except instead of painting field I watch film with our kids in wt lifting class and do lunch duty in the school during 3rd pd

I teach computers and we do "Current Technology" projects on Fridays. So the kids are the ones doing the teaching while I half listen, half work on games sheets the first half of the day. I always print and laminate my sheets during my lunch and prep periods. Then in the afternoon it's more Current Tech and usually looking at game sheet, film, or playoff scenarios. After school HC and I(OC) always run into town and grab a Gatorade and a candy bar. Get back to the school. Have walk thru and then complain about how long pregame takes!

I used to teach 3rd grade. You better believe every Friday it was nice after our spelling test we were heading out to the woods for a nature hike!

I teach. So during the day I'm busy.
After school I tidy up my room and grab supper. In 2012 I started eating at a local place and we got hot so I ate there every week, and ate same thing too. The last couple years I'm not so particular.
When I get to the coaches office I make sure all the balls are inflated and make sure all the electronics are good to go. Then we sit and wait.

I just glad my game day ritual for this year doesn't involve figuring out where I am going to park my knee scooter and how I am going to climb into the box with a torn achilles

We play anywhere from Friday night to Saturday night and sometimes Sunday so my gameday "routine" is pretty variable. If we're heading into a "long" week I'll get in a workout, dabble on film that's two weeks away, and be a little bored. If it's a "short" week I'm probably panicking to get next weeks scouting reports copied early in the morning and get everything organized.

As far as gameday stuff, I'll always make sure the headsets are good, the cameras are good. If I get a chance I'll run the cameras up so I don't have to worry about helping them when they arrive. I make sure I'm ready for whatever my job will be during the game, which tends to vary a little bit week to week,

You chug red bull and pepto bismol? Sounds like a contradiction.

What do you draw?

I knew a guy that would put in a plug of Redman, go to the head to drop a deuce, while eating his sandwich and reading the day's newspaper.

I'm guessing both sides of the ball and he ran the wishbone.

Half our games are within 15 minutes. So when we are in town I pick me son up from school. We grab a snack and head back to my class. We eat and laugh together. Because he really has no idea how important the game is to me it helps me relax. Sometimes I will throw a movie up for him on the projector and do some last minute review or just grade some papers.

I try to keep anything from getting turned in on Fridays. I do cooperative stuff and grade them on completion on Fridays.

I will go into the locker room as late as possible. We are very lucky right now bc we have a full time trainer and a retired coach who just takes care of equipment. I have no extra game prep. I used to be one of our tape guys.

My LBer coach and I sit down for five minutes and review checks and reminders. Remind me they like to take shots on first down in the middle of the field. Remind me they like to run triple in long yard situations. Stuff like that which will effect coverage and blitz calls.

If there is a prelim then I sit and watch a quarter with the LBers. We start watching keys and talking about fits. We talk over scouting report. When they go twins what do they like? The kids will respond option to the twins and when the JV does it right then it makes them very confident.

Then go play!

I scheduled my computer lab day for Friday's this year so I can get all the things that i need to get done. My wife brings me chic-fil-a during lunch (#1 with a large root beer). Once school gets out, its just make sure everything is done.