Texas dudes

We will be using the time in addition to our normal strength and conditioning. We will assign 1 day a week that we will essentially have a short practice with indy, and team. we are an up-tempo offense, our average practice in the season is 1.5 hours, so we are thrilled about the chance to get in a solid hours practice during the summer weeks.

Full staff will be required to attend the weekly practice. I love coaching, I want as many reps as I can because I am trying to constantly improve and move up, but I understand not everyone feels the exact same way.

Most of us get paid to work strength and conditioning during the summer.

First, for each individual, you have to make choices based on you and your situation.  By no means, am I advocating for one thing or admonishing for another, etc.  Just want to point out another viewpoint on such an issue of "are you paid?"

For Texas teachers/coaches you are paid to be at school for 187 days.  Some districts may pay additional days to an employee.  These "days" are designed to compensate you during such times as fall break, winter break, and spring break.  These "days" could also be referred to as payment for 2-a-days, but with school starting so early we often run into in-service days, which, are contract days and fall under the 187.  So, you might not be paid "days" for staying late or coming early to do 2-a-day practices the entire length of "fall camp."

Of course, coaches (as are other sponsors of extracurricular events) are paid a stipend for coaching a sport.  The stipend is broad as simply encompasses "coaching" the sport.  Meaning, you aren't paid more or less for working on Saturday or Sunday.  You aren't paid more or less if you practice until 5:30 pm or practice until 6:30 pm.  You are paid to coach the team - you (the staff) sets the parameters of what that will look like and encompass.  In fact, every staff that makes the playoffs is coaching those games for free.  Think about that.  Let's say you get a $5,000 stipend to coach football.  The school is giving you that money no matter how many games you win.  It's part of your contract.  They have to pay you that.  However, if you coach 3 more weeks in the playoffs guess what your stipend is?  Yep, it's still $5,000. 

Last spring we joked at how, "We coached 6 more weeks for free."  Of course, the punch line was, "And all we got was this sweet ring."  Again, our stipend didn't increase because we coached a month and a half more than our neighbors down the road.  Both staffs got the same stipend.  I didn't hear one person on our staff ask, "Are we getting paid for all this?"  Of course, the answer is, "Yes.".  Why?  Because we're paid to coach the team and - as I mentioned earlier - the staff sets what those parameters are.

Take that into the classroom as a teacher.  We have to be put in 187 contract days for our school.  Typically, the school day might be laid out by our principal as 7:30 to 4:00 or whatever.  That means, whenever a teacher stays later to grade papers, finish setting up or cleaning up their room, etc. they are doing that for free.  They aren't paid any more money for that.

Yes, the sad part is that the person that puts in the bare minimum gets paid the exact same as the person that puts in 12 hours and/or goes above and beyond.  That is true in a great many professions.  What does complaining about it do?  We all know the answer to that.

Back to the point at hand, though....

We are paid to coach our teams.  All of us make decisions that affect the performance of our team.  We choose how we orchestrate our in-season practices, our schemes, our placement of personnel based on how it will better our players/team and enhance our chances of winning.  For years, many "pushed the envelope" of what rules would allow to enhance their chance of winning or improving performance.  The big decision comes when we must decide at what point  the time and effort no longer become worth the results we are getting in return.  This could be in player/team improvement or in the monetary compensation our time is worth.  

Typical questions I've asked myself periodically throughout the years were, "If I worked down at the Acme Plant, would I be off right now anyway?" or "If I had a 9-5 job, would I be able to do this?"  It was a way to keep things in perspective in that, maybe, those other jobs wouldn't necessarily afford me either more time or more compensation for my time.  Worse still, would those other things bring me the enjoyment that I currently have within my job? 


As I mentioned, everyone must choose the value of their own time vs what it might look like to "coach the team."  Demand is always met.  It has driven economies, innovation, and startups since the dawn of time.  Our coaching association and the UIL recognized a demand for sport training.  Both organizations saw that demand was starting to be met by those outside of the high school coaching world.  So, another question to ask is, "What time am I willing to give up in the summer so that my kids aren't being coached by Super-Duper Private Instructor Guy?"

Not exactly. I mean, how many Texas coaches would stay at their current school if the district said, "we are no longer paying any stipends."?

Compensation should be considered. We've all got bills and we all want nice things for our families. But, the money isn't the only thing. I do feel, though, that we should consider he much we're investing vs how much we're getting out of it. Financial benefits are part of what we're getting out but not the entire picture.

I work at a 2A. We won't worry about the summer until the spring begins winding down. Spring at small schools is insane. It takes a lot of coordination between coaches to get kids practice time in all of the spring sports that are offered. Our kids are often involved in three or four spring sports. It gets pretty crazy.

But what we will probably do is split the kids, and have an offensive day with OL and a defensive day with the secondary. Then switch it have an offensive day with skill kids and a defensive day with the DL. Probably make it work with 2 coaches, our Head Coach is the DC, and I am the OC. Because we are not paid, other coaches will not be required to be in attendance. That will force us into group sessions that can be managed with a minimum number of coaches. I would think the other option would be to have an offensive day and a defensive day.

Would somebody give us non-Texas dudes a quick summary of the new rules?

Technically, it is sport-specific activity.  What are you going to do for the kids that want to do a different sport besides football for that 1 hour, or even part of the time?  That's another tricky part of the equation to maneuver as well. 

I don't get all the damn cynicism and negativity. I enjoy being at summer workouts. I have been in districts where we got paid well to be there. While it was nice to get paid, not getting paid hasn't changed how much I am there. Each of our coaches volunteers to spend 8 days of the summer at school for two hours. We might get a very small stipend for being there. We are there for a couple hours in the morning. I like being around the kids. It did not get into coaching to get rich. I love the competitive aspect and the impact we can make as coaches. It is all about the relationships we form and then helping kids accomplish more than they thought possible.

I am at our summer workouts every day I am in town. I feel guilty sitting on my patio at 9am when I am in town, knowing our kids are busting their tails. Some say we are working for free. Working for free is bailing hay and not getting paid. Being around our kids for a couple hours in the summer a few days a week is fun. But when I am on vacation, I am on vacation. 

We are going to do two 30 minute session each week after our strength and conditioning which is typically 90 minutes. We will coordinate what we do as a staff as guys will be on vacation at certain points. We are going to run it like a practice depending on which coaches are in town. We will work some indy drills and group drills.

Our basketball kids and baseball kids will get the other hour with those sports. It is a good thing. I also believe we need to build in some breaks for kids and coaches, but anytime we spend with our kids is a positive.

Sorry I replied, and then forgot to check back. But I will say, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the responses, it shows how serious we coach in TX! Full time job to coach in the Mecca (my biased opinion), and we are blessed to do so. Any extra time we get with our kids is a plus, and helps to take our programs to a new level.

I do understand what fshamrock is saying though, it is a taxing profession as well, and additional time at the school in the summer does mean additional time away from your family in the summer, and some guys could think that was the final straw, and that it's just becoming too much to continue in the profession. Definitely a tough balancing act.

It is usually just a couple hours in the morning. I am usually home by noon for lunch and we spend the afternoon at the pool. Full week off for the fourth of july. Also take a full week off for Vacation the last part of July. Most coaches rotate their vacation so only one or two varsity coaches are missing. Between Camps, Summer Weight room and hosting a few 7 on 7 SQT's we can make some decent money in the summer.

A lot of wisdom on this post. We work hard. We do work a lot of hours. I don't feel like we are in the office to say we are in the office, or to do something because someone else does it. When we start doing that I am out. Irish is exactly right when he says it's the work put into the hours. Be as efficient as possible while getting everything completed at a high level. Things become a grind when you get bogged down doing things that take time but have no bearing on impacting kids or winning games. When you sit around the office to say you are working, it's time to go home. 

You might look at the OL/DL in the weight room for the first 50 minutes, while the skill guys are on the field. They do 25 minutes of agility work and 25 minutes of football specific skills. Then you take a 20 minute break and switch. OL/DL will get their 25 minutes of speed and agility and 25 minutes of football specific. Then you bring everyone together for announcements, popsicles, etc. 

ya but you guys have way nicer weather and you get to live in a "holler" and drink bourbon

..everything I know about Kentucky comes from the TV show Justified (which is a good show)

You are correct.  Other than the oil rich districts, which are mainly small schools, their are some suburban districts that pay good. 


In other words you're out in the middle of no where or you're in a school with over 2000 students if you want good pay.

In order to be successful you have to invest in your kids in the summer, paid or not.  We haven't discussed what we're going to do with the new rules.  I'm sure that it will be position specific.  I could see us working defense one week and offense the next or splitting the 1 hour into 30 minute segments.