Involving Family In Your Program

Let the kids come to practice. They will gave a blast. The players will take to them and make them feel special.

Let them be ball boys/girls or water boys/girls. Etc.

Invite them to team meals or outside functions.

Maybe have family Wednesdays, etc.

Let your coaches leave early if they need to. No, check that, demand they leave early if they need to. They should not miss a school play or kid’s ball game or whatever for practice or meetings. They don’t redo school plays or ball games.

I simply meant plan...things you can implement at whatever time to integrate staff bonding and family involvement.

It is way too difficult to ask coaches (especially those with children and who are teachers) to do anything during the season. I have found that doing something during the pre season is a little easier.

I am looking for simple things to do (not something like a retreat, traveling far, etc.).

This is great, and as a dad with two young girls this is about the only thing I’d be willing to do in the offseason. You need me in the weight room or whatever I’ll be there. I’ll improve myself at clinics. But that’s it in the off-season.

Once camp and hell week hit I am 100% in. Until then let me be.

I actually agree with you for the most part, but will answer your question.

Family doesn't have to be included.

But, there are several good reasons that it should/could.

One, football coaching is a different job. It probably doesn't actually pay the bills for assistant coaches. Many assistants are doing this for nominal pay or even volunteering.

Two, the hours and time are much greater than a normal job. Getting home at 7-8 many nights is tough on a family. Getting home after midnight on game nights, having some weekend time, having a jv game during the week, and add in the fact that you are probably then also watching film or game planning while at home is a lot different than a factory job or working at a bank.

If you have a family with young kids, most wives aren't going to be very supportive when this job takes up most of your "family time" for nominal money. As a head coach, if you want to have good assistants, then it is a good idea to keep them as happy as possible.

I think most of would say that we are trying to be a good influence on the young men we coach. Including families is a great way to show the importance of being a great dad and balance in your life.

The cool thing is that high school football usually has some easily built in functions that provide opportunities.

I do agree with you that, it can't be a distraction to the work at hand. Meetings are not the place for kids.

If the wife wants to bring the kids by at practice, I let her and don't see the big deal. They don't stay for meetings though.

I've really noticed how the players with broken homes are the ones that always gravitate to me interacting with my kids after practice.

As long as the kids are old enough to not detract from the practice, I don't see any problems with having kids there, we had a great experience with my 5 year old son being at portions of practices this year for an hour or so a couple times a week, now he's hooked. Those players now also see an every day reason to be good role models as he now sees the players in the weight room and around the school often, they are his "buddies" and "brothers". Children are never at meetings.

As far as coaches getting together outside of the season, don't force it, but if opportunities arise then go for it. Scheduling things can be tough, but maybe if you let the wives handle most of that it could work. Most of our off-season get togethers are getting the young kids together and the adults just hangout or letting the kids run around the gym during a snow day in the winter, but we are also a staff with about half of us with young families and half with adult children, we do what works for us as a staff.