Leonardo Da Vinci

Ahh, the greatest of all ninja turtles

I'll weigh in on a few of these:

Classroom Management - When making seating charts, I color code students as red, yellow, or green by behavior so that I have a visual of how spread out my behavioral issues are.

Being a great assistant - This one's easy: generate value wherever you can and don't get miffed when the HC doesn't jump on those ideas/actions.

Being a great head coach - You better have a good plan for inventory.

Motivating players/students - Kids love free T-shirts. Work that into your plan somehow.

Strength and conditioning - I've ditched cleans/snatches and I think you should, too. Buy some Hex Bars for HB Deadlift. The most important thing is having a consistent program over the course of a kid's 4 year development. 5 lbs a month on squats over 48 months is 240lbs of improvement and most kids will do that much by just walking into the weight room and warming up.

Appeasing the wife - I mean, that's your job but I can always make a go at it... J/k, buy her flowers whenever you can, prioritize date night once a week, keep a calendar so you don't miss upcoming important stuff like anniversaries. Pull her hair sometimes.

Being a good father - TBD. This is where me running my mouth about other people's kids is going to come back on me, HARD.

Offense/defense/special teams - Zig where everyone else zags, don't be the same as the rest of your league/conference/whatever. Mix your cadence and your tempo. Stem your front.

Personal Fitness - Unless you're really dialed in to your sleep, diet, and overall wellness, the stress of the season is going to make it tough to do much but maintain whatever fitness level you're at prior to the start. Doesn't mean you try to maintain, you should be working hard, but just know that you're not likely to be going anywhere until your life gets a bit more normal. Also, if you're not meal prepping, you're wasting money and likely costing yourself in the general health/wellness dept. Protein + Veggie + Simple Carb, just mix up the variables.

Teaching - Do the paperwork and BS without complaining too much. You will just make yourself mad the more you gripe about it. Also, say yes to as much as possible from admin. "Hey coach, I know it's gameday and we have this obnoxious dress up day and the kids are crazy today there's a pep rally and blah blah blah, but can you cover a class on your off block?" Say "yes, no problem" and smile while you do it. They will remember that.

Searching/Obtaining a new job - Search the classifieds and reach out to people. Have no expectations. Can't be disappointed that way. Found my current job (best I ever had through 10 years) from just browsing the openings.

Being a great assistant - Do your job the way it was assigned to you. Ask questions if you are unsure. Help the other coaches (not just the HC). We are a team in the coaches office. We have to operate like one. Help your boys out. Cover a class, run an errand, whatever...just be helpful.

Being a great head coach - Not there yet.

Motivating players/students - Be genuine. Hold them accountable. Be fair. This isn't a hack, but it works.

Appeasing the wife - Flowers. We have date night once a week. Don't spend the entire weekend game planning. Get it done and spend time with her.

Offense/defense/special teams - Set goals. Be organized. Have consistent RULES for blocking, alignment, scheme. Remember they are teenagers. When you make adjustments, adjust around your best players because they can typically handle it better.

Personal Fitness - I can either work out or coach football. I do set aside some time on the weekend to meal prep something healthy for lunch every day. Buy healthy snacks and keep them in your desk. But sometimes it can't be avoided. Basically, I try to avoid eating like trash when I can help it. I broke my rule this morning and went to the vending machine.

Try to eat for fuel and not taste. Baked chicken is a good go-to that won't taste bad at week's end. Low fat burgers, too.

Mix in some steak sauce. Makes everything taste better. It's usually a bit lower in sugar than BBQ.

@coachsp

Thanks for the response. I have learned from a couple vets near me that it is best never to draw attention to yourself. Don't complain, etc. Just show up, do your job, and leave. Don't make your own problems.

Job wise, we have a particular site in our state where they jobs HAVE to be posted. That helps see in one place what is all open and available.

Teamwork on staff is certainly important! A lot of disfunction when the ego gets involved.

Fitness: tried to do kettlebell swings/etc. during this season, and fell off. During Winter I do usually begin lifting and hitting the gym to replace the time previously spent on football. Certainly tough to do both.

One thing with O/D/ST: I think the consistency of rules is so important. Not only for kids...but for coaches. I can't stand making 1,000 "tweaks" for something. It should be good versus most things if it is a base element.



I have had to learn to be more myself when motivating players. I have to be careful because I can be very sarcastic, but the kids know when I let that stuff go that it is who I am.

Gameplanning is extremely annoying. I think we can get most of it done in about 15 minutes. Don't really need to overthink it. Tagging film usually takes at least an hour and a half to get three games done for me though.

yes, I had to teach at all my jobs, it was what I was really paid for,  only head coaches in texas (and not all of them) get no teaching gigs



if admin didn't back me up in classroom management (never happened) then that would be a sign to me to leave


network--clinics, hotel clinics especially, making connections between folks you know and one's others know

attach yourself to a star if you want to move up---get on with a program with talent if you want to win, and move up the ranks

I did not always do so, I went with hc character more--I don't regret it, but could have had many other hc jobs despite this


wife--it isn't just that they love football, they have to embrace the idea of you being gone

great topic btw

tog

Right. Teaching wise I have tried to make it as efficient and simple as possible. Plans for the entire year, easy to grade assessments, a lot of in class work time (reading and writing in English requires silence).

100% right on the admin. As a beginning teacher I tried to enforce everything in the handbook, I have realized now that if they aren't disrupting my teaching, then whatever.

Clinics last year obviously got blown up, but I do hope to get back to more this year. Our HC hasn't been huge on Glazier Pass, but I like the idea of being able to go to as many possible.

I think I am on the talent train right now...at least we have not had any BAD seasons yet... 500 or better and playoffs. Although I like a challenge and could see myself at a smaller school.

Yes you're right. That is the part she doesn't "like". I can see it becoming an issue if she doesn't get some close friends and family around.

I used to get sick every Thanksgiving (fluish- throw up, fever, aches, the whole works). I have not been sick a single day in the 2 1/2 years since I stopped teaching/coaching.

larrymoe

Not surprised given the insane amount of stress a lot of coaches put on themselves. That is one of the things I think I am so fanatic about being more simple. Prepare-Practice-Play. If your players are better, you have a better chance of winning. Most coaches I have met believe they can control every aspect of the game and single handily change the outcome: they can't.

With the fasting thing...to me it also simple. Just eat once. Less opportunities for me to mess up, and less work in regards to preparation.

If you are not healthy, at your best physically, emotionally, spiritually etc.-

How can you be at your best for the kids you're coaching?

HA, I thought I was the only one- although mine is based on how talkative and engaging they are (I encourage discussion).

carookie

Hey, you've got to know the OG's who are going to answer a question when asked!

Yes, I do believe I got into it to help kids. Originally also when I could no longer play, I wanted the ability to still be around the game.

The .33c a hour thing can be a real kick in the pants at times.