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Post by coachpassion on Feb 12, 2006 12:57:58 GMT -6
I am a college graduate student working on my masters for Secondary education. I played a couple years of college ball before an injury cut my career short, so I have a solid background as a player. This past fall was my first season coaching and I loved it. I learned so much. The problem is that I have to student teach this fall and I will not be returning to my staff.
I am currently looking for a new staff to join that is closer to where I will be this fall. My old high school coach (D. Coord) was interviewing for a head job and was going to bring me along but he didn’t land the job. I know that that everyone has to work their way up staffs and I understand that I am young, but I do not want to coach at the junior varsity/freshman level again. I know that I am ready to be a positional coach at the varsity level. I have a great work ethic and I am passionate about coaching—I have never wanted to do anything else. My long term goals are to land a job as a coordinator within five years and a head job within ten. I want to be on a varsity staff not only because I prefer the more intense competition and complex schemes, but also because I do not want to get stuck in the cycle of jv/frosh coaches and be labled a jv coach. Obviously, I know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with coaching at lower levels and that there are great people who do, I just prefer to be at the varsity level. I guess my question is: is it wrong for me to expect to find a position on a varsity staff in just my second year? Are my expectations too high? Let me know from your experiences. Am I being unrealistic? I know that, unfortunately, politics is often an issue with these matters.
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fish
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Post by fish on Feb 12, 2006 14:11:03 GMT -6
there's nothing wrong with having high aspirations. but you do need to understand that pretty much everybody you will work with and interview with started at a lower level and worked their way up. as long as you are working hard and getting to know other coaches and they are seeing that you want to advance you will move up.
be patient in your search. don't take a position just because of the label. make sure its the right environment that will help you succeed and also that its the best thing for your family (if that's an issue for you right now).
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Post by coachpassion on Feb 12, 2006 15:24:01 GMT -6
Thanks for the reply Fish. I do know that I gotta start somewhere and that is usually at the bottom. I guess I'm just anxious about the whole process. I'm just frustrated because I know that I am going to have to essentially start all over and prove myself again and that most likely means that I’ll be at a level lower than I’d like.
The job is actually at my old high school but the staff is completely new. The school hasn’t had a winning team since my senior year six years ago but the new head coach did a great job in his first year and I’d be excited to return to help rebuild the program. Actually, one of the assistants on the staff was a high school teammate of mine and he swears that I need to join the program. Hopefully that will be in the capacity of a varsity assistant.
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fish
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Post by fish on Feb 12, 2006 16:22:10 GMT -6
no problem. its always good to have connections like your high school buddy. just make sure back home is someplace you want to start. i know several people that would think twice before coaching at their alma mater because of the expectations and what people already know/think about you.
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Post by fbcoach33 on Feb 13, 2006 12:10:01 GMT -6
I would hesitate going back to your hometown. I think its always good to get away some place else just to see a different way to do things and make a name for yourself.
Dont ever be afraid to start at a lower level, odds are that you will make some mistakes early on, let those mistakes be at a lower level, if you do a great job right off the bat at a lower level you will probably be moved up quickly. I have watched a handful of young coaches start at the varsity, make some mistakes and get demoted and never had a chance to move up even after they probably deserved it because the parents had turned on them. Just a thought
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Post by brophy on Feb 13, 2006 12:21:31 GMT -6
don't be afraid to coach any position, any side of the ball.....
I don't think your 'goals' are unrealistic at all, but the fact is, the Varisty staffs are put together not by qualifications, but by 1) politics and 2) loyalties....
It is possible (your timeline) but you've got to get with a program that has openings on the Varsity......<<<take on a program with a history of losing>>>>
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Post by coachpassion on Feb 13, 2006 17:43:20 GMT -6
I would hesitate going back to your hometown. I think its always good to get away some place else just to see a different way to do things and make a name for yourself. Dont ever be afraid to start at a lower level, odds are that you will make some mistakes early on, let those mistakes be at a lower level, if you do a great job right off the bat at a lower level you will probably be moved up quickly. I have watched a handful of young coaches start at the varsity, make some mistakes and get demoted and never had a chance to move up even after they probably deserved it because the parents had turned on them. Just a thought I think you make some very valid points...points that I have considered. Returning Home: The reason I am returning home to student teach is based on convenience and finances. I have always planned on returning to my home county when I was done with school and student teaching there means two things: one, I can live at home rent free and save a lot of money; two, I will have a foot in the door and become a step closer to landing a permanent teaching job when I'm done. Coaching: I did spend this past fall in a town down near my college a couple of hours from my hometown. My duties were mostly with JV until mid season when we finally found a solution to the logistical nightmare that was field space and the varsity and JV were merged together for practice. When we were on our own as a JV team I pretty much ran everything during practice from pre-practice stretching to post practice conditioning to everything in between--which of course was overwhelming at first but it was necessary for me to do so. The other JV coaches, while they were great guys, didn't know much about anything: time management, structuring practices, conditioning...literally any aspect of team management and practice structure. I was repeatedly told by the other JV coaches and the varsity head coach what a great job I did taking control of just about every aspect of JV practices. During offensive individuals I worked with backs and during defensive individuals I worked with the secondary. During team time, though, I worked with everyone because if I didn't they would not have received any instruction, criticism or praise. One play I would work on our QB's footwork and the next I'd work with a pulling guard. I was also in charge of special teams. During games I'd end up calling about a quarter of the offensive plays and I constantly ended up adjusting our defense because the JV DC's method of adjusting was pulling a player out to yell at them for a series or two. Once we were with the varsity I worked with DB's and WR's. If I were able to return to this staff I'd work full time this year with the varsity DB's and WR's which is part of the reason why I'd like a spot on a varsity staff, I don't want to take a step "backwards" so to speak. I feel as though that from this crazy experience I had this past season I gained a couple or three years of coaching experience in just one year. It's because of this that I am feeling like I am ready to be on varsity staff. PS-Thanks for your input guys. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2006 18:45:39 GMT -6
I was, to some degree, in your position once. I had been a high school frosh /soph coach and then was able to hop in to a college spot as a G.A. It was a great experience and I learned a lot, including that I didn't know as much as I thought. But after a very successful year (and you guys that have G.A.'d know what it's all about) I was ready for a varsity position. I took a job that I thought would place me at the varsity level.. .it didn't.
But it isn't enough to just have knowledge, understanding, experience, and organization. If no one else knows about your goals then it's assumed you love where you're at.
So I asked the head coach why I wasn't coaching varsity and he told me right out that I'd told him that I was a defensive coach, had worked with backers and DBs and had success there. He said that they already had a DB guy, he coached the LBs, and he said it sounded like I wasn't ready to tackle a new position on offense. Ask and you find out.
But after that season I told him, respectfully, that my goals and intentions were to be at the varsity level, that I'd like to watch film, etc. with him in the offseason, get to clinics so that when the opportunity arises he'd be comfortable upping me.
Funny thing, that offseason we watched a ton of film, he saw that I had a mind, and liked my ideas too. That spring he decided that he was more needed back on the offensive side of the ball, gave me the backers and said that "I'll be around if you need me."
Two years later I was the DC. Four years later I took a very good resume to a bigger school as a position coach. Now I'm the DC there with the top defense in the state, a championship ring, etc.
The point is that like someone said, there are politics that are involved and that is sometimes unfortunate. But if you want to move up on a staff sometimes you put in some time on the lower end, that's fine, but let your head coach know that you would like to be considered to move up when a position opens. Show you're flexible in what you coach.
The best advice I got when I was coaching frosh ball 13 years ago was to learn as much about the game as I could so when a spot higher on the staff opened, I had to be considered. Now I'm 34 years old, I've coached WR, QB, RB, OL, LB, DB, and specials. I know that I'm viewed as a defensive coach, and more accurately a DB coach. But if I wanted to look at another job I could go in and speak about different positions.
I really can sympathize with you, because I've been where you are. If you keep your goals to yourself, no one will read your mind of what you want.
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Post by coachpassion on Feb 14, 2006 16:06:51 GMT -6
Thanks for all of the advice guys. I have a meeting with the coach on Friday...I'll keep you posted. I guess the bottom line is that I am walking away from a "promotion" from my old staff (because I don't have a choice) and I do not want to take a step backwards in my career progress.
I mean, I didn't drive an hour and a half round trip 6 days a week this past fall during my final semester of undergraduate work to not bring me one step closer to my goals...I did it because I couldn't spend another year away from the game, I did it because I want to improve as a coach, I did it so that I can hit the ground running when I'm out of school.
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Post by coachpeterson on Feb 14, 2006 16:30:57 GMT -6
Hmm, interesting topic. I started as a junior high coach and I really enjoyed the experience. I was right out of high school and it taught me a couple things: 1. I didn't know half as much as I thought I knew. 2. Kids at that age don't know half as much as I thought they'd know. But it was a great experience, I learned a lot, and kids at that age are fun to work with. Though I'd prefer stay at a higher level for now, I wouldn't trade the experience and one day down the road I'd like to return coaching junior high kids.
I wouldn't look at not being a varsity coach as a negative. It's definitely possible to move up if you prove that you're a good coach. My junior high coach was an excellent coach. In the past 12 years he's gone from being a junior high coach, up to being a freshman coach, to a varsity assistant, to the defensive coordinator, to probably getting the head coaching job this year. I started out as a junior high coach for my first 2 seasons, then when I transferred colleges, the coach down here was impressed by how much I knew for my age and offered me the opportunity to coach at the varsity level.
I think the important thing is to work to learn as much as possible and show that you're willing to do whatever you can to help the program get better. Even if you're not a varsity coach, go to all of the practices before your season starts and after it ends (freshman/junior high season starts a week later than varsity here and gets done a couple weeks earlier) and offer to help out however you can. If the varsity needs help with scouting, that's another good way to help out and learn a lot in the process. Attend the varsity off-season meetings even if you're not on the staff. All of these provide a chance to learn new things and they show your work ethic and committment to the program. Go to as many clinics as you can, always a good way to learn new things. Be open to learning new things, there's always more to be learned.
I wouldn't say it's completely unrealistic to get a varsity job in your second season, I was only in my third season when I first coached on varsity. But I got kind of lucky and fell into an open position that I happened to be qualified for. Even with politics and the other stuff that figures in, a good coach will still work their way up in my opinion, so don't get discouraged if you don't start on varsity.
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