Thinking of coaching football....

[Guiness]

MY gf's son is in his first year of high school and trying out for the football team. I went to watch practice yesterday and wow did I get bit by the itch to get out there in some way shape or form!

This is the junior team, and there's no Pop Warner up here so a lot of the players have no idea what position they will be playing. After separating out the kids they tagged as linemen, they ran running some receiver/DB drills (even rotating anyone at QB who wanted to throw!). Watching the DBs try to figure out what to do almost made my head explode!

They only had two coaches that day, and the handout that was sent home said they were looking for help. Awful tempting, I think I might do it!

[pbmax]

Do it, have some fun yelling at someone else's kids!

[red]

don't forget, coaching also involves all the fun politics . all the parents asking why their kid can't be the starting QB. how come their 95 pound 16 year old who runs a 6.3 can't be the starting HB?

high schoolers IMO, are already too old and already think they know everything. if you can't coach them before junior high, then i wouldn't do it

[Patler]

don't forget, coaching also involves all the fun politics . all the parents asking why their kid can't be the starting QB. how come their 95 pound 16 year old who runs a 6.3 can't be the starting HB?

high schoolers IMO, are already too old and already think they know everything. if you can't coach them before junior high, then i wouldn't do it

I coached soccer for a lot of years. Actually had a parent come to me one time, with a stopwatch around her neck, and tell me how many minutes and seconds her son played compared to selected others. She asked if I would make it up to him in the next game,

[red]

I coached soccer for a lot of years. Actually had a parent come to me one time, with a stopwatch around her neck, and tell me how many minutes and seconds her son played compared to selected others. She asked if I would make it up to him in the next game,

THAT!

coaching does seem fun, but it can turn into a giant pain in the ass very quickly

i had a neighbor patler, big time soccer player and coach, decided to help the local kids by having a completely free summer soccer camp. he brought in college players and the whole nine yards to teach the kids how to play the right way. in the fall, he went to ref one of the games being played by all his camp students. they were all running around in total chaos. he went to the coaches after the game (the parents were the coaches)and asked them why the kids weren't doing anything he taught them. they told him they would play the game the way the coaches wanted to play the game. he then told the coaches that he would be more then happy to have a coaches clinic to teach the parents how to play the game the right way. they told him "No thanks, we like the way we run the games"

so instead of playing soccer the right way, the kids around here continue to play the game like a swarm of bees chasing the the ball around the pitch

you just can't win with parents

[pbmax]

I coached soccer for a lot of years. Actually had a parent come to me one time, with a stopwatch around her neck, and tell me how many minutes and seconds her son played compared to selected others. She asked if I would make it up to him in the next game,

And your reply?

[CaptainKickass]

And your reply?

[Guiness]

Hmmm, pretty pessimistic responses!

I'm not overly concerned about the politics from the parents. First off, football is a lot less serious up here. I've coached hockey, which would approach the way gridiron is treated in the US, and managed to deal with the off-ice stuff ok. I've got a no bullshit attitude and tell parents the way it is. When I coached U15 soccer, I had a fabulous center midfielder who happened to be a long distance runner. Kid didn't come off the field all year - I had one parent mention this. I gave them a level stare and said "Really? That's you're recommendation, that I take Micheal off the field?" That was the end of that discussion.

I am concerned about the age level, Red. I'm hoping the know-it-all attitude won't be there because these kids have never played before. The head coach is a former CFLer, and I played in University. I hope we would get the respect we need? You're right though, and I'm not sure.

[wist43]

MY gf's son is in his first year of high school and trying out for the football team. I went to watch practice yesterday and wow did I get bit by the itch to get out there in some way shape or form!

This is the junior team, and there's no Pop Warner up here so a lot of the players have no idea what position they will be playing. After separating out the kids they tagged as linemen, they ran running some receiver/DB drills (even rotating anyone at QB who wanted to throw!). Watching the DBs try to figure out what to do almost made my head explode!

They only had two coaches that day, and the handout that was sent home said they were looking for help. Awful tempting, I think I might do it!

Go for it if you have the time... word of warning though - parents suck. I repeat, PARENTS SUCK!!!

Kids are usually pretty good to work with - you both get a lot out of working on something, and seeing improvement. It is rewarding - but you'll be hit by nasty parents on every side... it's really amazing how horrible they are.

That's Amerika these days though I guess... Amerikans suck, lol

[wist43]

lol... I just posted without reading any of the other responses...

Yes, the consensus is - PARENTS SUCK!!!

I used to coach youth basketball - I've lived the nightmare... I quit b/c of the parents.

[wist43]

Randy Marsh for President!!!

[MJZiggy]

The other consideration is that you've got an interest in the team and clearly have an interest in the way it is coached. If watching others try to handle it is making your head explode, and you don't offer to help, you will have that exploding head syndrome all year and the parents will get annoyed when your brains start dripping out your ear on them. So you're screwed either way, you may as well have some fun while helping the kids get better. Screw the parents.

[sharpe1027]

Sounds like you would be helping more as an assistant and not the head coach. That may cut down on how much politics you have to deal with.

[Patler]

And your reply?

Well, you might find this surprising, but as a coach I tended to be very detail oriented! So, my answer was very easy. Before I explain it, let me set the stage:

- This was primarily intended as a recreational league, but we kept standings, had mid-season and year end tournaments, etc.
- As I recall, it was ages something like 8-9 or 9-10, something like that.
- talent level was all over the place, some very good, some not so much.
- Because it was a rec. league, all kids had to play every game.
- Rosters were relatively small
- Some coaches would send their less talented on the field with no instruction and almost pretended they weren't there.
- I took coaching seriously, and insisted kids play their positions.
- I also insisted that kids play different positions, just for the experience.
- I varied who would start, where they would start, etc.
- My more talented players loved it, because they played everywhere.

Now, as I said, I was rather detail oriented; and planned ahead. So, when she approached me I pulled out my notebook, showed her my lineup for the next game, pointed out the exact rotation I would follow for substitutions and where her son was in the rotation. I then showed her the game after the next one. I pretended there were more, but the truth was I only had the two done. I "apologized" for not being able to control how long the game would run between times that I could make substitutions, sometimes it would be long, sometimes short, but when any player entered the game, it was for multiple segments, it was never on and off in successive substitutions. I pointed out that in the end, every player was within 1 playing segment of every other player, but playing times were out of my control.

She looked at me rather blankly, and walked away without saying another word.

[pbmax]

Well, you might find this surprising, but as a coach I tended to be very detail oriented! So, my answer was very easy. Before I explain it, let me set the stage:

- This was primarily intended as a recreational league, but we kept standings, had mid-season and year end tournaments, etc.
- As I recall, it was ages something like 8-9 or 9-10, something like that.
- talent level was all over the place, some very good, some not so much.
- Because it was a rec. league, all kids had to play every game.
- Rosters were relatively small
- Some coaches would send their less talented on the field with no instruction and almost pretended they weren't there.
- I took coaching seriously, and insisted kids play their positions.
- I also insisted that kids play different positions, just for the experience.
- I varied who would start, where they would start, etc.
- My more talented players loved it, because they played everywhere.

Now, as I said, I was rather detail oriented; and planned ahead. So, when she approached me I pulled out my notebook, showed her my lineup for the next game, pointed out the exact rotation I would follow for substitutions and where her son was in the rotation. I then showed her the game after the next one. I pretended there were more, but the truth was I only had the two done. I "apologized" for not being able to control how long the game would run between times that I could make substitutions, sometimes it would be long, sometimes short, but when any player entered the game, it was for multiple segments, it was never on and off in successive substitutions. I pointed out that in the end, every player was within 1 playing segment of every other player, but playing times were out of my control.

She looked at me rather blankly, and walked away without saying another word.

Love it.