Whats your plan as the Head Coach to make sure you have well skilled and knowledgeable coaches?
It seems like every year I find myself sitting down and evaluating the needs of the team. Our numbers have remained constant but the desire to grow and improve is ever-increasing. As I look back to just a few years ago when most family’s were just excited this sport was available to know where I get more and more desire to compete. Being able to gauge where your team is at is crucial if you plan to try to meet the needs of all your athletes. It was apparent to me that with a team of 100 that I was going to have athletes of all skill levels. As I began to break down the numbers I found that I needed coaches that could coach at different levels. I spent time researching different training programs but wasn’t satisfied with what was out there. Eventually I took it upon myself to create my own coaching criteria that I felt satisfied the needs of the team.
Coaching Assignments
Once I determined the various skill levels of my athletes I was able to talk with my coaches and determine where they were best suited to teach. It was amazing how things fell in place as I talked with each coach. It was clear who wanted to work with beginning athletes and who wanted to work with the higher end. We have been using this system for the past two seasons with quite a bit of success. Take some time to evaluate your needs and discuss with your coaches where they feel comfortable coaching.
Not all volunteers are coaches
This is VERY important to remember when you are setting up your staff. Many parents will be enthusiastic to help but that does not mean they have a coaches bone in their body. Short of doing interviews it’s a good idea to have them tell you why they want to coach and why they think they will be a good trap and skeet coach. Some folks need time behind the line to soak up the ins and outs of the game before they are ready to lead high school athletes.