10 Tips for Success in Coaching

While I work on my post for installing a pro-style running game, I am going to leave you with a piece on coaching philosophy that I found over at Coach Mike Pope's website - HAWG TUFF. You can find a lot of valuable information on his website.

10 Tips for Success in Coaching

• Keep your priorities in order- communicate the program priorities to the people involved with the program. For us, its Faith, Family, Education/Employment, Football 

• Surround yourself with people who can’t live without football, hire good people, coach them so they can coach the kids, let them coach. 

• Lead, motivate, be enthusiastic and positive - never allow yourself the luxury of feeling sorry for yourself (I e "we don’t have any talent, we don’t have nice uniforms, we don’t have tall receivers, we don’t have a big line"). Focus on the things you can control and celebrate the participation by every person in the program. Build those relationships. 

• Follow the guidelines spelled out in F-E-D-U-P
• Fundamentals- you have to block and tackle well
• Execution- you must have near flawless execution
• Discipline- you must have a disciplined approach, disciplined staff, disciplined team.
• Unselfish- coaches put aside egos, kids put aside personal selfish goals and focus on the team and what's best for the program
• Prepare & Perform- use time wisely, prepare for perfect performance. Remember that it’s a game, keep things fun, have a sense of humor but never allow it to interfere with hard work and intensity. "You Lead by Example, Always!" 

• Evaluate your talent and intensely examine combinations of lineups that give the team the best chances for success. Accept the input and evaluations of all people on staff. Get the kids in their best spots by the third day, leave them there. (3 day rule) and Coach Them Up! 

• Work Well With Others- you want and need support. Get the parents, admin, faculty, staff, other coaches, refs etc on your side. Build those relationships. Earn their support. Earn Their Respect!

• Be a Student of the Game- you don’t know it all, nobody does, remain humble and open minded. Understand that there may well be a better way to do things you have always done. Get better today is a good place to start every day. 

• Know What You Coach & Coach What You Know- Be the best at it, work to be the best of all time at it. Whatever it is you do, DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. If you are the "punt tee coach" then do that to the best of your ability. When you know your stuff, be the best teacher of that material. Work harder to teach your material than your students are working to learn it. 

• Make the Big Time- Where ever you are now; the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else working with or for someone else. Every situation is different, accept the one you are in and do SOMETHING to make it better today. ANYONE CAN COACH THE ALL STARS but it takes a special coach to take the worst of the worst and improve them. It takes a special person to convince others that THIS IS IT - THIS IS OUR TIME!