Coaching content provided by the NSCAA

A Good Coach and Manager
(Part 2 of 3)

Off-field activities must be organized and work delegated
By Karen Stanley

Team Management
Team rules - Must have a legitimate purpose.

Fairness and integrity, respect and diversity - Players must build trust in each other and the team and must respect each other's differences.

Captains and leadership - Players who must be able to lead as well as follow, they must display loyalty, willingness to solve problems and be role models in observing team rules. The coach can insist that playing time not be an issue between player and coach.

Goal setting - Both individual and team goals should be set, including technical, tactical, physical and psychological goals. They must be reviewed and evaluated.

Life skills - Review lifelong values.

Team building - Can include such events as rope course training, esteem exercises, yogurt/pizza parties, posting of quotes, special awards (players of the week, etc.). Use off-field time for these events. Review team goals three times a year with the team, small groups of players and individual players.

Injuries - Delegate care and monitoring of injuries to an assistant coach so the head coach can concentrate on team preparation and supervision.

Academics - The coach's attitude is important. All players are student-athletes. Emphasize study time on road trips, in rooms, etc.

Psychology - An important element in coaching, training for mental toughness should be included. One way is for a coach to referee scrimmages and makes unfair calls ("Part of the game!"), allowing them to develop skills for playing under adverse conditions.

Life skills - Need to address such issues as nutrition and alcohol and other substance abuse.

Season management
Preseason - Send the players letters that contain the off-season conditioning program and also remind players of goals, physical and otherwise. Establish the length and content of sessions (physical, technical, tactical and psychological) of your practice sessions. Will there be tryouts or will preseason be by invitation? Train yourself to be objective. Use assistant coaches or others you trust to give you feedback in order to maintain objectivity.

Practice - Content should be based on the team's deficiencies as demonstrated in prior games. Decide on length, field setup and necessary equipment prior to the session. Decide how to obtain assistants and utilize them effectively.

Pre-game - Prepare a pre-game check list, which should include all equipment needed. Make designing the pre-game warm-up joint effort of coach and players.

Halftime - An especially important time on the road. Know where you want to go before the game begins (i.e., trees on sunny days, etc.). Avoid distractions.

Post-game - Use some exercises in the cool down phase to avoid soreness, then carefully and briefly craft remarks. If you feel obliged to overreact, wait until the next day.

Scheduling - Strive for balance between games the team can win, games that are 50-50 and those that will challenge the team. Try to avoid lots of tough games in a row. Try to balance home and away matches throughout the season.

Scouting - Not many teams scout. If you can't observe the opposing team, call on someone whose judgment is valued to gain a sense of opponent's strength. Use an assistant to scout. If you play a team twice in a season, use a videotape to review that team's play.

Staff management
Assistant coaches, goalkeeper coaches - Insist on loyalty. Give responsibility with the objective of having them leave and become head coaches themselves. Ask for their feedback and give them yours. If you don't have assistants, look in your community for various forms of assistance.

Managers - Many students want to get involved. They can be helpful performing meaningful tasks at practices and games.

Team parents and volunteers - People with a variety of skills can aid the team in various roles (fundraisers, travel, etc.). Volunteers may be great as demonstrators, goalkeeper coaches, etc.

Facilities, equipment, personnel, athletic trainers - They can take pressure off coach so he or she can coach.

(To be continued in the December issue of Cal South E-News...)