Delegation of Staff Responsibilities

GCTIGER,

In addition to the excellent suggestion of One Back, I had a great deal of good fortune in this area when I started using STUDENTS WHO WERE NOT PLAYER TYPES BUT HAD CERTAIN TALENTS THAT PROVED TO BE INVALUABLE TO THE TEAM. For example, I found a boy who loved the game but relaized he was not a player. He would do anything to just be around the team and made to feel useful. He was a boy who loved to do things with his hands and tools. I showed him how to make emergency helmet and pad repairs on game night and I never again worried about that necessary part of the game again until he graduated. He got to where he could do anything that needed being done with a helmet in less time than you could say Jack RObinson. I got him a shirt that was yellow in color and had the word equipment printed on the back in black ink. I got him a pair of black shorts. Our school colors were burgundy and gray, so he really stood out in black and yellow. He was as proud of his job and his "uniform" as he called it and was a real pleasure to have on my staff. I did the same thing with a kid I found who was really good with a video camera and after bringing him on board we had every practice taped, as well as, all games. I taughthim what angles we needed to see, etc. and he was proud as a peacock when I would give him a "good Job!" after a film session in front of the team. I found a parent one time, had no son on the team, but just loved to help out, who would cut the field grass for us at a small country school I was coaching at the time. He kept it looking like a pool table and took real pride in his work. I have cut enough field grass to last a life time at the 2 small schools I worked at. One of the bigggest advantages of running a program at a big school is you have maintenance people to do most all of that stuff.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

JR KELLY,

YOU KNOW WHAT IS A REAL BLESSING TO A HEAD COACH, AT LEAST IT ALWAYS WAS TO ME. IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN TOGETHER AS A STAFF LONG ENOUGH THAT EVERYONE JUST KNOWS THEIR ASSIGNMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TOLD ALL THE TIME. I used to make sure each assistant had a print out of the daily practice regimen before we hit the practice field, but on game night after a few years together they just knew who was going to handle uniform issue, make sure the phones were in working order, who was going to check behind the team managers to make certain we had what we needed before went on a road trip, etc. You know, all the little things, as well as, the big ones. Get on the road some night and at a crucial time in the game, discover you have left the helmet repair box back at the school, or the ball bag, or the gator aid mix, etc. We used to make a players check list. If I had a dollar for every time in 42 years some youngster or pro for that matter, would come up and say:
"Coach, I got to get to a sporting goods store, I forgot my cleats!" we could retire strait way!!! No joke. I ALWAYS had the assistants and myself to check each players bag before they were stored on the team's bus, JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD THEIR MOUTH PIECE, JOCK, HELMET, ETC.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE