Post by Oneback on Apr 21, 2013 14:23:50 GMT
Several years ago, I (along with Coach Chester Fritz) taught a course in "COACHING FOOTBALL", which was offered to students (who wished to enter coaching) at VCU (of Shaka Smart's BB "HAVOC" DEFENSE FAME). The class was also taken by many area coaches (Youth League, Middle School, High School).
Here is an OUTLINE of the class:
1. The Beginning of Football
2. Football in the United States.
3. Athletics — Principles and Objectives
4. The Coaching Profession (Is It For You?; ETC.)
5. The "Musts" of Coaching (Developing a Football Philosophy; Motivation; ETC.)
6. Organization (Including Staff Development; What Constitutes a GOOD Coach; "Teaching Methods"; Common Coaching Errors and How To Avoid Them; ETC.)
7. Developing An Offense
8. Quarterbacking
9. Defense
10. Kicking Game
11. Scouting
12. Equipment
13. Conditioning Programs (Weights; Speed; Combatives; Etc.)
14. Sports Medicine Segment (Safety; Injuries; Heat Problems; etc.)
15. Selling Your Program To The Public
16. Summation Points
MOST of these were ONE 2 hour evening school class sessions, but SOME (3 for Offense & 3 for Defense & 2 for Kicking Game) were 2 or 3 class sessions. Course were offered at night, & out-of season, so as not to interfere with the Coach's job or practices.
******************************************************
NOTE: Many of our former students still tell me that the following lecture helped them MOST:
"THE COACHING PROFESSION" (by Bill Mountjoy)
BEFORE CHOOSING THE COACHING PROFESSION:
First of all, in choosing any profession one should ask himself the following three basic questions:
1. Do you like best to work with things?
2. Do you like best to work with people?
3. Do you like best to work with facts?
If your answer to No. 2 is "yes", then you are ready to consider the coaching profession. Below are some facts relative to the coaching profession which should be given careful consideration:
a) Do you have a sincere interest in young people?
b) Do you like to teach?
c) Do you have an intense love for the game you plan to coach?
d) Do you have patience?
e) Are you willing to sacrifice time and effort, to go beyond the "call of duty"?
f) Are you willing to be a servant of the community?
g) Do you have leadership qualities?
THE COACHING PROFESSION:
1. It has been slow to gain recognition as a profession along side other great professions.
2. The public has begun to recognize the coach as an educator, as a student of the laws of teaching and learning, and as a master of applied psychology.
3. It provides personal satisfaction and thrills that no other profession can, such as associating with great athletes and watching them develop.
4. The trend is toward stabilization, longer tenure, less dramatic emphasis on the won-and-loss record.
5. Good coaching includes developing character, personality, habits of the players, and providing guidance for the players as well as the efficient teaching of fundamentals and team play.
6. There is a definite need for more men of high ideals in the coaching profession. The opportunity and the challenge are there.
OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE LIVES OF OTHERS: No other profession provides a greater scope of influence on young people and on the community as a whole. A coach has perpetual and unlimited opportunities to influence the lives of others for good.
a) Athletes are leaders within the school. They are idealized by younger children.
b) Athletes reflect the character of the coach as their conduct depends a great deal upon what the coach demands of them.
c) The attitude of the community is influenced by the way in which the coach conducts himself on and off the field.
ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE PROFESSION:
1. Jobs range all the way from Junior and Senior High School coaching to "big time" college and professional coaching.
2. The road is rocky, but advancement is almost unlimited. However, one should bear in mind that the higher he goes, the less security he has.
GENERAL NOTES ON COACHING:
Success in athletic coaching goes hand in hand with hard work. There is no short cut. A coach must also sell his team this idea.
Study and read all materials available relative to coaching, to conditioning, to education, to psychology, to First Aid, etc., keep an open mind.
It is very important to have good organization. One should go about his coaching duties in a systematic, business-like manner.
Study your personnel in order to be able to get the most out of them. You must know your personnel - - - this applies to staff members as well as players.
Never go on the field unless every minute is planned in detail. Learn to budget time.
Promote athletics in lower grades. Encourage younger boys to keep up their graqdes. Get to know them personally if possible. The important point is to reach them early.
Promote and organize junior varsity teams. Never let boys stand around. Show an interest in all.
See that all boys take a physical examination before the start of the practice sessions.
Know First Aid and how to apply it if you do not have a qualified trainer. Remember the welfare of the boy comes first.
Condition your squad. It is a crime to send a team into a game in a poor condition.
Have a physician present at all games and never play a boy without his approval.
Athletic coaching is the teaching of motor habits. It takes drill, repetition, and plenty of practice. Remember, your boys are not concentrating like the coach - - - never forget, they are young.
The basic fundamentals must be mastered first. It is not what YOU know, but what you teach that determines YOUR success.
Performance is more important than form. Never over-coach a boy.
Praise is more effective than criticism. There is only one type of criticism allowed in coaching and that is constructive. A boy never resents your helping im.
Be patient with the slow learner - - - he may be your best member in the end.
Build the intangibles. Create the feeling of "all for one, and one for all". Work at keeping down jealousy among the players. Watch out for cliques within the squad. Never let anything or anybody influence your playing a boy other than his value to the team.
Maintain a friendly, kindly relationship with all the boys on your team - - - do not become too familiar with any. If you must reprimand a boy, if at all possible, try to follow it up with a friendly word as soon as possible.
Be loyal to your players at all costs. Take the blame for the defeats and give them the credit for the victories.
Before you issue a penalty, be sure you are in a position to enforce it, and then stand by it.
You must quickly find out what it takes to command respect from your squad. Different coaches use different approaches. Yours must fit in with your personality.
Never try to imitate anyone - - - be yourself. What works for one coach won't automatically work for another.
Be fair in all dealings with the boys, but be aware of their individual differences. Some respond to firm treatment, while others will more readily respond to a pat on the back.
Never try to be popular. Stand up for what you believe to be right and the boys will respect you for it. If you have their best interest at heart, they will soon know it, and come around to your way of thinking.
Preaching hate doctrines may get results some few times, but a good coach should never lower himself to use such tactics.
Prepare in practice, not in the locker room just before the game. Pep talks should be given during the cweek prior to the game.
Allow no profanity, gambling, drinking, or questionable stories around the locker room. Keep everything on a high plane.
Build the tradition that only boys of high character make your team.
Do nothing, on or off the field, to cause your boys to lose faith and confidence in you. It is almost impossible to be restored if lost.
Encourage your boys to be leaders off the field as well as on the field.
Here is an OUTLINE of the class:
1. The Beginning of Football
2. Football in the United States.
3. Athletics — Principles and Objectives
4. The Coaching Profession (Is It For You?; ETC.)
5. The "Musts" of Coaching (Developing a Football Philosophy; Motivation; ETC.)
6. Organization (Including Staff Development; What Constitutes a GOOD Coach; "Teaching Methods"; Common Coaching Errors and How To Avoid Them; ETC.)
7. Developing An Offense
8. Quarterbacking
9. Defense
10. Kicking Game
11. Scouting
12. Equipment
13. Conditioning Programs (Weights; Speed; Combatives; Etc.)
14. Sports Medicine Segment (Safety; Injuries; Heat Problems; etc.)
15. Selling Your Program To The Public
16. Summation Points
MOST of these were ONE 2 hour evening school class sessions, but SOME (3 for Offense & 3 for Defense & 2 for Kicking Game) were 2 or 3 class sessions. Course were offered at night, & out-of season, so as not to interfere with the Coach's job or practices.
******************************************************
NOTE: Many of our former students still tell me that the following lecture helped them MOST:
"THE COACHING PROFESSION" (by Bill Mountjoy)
BEFORE CHOOSING THE COACHING PROFESSION:
First of all, in choosing any profession one should ask himself the following three basic questions:
1. Do you like best to work with things?
2. Do you like best to work with people?
3. Do you like best to work with facts?
If your answer to No. 2 is "yes", then you are ready to consider the coaching profession. Below are some facts relative to the coaching profession which should be given careful consideration:
a) Do you have a sincere interest in young people?
b) Do you like to teach?
c) Do you have an intense love for the game you plan to coach?
d) Do you have patience?
e) Are you willing to sacrifice time and effort, to go beyond the "call of duty"?
f) Are you willing to be a servant of the community?
g) Do you have leadership qualities?
THE COACHING PROFESSION:
1. It has been slow to gain recognition as a profession along side other great professions.
2. The public has begun to recognize the coach as an educator, as a student of the laws of teaching and learning, and as a master of applied psychology.
3. It provides personal satisfaction and thrills that no other profession can, such as associating with great athletes and watching them develop.
4. The trend is toward stabilization, longer tenure, less dramatic emphasis on the won-and-loss record.
5. Good coaching includes developing character, personality, habits of the players, and providing guidance for the players as well as the efficient teaching of fundamentals and team play.
6. There is a definite need for more men of high ideals in the coaching profession. The opportunity and the challenge are there.
OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE LIVES OF OTHERS: No other profession provides a greater scope of influence on young people and on the community as a whole. A coach has perpetual and unlimited opportunities to influence the lives of others for good.
a) Athletes are leaders within the school. They are idealized by younger children.
b) Athletes reflect the character of the coach as their conduct depends a great deal upon what the coach demands of them.
c) The attitude of the community is influenced by the way in which the coach conducts himself on and off the field.
ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE PROFESSION:
1. Jobs range all the way from Junior and Senior High School coaching to "big time" college and professional coaching.
2. The road is rocky, but advancement is almost unlimited. However, one should bear in mind that the higher he goes, the less security he has.
GENERAL NOTES ON COACHING:
Success in athletic coaching goes hand in hand with hard work. There is no short cut. A coach must also sell his team this idea.
Study and read all materials available relative to coaching, to conditioning, to education, to psychology, to First Aid, etc., keep an open mind.
It is very important to have good organization. One should go about his coaching duties in a systematic, business-like manner.
Study your personnel in order to be able to get the most out of them. You must know your personnel - - - this applies to staff members as well as players.
Never go on the field unless every minute is planned in detail. Learn to budget time.
Promote athletics in lower grades. Encourage younger boys to keep up their graqdes. Get to know them personally if possible. The important point is to reach them early.
Promote and organize junior varsity teams. Never let boys stand around. Show an interest in all.
See that all boys take a physical examination before the start of the practice sessions.
Know First Aid and how to apply it if you do not have a qualified trainer. Remember the welfare of the boy comes first.
Condition your squad. It is a crime to send a team into a game in a poor condition.
Have a physician present at all games and never play a boy without his approval.
Athletic coaching is the teaching of motor habits. It takes drill, repetition, and plenty of practice. Remember, your boys are not concentrating like the coach - - - never forget, they are young.
The basic fundamentals must be mastered first. It is not what YOU know, but what you teach that determines YOUR success.
Performance is more important than form. Never over-coach a boy.
Praise is more effective than criticism. There is only one type of criticism allowed in coaching and that is constructive. A boy never resents your helping im.
Be patient with the slow learner - - - he may be your best member in the end.
Build the intangibles. Create the feeling of "all for one, and one for all". Work at keeping down jealousy among the players. Watch out for cliques within the squad. Never let anything or anybody influence your playing a boy other than his value to the team.
Maintain a friendly, kindly relationship with all the boys on your team - - - do not become too familiar with any. If you must reprimand a boy, if at all possible, try to follow it up with a friendly word as soon as possible.
Be loyal to your players at all costs. Take the blame for the defeats and give them the credit for the victories.
Before you issue a penalty, be sure you are in a position to enforce it, and then stand by it.
You must quickly find out what it takes to command respect from your squad. Different coaches use different approaches. Yours must fit in with your personality.
Never try to imitate anyone - - - be yourself. What works for one coach won't automatically work for another.
Be fair in all dealings with the boys, but be aware of their individual differences. Some respond to firm treatment, while others will more readily respond to a pat on the back.
Never try to be popular. Stand up for what you believe to be right and the boys will respect you for it. If you have their best interest at heart, they will soon know it, and come around to your way of thinking.
Preaching hate doctrines may get results some few times, but a good coach should never lower himself to use such tactics.
Prepare in practice, not in the locker room just before the game. Pep talks should be given during the cweek prior to the game.
Allow no profanity, gambling, drinking, or questionable stories around the locker room. Keep everything on a high plane.
Build the tradition that only boys of high character make your team.
Do nothing, on or off the field, to cause your boys to lose faith and confidence in you. It is almost impossible to be restored if lost.
Encourage your boys to be leaders off the field as well as on the field.