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My first objective in this article
is to impress upon the reader the critical
role planning plays in the success of
any teacher or coach. I will also share
with you some practical checklists you
should have as a coach that will assist
in your planning process. By the end
of the article, you will have tools
to make your own checklists in the preparation
of the upcoming season.
If you are a coach who wants to win,
what you really want is to give your
players the tools with which to win.
In order to do this you will need to
plan for and make certain every detail
and necessity is covered before your
first practice. Areas that you want
to develop checklists for include, but
are not limited to, strategic planning,
skills and strategies, fitness and conditioning,
team administration and risk management,
and practice planning.
When developing these checklists, you
want to write down every single item
that should be done or prepared for
under each category that you feel needs
to be on a comprehensive "to-do
list" before your first game. Essentially,
this is developed in a personal (or,
if you wish, a staff) brainstorming
session or sessions. These items also
should be answering many questions regarding
each of the areas. After you have developed
this list, put each of the items in
a prioritized order with a timeline
if applicable.
Strategic Planning: This
checklist is one that you want to review
and modify annually as needed. Items
on this checklist should be in question
form, and should act as a catalyst to
make you think of the basic reasons
as to why you coach. Questions should
make you evaluate your core beliefs
and values that will guide all your
decision making. Some items on this
list should include: "What are
my core values?," "What should
be the goal for this year's team?,"
"How are captains selected, and
what character traits do we need?"
Another area of strategic planning
that needs to be addressed is a list
of vital coaching axioms and affirmations
that you feel are critical in planning
for the success of your team. A highly
successful nationally ranked college
football coach had a list of eighteen
core affirmations and axioms that he
reviewed with his coaching staff every
year before the beginning of the season.
Two of these that I remember had to
do with what criteria they would use
when selecting a starter between two
closely aligned candidates. These were,
"Toughness over skill" and
"Hustle over ability." What
axioms do you hold when making such
decisions as these? Where does self-discipline,
leadership, and other character traits
enter in your decision making. Affirmations
that set a tone, and help to develop
the personality of your team, can also
be valuable in this area. An example
would be, "We will out-hustle all
of our opponents."
Do not forget that high school athletic
programs are educational endeavors.
Make sure you and your staff are armed
and given the freedom to take advantage
of any "teachable moments"
that may arrive during the course of
the season. Good strategic planning
gives you the necessary tools and the
initiative to take advantage of such
opportunities when coaching young students.
Skills and Strategies: This
checklist is a must. Every single skill
that needs to be mastered by each player
and/or position should be listed as
well as every strategy to be learned
by any player, group, or the entire
team. Additionally, each item should
have a deadline as to when it is to
be taught and learned. Woe is the coach
whose team loses a game to opponents
using strategies that your players had
not been taught. Put each item in chronological
order as to when you want it to be learned
by the players. You may wish to list
them by each week of your pre-season
practices.
Fitness and Conditioning:
This list should cover the fitness and
conditioning needs for your team. If
you do any pre-season testing, include
it on this checklist. What will be your
conditioning routines in the areas of
warm-up, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular
endurance, agility, etc? Will you be
using a post practice conditioning and
an in-season strength program? If so,
what will you be doing each day or at
each practice and when? Will the routine
be based upon sound physiological principles?
Is there a sense of purpose in what
is done daily and weekly for fitness?
Most importantly, have you written down
your program for the entire season?
Team Administration and Risk
Management: This checklist
should include such items as eligibility,
birth certificates, physical exams,
insurance, parent permission, and warning
of inherent risk forms. Additionally,
this list should include a full maintenance
checklist for your facilities (Lockers
working? Scoreboard? PA system? Bleacher
check? Field or court check? Equipment
check? Etc.). What are your Heat Guidelines?
Do you have a lightning protocol? What
about your safety plan if someone has
to be transported if injured? Who will
be helping you to administer your games
(scorekeepers, statisticians, chain
crew, managers, etc.)? Additionally,
this list should include a review of
the Fourteen Legal Duties of a Coach,
the Coaches Code of Ethics, and specific
policies of your school and/or district
that apply to athletics. Reviewing the
Fourteen Legal Duties of Coaches annually
will prevent a lot of headaches and
serve as an excellent checklist (if
not, a guide for developing your checklists)
for a lot of the items mentioned in
this entire article.
A complete communications plan should
also be an integral part of this checklist.
What about summer communications (letters,
post cards, phone calls) to players?
What are your team rules (Code of Conduct
for Athletes) and how are they communicated?
Practice times, game schedules, transportation
plans, itineraries for away contests,
are just some of the items that need
to be communicated to players and parents.
Your pre-season player-parent meeting
should be a must and a full, well-planned
agenda will take care of most of these
communications necessities.
Practice Planning:
Effective coaches have practice schedules
for the entire season already made out.
Many coaches use a "Table"
(Word) or an "Excel" spread
sheet template and simply fill in the
blocks for each practice period (warm-up,
individual drills, group drills, special
teams (plays), team period, etc.) on
the left column and the player positions
horizontally across the top. It does
not matter which format you use, but
that you have your practices planned
well in advance. Such planning is an
action of putting a checklist into practice.
Making out your practice schedule with
your "Skills and Strategies"
and "Fitness and Conditioning"
checklists at your side would ensure
that everything on these two lists is
covered and in the time frame you have
selected. By the way, I strongly suggest
you post your practice schedules daily.
This will go a long way in communicating
strong, positive messages of support,
care, and professionalism.
These checklists should be developed
and executed well in advance of the
season and are a constant work in progress.
You never want to wait until the week
of your first game to find out that
one of the above items has been left
out or forgotten. This could place undue
pressure on you to make sure it gets
done.
I have only mentioned five areas of
planning. Perhaps you have others that
are important to you and your program.
Regardless, good planning will enhance
your program by giving it an air of
class. Players and parents will take
notice and see you as highly professional
and organized. The players will know
that you mean business and that you
are both serious and passionate about
coaching them. You will be giving them
the tools to win with! Most of all,
great planning and organization will
send the message to the kids and their
parents that you genuinely care about
them. Always remember, "Kids won't
care unless they know you care!"
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