Time Commitments for Head Coaches Youth Football – Pee Wee Football
What are the time commitments for head coaches in youth football? Much more than you think! Coaching youth football is tough. To be successful the time commitments for head coaches is 10 plus hours and more.
So you want to be a youth football Head Coach or you are already one. Are you committed to do your best for the team? The players and the parents look to you as the football guru, the inspirational leader of the team. What most youth football Head Coaches don’t get is that they are also the Chief Executive Officer or General Manager of a small company of about 60 players and parents.
Not only must you develop the entire football system that your team will run, but you must also be accountant, sponsorship sales, equipment manager, psychologist, marriage counselor, trainer and sometimes babysitter. I think I forgot a few, but I love being a Head Football Coach. Because, I love football and coaching young players. To be honest, I was not ready for the many hats one must wear and the overall time commitment it takes to be coach successful team.
Time Commitments for Head Coaches
If you are thinking about becoming a Head Coach for any sport, you should ask yourself;
- Am I committed to doing my best; giving 110%?
- Am I willing to put up with today’s over-the-top sports parent?
- Am I willing to take the criticism when we lose?
- Am I willing to commit the time it takes to coach a successful team?
- Am I willing to sacrifice family time to coach others?
- Does my job allow me the time to coach? Leave at 4:30pm?
I started coaching because of some of my son’s coaches were not committed. I watched my son’s coaches waist the our family’s time and the teams time, because they were not committed to doing their best and put in the time to make the players and team successful. Youth sports requires a ton of time from everyone don’t waste this opportunity.
During the pee wee tackle football season, I spend on average 20 hours a week on my coaching duties as a Head Coach.
- Practice 3x week @ 2hours + 1 hour Prep / Post 9 hours
- Game 1X week @ 3 hours 3 hours
- Game / Practice Prep / Player Depth Chart / study 3 hours
- Coaches Meeting 1/2X Week 2 hours
- Drive Time Practice & Games 3 hours
During off season, well I started this blog because I was spending a lot of time in the off-season studying football.
I am not saying you must put in 20 hours a week, that’s what I must do to do my best and be successful.
Do you need practice plans? Free Practice Plan eBook pdf.
But, I am saying that you can’t show up for practice in flip flops, without your coaches equipment bag and never remember any of your players names. And the biggest point, you can’t miss the majority of your practices and games.
If you are the Head Coach, you must always try to be the first at the field and the last to leave.
Check out my Youth Football Coaching Clinic video Series.
Good luck this season.
I have been coaching for 4 years and I am the head coach this year.I want to run the singlewing and not sure on the defense.Do you know what will help me to start the singlewing and a good defense?
MAJ Dom Tanglao (ILE-Staff Group 29A)
Coach,
You’ve brought up good points. What are your thoughts about fathers coaching their children on the same team?
In the past I’ve had experience with professional coaches that can separate their relations with their children IOT coach a “team” concept.
However, during the past two seasons, we’ve experienced coaches taking care of their own in the expense of other talented kids that are on the same team.
Is it a good idea to implement a rule in youth football that prohibits coaches from coaching their children IOT mitigate conflicts of interests?
I helped our teams at practice. I was not an official coach but I helped coach most practices. The child I was hardest on was my son, if he goofed off he ran, if he did not pay attention he ran as I coached another kid in is position. I have a 104 pound 8 year old that was the 3rd fastest kid on a 1st 2nd grade team, when practicing defence, our center would have a hard time blocking him, so I would try to teach the center tricks and techniques to block my son. Not because I wanted him blocked but I wanted our center to be a better lineman. If they switched and the center/dt was having trouble with my son guard/nt then I would teach him dl techniques. If he started beating my son, I would teach my son what he was doing wrong, if he was not beating my son but he was wrong I would stop and instruct and vice verse. I don’t know why people have to show favortism, if your child cant cut it at practice and in the game work with them at home till they do.
If you figure 2 hrs per night at practice at least 1 hour for the game. If you add drive time for an away game you are talking about 10+ hours a week just for a player and his family. For a coach, you are talking a minimum of a part time job, with no pay. There are great benefits though, watching a team of raw recruits becoming a juggernaut. Watching the growth of individual kids and the progress they make. Dealing with all the caring, loving parents, (they are ALWAYS pleasant).