Assisting to be a better Head Coach in Youth Football

You must learn how to serve first to be a great leader.  I’ve always heard that philosophy but I was not a true believer until this football season in Keller Tx just North of Ft Worth.  I moved to Keller this past summer and was too late for a Head Coaching spot.  The HC of my oldest son’s team asked me to assist with the offensive line after 3 games of poor blocking.  I also helped a bit with my youngest son’s Keller Select football team.  Since I was not a Head Coach this season, I told myself to watch, listen and learn this season, and that’s what I did.

Here are a few quick points I learned as a parent and an assisted coach to be a better Head Coach:

1. Over Communicate and then communicate again
2. Organize practice before practice
3. Assistant coaches can not read the head coach’s mind
4. Adjust coaching staff if it’s not working
5. Each player has a different motivation
6. You can’t coach everyone the same
7. Head Coaches can not be late to practice or games on a regular basis
8. Different coaches see different player skills
9. Parents want feedback on their children – report  card
10. If you don’t practice that situation, you will not perform that situation well in a game
11. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
12. Head coach is not perfect and neither am I

What have you learned from serving as an assistant coach that you will implement as a head coach in youth football?

Thanks
Coach Parker
Keller, TX