The New Coach, What Next?

Hurray! After wondering what was going to happen with that coaching application you've been notified that you've been selected to be the Head Coach. What next? Well, for starters, get yourself organized as try-outs will be soon and you want to have all in order prior to your training camp. Surround yourself with good people. Select yourself a good team Manager that is organized and reliable and most of all will have your back. Select somebody that is a good communicator as a lot of their work will be communicating practice times, game dates, tournaments, schedule changes, co-ordinating parent volunteers, etc. Understand that your manager will be as busy as you are coaching so it's important that they are as motivated as you are. A good manager will complete the package as far as what it takes to run a good and successful program and take on a lot of duties that are necessary to run a program. This will free you up to do what you love to do and that's coach.
Secondly, surround yourself with a dedicated and knowledgeable coaching staff. Explain to them your philosophy and give them their coaching assignments. Allow them to have input within your philosophy and system. No input and they will lose interest. Yea, you're the Head Coach alright, however, their input is important, and offer another point of view especially when game adjustments are a factor. My experience with assistant coaches was to let them do what they do best and that was to coach. Challenge them to be better but never in front of the team. Face all challenges as a team, trouble-shoot together, debate scenarios, and support each other. Ultimately, there will be times that you will be challenged as the Head Coach to make the final decisions. But if your coaching staff has input it can be a lot easier.

Cheers