How much time does it take?

[CoachGLenn]

I met with our school board last night to talk about six-man football. There is support for the program, but one hurdle remaining before our program is a reality, a coach.

There are many opinions about who and how to coach a team. From a full time hire to parent volunteers. Each has its positives and negatives.

I have been tasked to contact possible parents and coaches to find out if they are interested in helping with coaching. However, I don’t have a clue as to what it takes to coach a small school six man team.

I have coached in recreational sports and know there is a significant time commitment necessary to do a good job and that some parents can be a great help in practices. Our program will be competing with a well-established eleven man youth football program and the athletic program offered at the public school.

To approach this endeavor unprepared will stamp it “one-and –done”.

My questions are….
• How many hours a week can a head coach expect to spend coaching and coordinating a football team?
• How many hours a week should a volunteer coach be expected to commit to?
• How many practices a week is average? How long?
• What type of summer program would you recommend and how long?
• Is six man all year job?
• Anything else you would like to add regarding coaching and developing a successful program…

Thanks, CoachGlenn

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Hint # 1 - Do not have parents involved.

# 2 - See above

 

[fajitapete]

It's a job, there can be but one head coach. Hire one, give him time, successive programs take several years to get off the ground.

Give him all the support and help he asks for but don't allow parents to interfere.

 

[CowboyP]

I think HPD & Pete are right. Keep the parents in the cheering section.

 

[pojocrusader]

Dont rely on any thing you read on this site...................................................................... Go find a Coach who has built a solid program and take him to lunch, he may give you the advice you need to be successful

 

[Dogface]

Dont rely on any thing you read on this site...................................................................... Go find a Coach who has built a solid program and take him to lunch, he may give you the advice you need to be successful

And then HE will tell you the same thing Drifter did.
Pee-wee dads are the bane of my existance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dogface]

I think HPD & Pete are right. Keep the parents in the cheering section.

Perhaps,
Video taping the games and making copies
and keeping stats
would be ok
for daddy.
Coach needs to be an employee of the school.

 

[Texman301]

And for the right price and teaching field, Dogface will come do it!

 

[51eleven]

Coach, this subject comes up every 3-4 months on here. I believe (coach) lifegatesports on here has a DVD on start up programs. He may see this & post, if not you can contact him via a personal message from this site. He & many of the other better coaches are kind of busy right now fine tuning for a 1st playoff game & hope to be so for the next month. Along that line, if your not familar with the game try to find a game or 2 or 3 you (and other interested parties) can attend while they're still playing (use Granger's map on here). Other resources in general: sixman coaches association website, Coach Underwood's book "Six Man Football" - amazon. You didn't say for sure if it's a startup or your moving up from 11 man.
If you think there's a chance, advise potential players to start running extra windsprint's yesterday, speed kills more often than not in this game.
Also, multiple coaching clinics available in late spring/summer via this site + 6m coaches assn.

 

[kbjoe1]

i agree ask an expert but do not have parents involved with the program other than support. it is a full time year around job to be successful. allow your coach some latitude and time to get the program implemented. look at programs that a successful along with the coaches that lead them. please understand the established and successful coaches are use to the many hours it takes to prepare a team. see if you can go visit a system that is in your area that is successful, coaches school is a good place to talk to some too

 

[bulldawgs]

Coach, first and most important thing to look for in a coach, regardless of sport is ethics. Too many seasons and reputations are destroyed by an unethical coach looking for a quick fix. Point two, there are no quick fixes. Find a good ethical coach who will not bring public embarressment to your program and give them time to develop their system. For pointers I recommend you contact some of the different leagues and seek guidance from their presidents, attend some upcoming coaching clinics in the spring, and attend as many of these playoff games as you can make.

As far as parents go, your head coach needs to be unbiased (hence not a parent). If a parent has the needed qualifications (proven high school or college level coaching experience, played football at a high level, etc) then you can use them as an assistant, but never as a head coach.

Good luck to you

 

[ChargerCoach]

speed kills more often than not in this game.

Amen to that, and to the advice on getting in shape speed-wise.

 

[Dogface]

And for the right price and teaching field, Dogface will come do it!

I don't get it.
I can't tell what that little helmet thingy is.

 

[smokeyjoe53]

I met with our school board last night to talk about six-man football. There is support for the program, but one hurdle remaining before our program is a reality, a coach.

There are many opinions about who and how to coach a team. From a full time hire to parent volunteers. Each has its positives and negatives.

I have been tasked to contact possible parents and coaches to find out if they are interested in helping with coaching. However, I don’t have a clue as to what it takes to coach a small school six man team.

I have coached in recreational sports and know there is a significant time commitment necessary to do a good job and that some parents can be a great help in practices. Our program will be competing with a well-established eleven man youth football program and the athletic program offered at the public school.

To approach this endeavor unprepared will stamp it “one-and –done”.

My questions are….
• How many hours a week can a head coach expect to spend coaching and coordinating a football team?
• How many hours a week should a volunteer coach be expected to commit to?
• How many practices a week is average? How long?
• What type of summer program would you recommend and how long?
• Is six man all year job?
• Anything else you would like to add regarding coaching and developing a successful program…

Thanks, CoachGlenn

Answers to your questions
#1 168
#2 6
#3 5, 10
#4 Coaching Clinics, Weights & Conditioning
#5 yes
#6 Commitment & Dedication

 

[freeagent]

I think HPD & Pete are right. Keep the parents in the cheering section.

Problem is, boys, our good friend is at what our other good friend, Goob, calls one of dem church skools.

When you deal with private schools, for good or for bad, you have to deal with parent volunteers coaching at many levels. Some of the larger schools (elementary and secondary) have some full-time staff coaches, but many depend on volunteers. When the budget is tight, the idea of hiring a "full time coach" (who probably would also teach a full schedule of classes plus the after hours for practices and games) even at private schools with low salaries is not (1) affordable or (2) will burn the poor guy/gal out within a year or two. And the idea that private schools are flush with money and rich benefactors is the exception, not the rule.

Some volunteers are better than others. And what you hope will happen is that the creme rises to the top and you can get folks who will be good coaches and good role models. The trick is being able to find the folks who are willing to put in the real effort to improve the entire team.

And understand that the business of the school is to educate, not run sports teams.

It can be done.

 

[CoachGLenn]

Thanks for all the input and e-mails. I really want the program to be a success. I am trying to absorb any and all information I can about six man.

God willing, I would be the head coach as I really believe I could make a difference. If that does not occur, my goal is simple, with or without my coaching; I want to help develop a program which builds character, strength, and skill. Then after all that, maybe win some games.

I will be presenting my final report to the school board in about a month. Hopefully, I will be calling many of you and scheduling games shortly thereafter.

Thanks, CoachGlenn

 

[CowboyP]

I wish you luck in reaching your goals. Please keep us updated on your progress.

 

[freeagent]

FYI ... Coach Glenn is trying to start a six-man junior high program at a Lutheran elementary school in the Giddings area.

Oh, and perhaps I should extend my remarks on volunteer and part-time coaches. Stuff in the papers recently (Penn St.) remind me of this as well. If your school uses any volunteer or non-staff coaches, you should (1) require that person to complete the same paperwork and application process as if he/she were going to be a full-time faculty member of your school and you should make it clear that behaviors that would not be tolerated if done by a full-time faculty member will not be tolerated if done by coaches and that would (2) include a full background check, including a criminal background check.

I remember talking with an administrator at a larger Christian school in San Antonio a few years back. He always wanted to pay some sort of stipend to all coaches (and was in a position to do so better than most smaller schools) on the premise that it was then an employment contract and it would be easier to dismiss a non-performing person on a contract than if he/she were a volunteer.

 

[smokeyjoe53]

Having managed over 2500 volunteers in a 10 county area, I can guarantee one of the most difficult aspects of working with volunteers is exercising authority. Volunteers have a tendency to take ownership in a project and develop "tunnel vision". They tend to feel that they understand issues better than paid staff and will begin to ignore attempts to guide them. This results in lots of "bosses" and few "worker bees".
One of the questions I was continually facing was " How do you fire a volunteer? ". I still do not have a definitive answer to that.
Another issue that you usually face is burn-out. A volunteer will enter a new endeavor with excitement and a willingness to do anything and everything which over a few months changes to " let someone else do it".
I saw the face of volunteerism change drastically during my time. Older volunteers have a tendency to take on long-term projects while younger volunteers want the immediate gratification of a "one and done".
You also run into insurance and liability issues with volunteers but that is a whole other can of worms. Good luck in starting your program.

 

[Texman301]

Dogface....it is a happy face emoticon with a football helmet on!