Coaches Notebook

Something that is often overlooked or flat out forgotten as that we as coaches are here to teach players and provide them with the best opportunity to be successful.

What is success?

This varies from team to team and coach to coach, but every team and coach should have a well defined meaning of success.  Our definition from a coaches perspective is to be competitive at every game, win or lose, teach proper safe fundamentals and give every player the opportunity to contribute to the team.

By defining our level of success we can focus on our team and our players and not worry about what other teams may or may not do.  We focus on good fundamentals and positioning players on the team to make contributions.

For example if we have players that want to be running backs or quarterbacks that just don't have the skills or true desire to play that position we find a better place on the field for them.  We do not just assign them as the 3rd or 4th string running back and let them ride the sideline all year.

We motivate them to excel in another position, whether that is Defensive End, or Free Safety.  We show these players that THIS is the place for them on the team and their contribution is vital to the overall success of the team.

Let's face it during the season only a small number of your players are going to score touchdowns, and if scoring points is YOUR measure of success then the majority of your players we not be very successful.

However if your measure of success is playing as a team, with EVERY player contributing, even if its just a small contribution your players will take more pride in the team and in themselves, which equals more fun.

As a youth football coach you could not be anymore successful if you won a thousand games, than if your players all have fun, all contribute to a TEAM and learn the fundamentals of the game.

So give all your players the opportunity to be successful and have fun this season because players that have fun will remember that fun over how many games they won later in life, and that is true success.