John Rice

Defensive Coordinator

Santiago High School

Corona, CA

Making Yourself Making Yourself an Invaluable Assistant Coachan Invaluable Assistant Coach

CD POWERPOINT PRESENTATION & CD POWERPOINT PRESENTATION & DVD AVAILABLE FOR $5DVD AVAILABLE FOR $5

Outline1. Know/Develop your personal life priorities2. Maintain your loyalty3. Improve your professional knowledge4. Take Ownership of a particular Task or area5. “Cross-Train” yourself6. Strive to be a technician on the practice field7. Cultivate and maintain professional relationships

with other school staff8. Build a meaningful relationship with your players9. Don’t do anything to embarrass the HC or the program

• What is the most important thing in your life?• What are you willing to give up to be a great (successful) football coach?• Is a career in coaching more important thanfamily?• If your wife (significant other) asked you to giveup coaching for the sake of your relationship orfamily, would you do it?

My Priorities:1. God2. Family3. Job4. Football

What are your personal priorities?

1. Maintain Your Loyalty to Your Head Coach and the Program

• Never disagree publicly with the head coach– “One Voice” for the staff with players

• “We decided…” instead of “The HC says so, so we’ll do it…”

– “One Voice” for the staff with parents/boosters– “One Voice” for the staff with other school

teachers/staff/administration– “One Voice” with the media (print & internet)– Don’t tolerate or be a part of dissention among staff outside a staff

meeting– Beware of parents who approach you in confidence and express a

displeasure with the head coach– Being loyal 90% of the time isn’t good enough.– *If you can’t abide by this code of conduct, it is your responsibility to

find another job!– When you leave a job, watch what you say “It’s a small world.”

Common Misconceptions Held by Assistant Coaches

• Head Coach is “Superman”– He is subject to the same distractions as all staff

• Stress from job, family, economics, etc

• Head Coach is a “mind-reader”– At the appropriate time, relay your concerns with

him. Don’t assume.

• Head Coach doesn’t value your opinion if he doesn’t implement one of your ideas.– Idea may be a good one, but doesn’t fit

– Staff Development• Learning from other coaches on your own staff

– One on One with other coaches on your staff– Staff presentations by staff members on various subjects

• Attending Clinics:– Improve your knowledge of current trends in your area of coaching responsibility

“What’s new?”– Investigate how someone else may be doing it differently– Look for the “One thing”– Improve your weaknesses as well as improving your strength– Go see what’s going on on the opposite side of the ball– Get as many perspectives on a subject as possible– Make professional contacts; introduce yourself to coaches; – don’t be afraid to walk up and introduce yourself to ANYONE.– Follow up with phone call and /or email– Avoid the assumption that because you haven’t heard of a – speaker, he can’t teach you something– Avoid the assumption that a coach who hasn’t won – a championship can’t teach you something

2. Improve Your Professional Knowledge

2. Improve Your Professional Knowledge• You owe it to your head coach (and the program) to

constantly improve your knowledge of the game. There are several ways to do this:

– Staff Development• Visiting other staffs-Make time available; communicate with the HC as to

your restrictions/availability to make trips to visit staffs. Make it a priority.– Prepare a detailed list of questions/info that you will cover/ask on visit– Ask if videotaping of meetings is allowed. – Ask if you may obtain copies of practice/games. Respect their answer if “no.”– When watching practice, pay attention to coaching methods to see if there is

anything in a position coaches methodology that you can adapt. Several Examples:

» Specific verbage used by coach to teach a technique (“tuck ‘n tap,” “run through the ballcarrier’)

» Breaking down a skill into its parts in a way which you may not have thought of or utilized before

3. Take Ownership of a particular Task or area• Examples:

– Video– Alumni Representative– Youth Football Liaison– Recruiting – Advance Scouting– Self Scouting– Quality Control– Academic Counseling– NCAA Clearinghouse– Study Hall– Staff Development– Staff Video Library

Improve Your Professional Knowledge

1. Study successful coaches, past and present• Coaching Biographies• In-depth media interviews (magazine or

newspapers)2. Purchase/Study Coaching Instructional Books and

Videos on all aspects of the game3. Subscribe to professional organizations, (national and

local)(AFCA , state & local coaching organizations)

4. Utilize online coaching magazines5. Form and maintain relationships with coaches on all

levelsVia telephone, text, email, online chat.

4. “Cross-Train” yourself

• Make a concerted effort to learn as much as you can about another position on the same/opposite side of the ball1.Ask your head coach if you can switch/change

coaching positions periodically2. It will help you see the big picture3. It will increase your knowledge of the game4.It will make you a more valuable coach (flexibility for

head coach)5. It will make you more valuable in scouting and video

study situations

5. Strive to be a technician on the practice field

• Utilize Effective Teaching Techniques• Always have a plan• Show, don’t tell• Don’t give a clinic on the field• Be able to adapt on the run if necessary• Save any disagreement with coordinator or head

coach for the coaching office afterwards• No more “one more rep” when the whistle blows• Be aware of all time periods in a practice plan; be

quick in transitions to work with other position groups

5. Strive to be a technician on the practice field• Use Teaching Progressions to maximize productive sequential

skill building and eliminate wasted practice time.• When you are introducing a new skill, • Break the skill down into it’s individual techniques• Teach the individual skills separately • Isolate body parts to teach the skills.• Teach the skill in backwards sequence

– Example: skill to be taught is a combo block for an offensive linemanPut them in a “fit” (exact “perfect” hand position on a defender while

olineman is on:1. Knees only2. Standing stationary3. Teach the approach4. Put it all together

Effective Teaching Techniques

• Address all of your players’ learning styles– Written information (plays, drills,

techniques– Visual Information for Visual Learners:– Video of drills, techniques, and game

footage– Walk-throughs of new techniques before

practice

Effective Teaching Techniques• Always have a daily plan; never “wing it”

Period Time Drill

1 5 min Agility Warm Up

2 5 min Stance, Alignment

3 5 min First Step

4 5 min Key Read & React Run

5 5 min Key Read & React Pass

6 5 min Block Protection & Escape

7 5 min Angle Tackle

8 5 min Open Field Tackle

9 5 min Forcing Turnover

Effective Teaching Techniques– Teach the end result first:

• Example--making a tackle:

Skills in chronological order– Block Protection & Escape– Approach– Contact– Finish

– Teach in Reverse order:• Fit & Run-through,• Approach & Contact• Block Protection & Escape

Effective Teaching Techniques– Use teaching Circuits when desirable

Drill for skill 1

Drill for skill 2

Drill for skill 4

Drill for skill 3

4 Drill Circuit

•5 minutes each•Groups of players travel From drill to drill•High repetitions•No clinic on field•Demonstrate/organize pre practiceDrill set up beforehand

Effective Teaching Techniques– Use teaching progressions to plan & implement drills (generic sample for

defense)

Progression Skill

1 Stance

2 Alignment

3 Key

4 Reads/Reactions

5 Block Protection/Escape

6 Pursuit

7 Tackle

Effective Teaching Techniques– Use teaching progressions to plan & implement drills (generic sample for

running backs)

Progression Skill

1 Stance & Alignment

2 First step & Course

3 Mesh technique

4 Ball carraige & security

5 Balance and specific cuts

6 Pass Protection

7 Route Running/Catching

6. Cultivate and maintain professional relationships with other school staff

1. Custodians, groundskeepers, maintenance workers, secretaries, other teaches, other sports coaches, administrators

2. Introduce yourself to people

3. Acknowledge their presence when you see them.

4. Use their name

5. Attend school events (assemblies, award ceremonies, graduations)

6. Attend other sporting events (volleyball, basketball, softball, baseball, swimming, water polo, etc)

7. Custodians and the principal’s secretaries run the schools

6. Build a meaningful relationship with your players

• Each player on a youth football team should feel they are an important part of the team’s success, though they might not share the same abilities and talents.

• Anyone can coach the great athlete or the coachable player

• What about the “physically challenged” team member or the “difficult” or “attitude” problem?

• Each player on a youth football team should feel they are an important part of the team’s success, though they might not share the same abilities and talents.

6. Build a meaningful relationship with your players

– Essential “Non-Spotlight” roles• Team Leadership Counsel• Player-Faculty Liason• Special Teams Captain• Study Hall Team Leader• Wt. Room Group Leader• Team Academic Tutor

6. Build a meaningful relationship with your players

• Make an effort to greet them by name daily• Pre practice meetings• Pre practice• Stretching/cals

• Ask them about their personal life• Family• Outside interests or hobbies• Favorite sports teams • Favorite athletes/heroes/role models

• Make an effort to spend time with them off the football field• Weight room• Position Group Actvities (BBQs, Meals, Etc)• Team Related Functions: Trips/Camps/Picnics

• Make an effort to Meet their parent(s)/guardians• Set athletic and academic goals with them in a private setting at the conclusion of the football season• Build “Esprit de Corps” (group pride)

• Healthy competition with other position groups• Weights, conditioning, fund raising, GPA, etc• T Shirts, Hats, etc

Review

1. Know/Develop your personal life priorities2. Maintain your loyalty3. Improve your professional knowledge4. Take Ownership of a particular Task or area5. “Cross-Train” yourself6. Strive to be a technician on the practice field7. Cultivate and maintain professional relationships

with other school staff8. Build a meaningful relationship with your players9. Don’t do anything to embarrass the HC or the program