Choosing Assistant Coaches in Youth Football

Choosing the right assistant coaches in youth football can be the difference between a great season and a nightmare season.
We all have seen teams fall apart due to having the wrong assitant coaches on board.
We even seen disagreements and even foul language or fights between coaches on the other sidelines, what a disaster.
There are a number of things you can do to lower the risk of "hiring" the wrong assistant coaches:

I've had 100's of coaches on staff with the Screaming Eagles over the years as we field anywhere from 10-16 teams.
Wev'e also had the pleasure of working with 100's of youth football coaches from all over the country via DVD sales and Football Clinics.
Over that time there has been a noticeable trend of the "type" of person that has done the best job of coaching youth football.
"Best" means the team played to the very top of its competitive capability range, the team met or exceeded sportsmanship standards, good fundamentals were taught and coach got 90% or more of the kids to end the season and return to the team the following year.

There has also been a "type" that has not worked out very well. Coaching youth football is also about making good decisions about who you bring on as an assistant football coach.

The "types" that did the best job:
1) Open Minded, did not have a set idea on schemes or formations.
2) Did not care what their role was.
3) Asked a lot of questions, they wanted to improve as a football coach.
4) Detail oriented.
5) Were out to improve the lives of the kids, not build themsleves up as a football coach.
6) Were great listeners and observers.
7) Took whatever task they were given no matter how lowly and excelled at that task.
8) Volunteered to help at nearly every turn.
9) Asked underlying whys without being abrasive.
10) Once a decision was made did not question anythng and implemented the decision.
11) Were calm non rah-rah types that had the game in perspective. ( watched them coach other sports or as a fan)
12) Were not complainers or excuse makers, they were doers.
13) Admitted their lack of knowledge and admitted mistakes freely.
14) Wanted to get all the kids into games.
15) Guys that have had success in other parts of their lives.
16) Coached other sports or have worked with youth.

"Types" that most often were terrible youth football coaches for us.
1) Ex College Football guys that think they know everything.
2) Guys that demanded to be head coach or compared their qualifications to others even though they were first year coaches with us.
3) Hot heads.
4) Guys that are trying to relive some kind of past football glory through their kids.
5) Know it alls, guys that didn't ask questions or were not paying attention in your clinics. (dead give away)
6) Guys that can't control their mouth or language.
7) Guys that blame others for their problems.
8) Guys that follow bad decisions into the dirt just so they won't have to admit they were wrong.
9) Guys that demand you use a certain football play that has nothing to do with your existing series.
10) Guys that put all their efforts into recruiting players and feel it is all "Jimmies and Joes" that win games.
11) Guys that hoard players and complain about the makeup of their team.
12) Felt they were "above" certain tasks.
13) Feel 'put upon" to get backups some playing time.
14) Think their son is the next coming of Joe Montana.
15) Poor losers and or poor winners.
16) Guys that think we should be playing YMCA type football. Soccer moms in a Mans body.

Some of the best coaches were guys with little or no football knowledge or even youth football coaching experience. We have had a handfull of excellent ex- High School football coaches, but we have had more guys that were just smart, well organized and willing learners. Attitude is everything in looking for good assistant football coaches.

For more free youth football coaching tips, please go to: http://winningyouthfootball.com/blog/"

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