Series Overview
In my experiences as both a high school football player and a coach, I have been involved with programs that landed on every part of the spectrum when it comes to efficiency and success. For example:
Talented vs. Non-Talented
Organized vs. Disorganized
Communicative vs. Inconsistent Information
Bought In vs. Tuned Out
…the list could go on and on
This series of blog posts will cover what I view as important systems for a high school football program to implement. In my opinion, these 10 practices for managing a program help everyone involved: players, coaches, families, administration, and the community. Inevitably, some of these topics will overlap and intertwine with one another. But that is how a football program works, and how our lives are operated, too. Each post will cover topics that are logical, attainable goals that promote an efficient program both organizationally and in achieving success on Friday nights.
Summer Time Balance
I don’t think it should come as a surprise that everyone looks forward to summer. Players and coaches alike anticipate spending time with their families while they take a breather from the grind of the school year. It is an important time of the year to create memories, wind down, and reset. Both groups also know that the summer is a huge opportunity to prepare for the upcoming football season. The weight room sessions, 7-on-7’s, team camps, youth camps, etc. All of these team-centric activities help athletes get stronger, refine their skills, and grow close to their teammates. Coaches are able to assess their program’s strengths and weaknesses, while also laying the foundational schemes they aim to implement. Balancing the needs and wants of both parties is a challenge.
Successful programs should offer flexibility and practicality. Do coaches want as many kids as possible at every team event? Of course. Will every kid in the program be at every team event? More often than not, the answer is no. And I think that is a good thing.
Kids should be allowed to be kids still. They should be able to go on family vacations, have a summer job, and play a supportive role in their family (watching their siblings while their parents work, contributing to house/yard work, etc.), all while being a part of a successful football program.
A summer that includes any of these common commitments for a high schooler reflects the real world. As adults, we have careers, personal commitments, hobbies, families, and the like. Very rarely do adults have one commitment that they give all of their time and energy to. If we do, it probably is not a very healthy or practical choice for our time or our attention. So it is unrealistic to expect 14 to 18-year-old kids to have this laser-focused drive from June (or even earlier if you have Spring ball) through the late fall.
The same can be said for your coaching staff. I do think that coaches should commit as much time as they can in the summer. In the end, coaches have to be present to train and teach the athletes who make up their program. But coaches have families and outside responsibilities too. For the coaches who work in education, this is their time to be at home with their families, support their spouses before the grind of the season starts, take that trip to the lake, and many other summer excursions that mimic those of their players. For coaches who do not work in education, it is still their time to enjoy family time. It may be harder for them to make every workout or camp, but the coaches on staff who are off for the summer usually get that.
Finding a respectable balance in the summertime can be a process for programs. It can vary from year-to-year and as your coaching staff/team dynamics change. Is there a secret summer schedule recipe that combines all of the variables so that everyone is happy with the results? Maybe. But as many football coaches will tell you, what works for one program may be disastrous for another. Yet, it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to find a formula that creates the most buy-in and avoids the most burnout while maximizing program camaraderie and overall success.
