Am I a Great Assistant? I hope so!

Kingsford Flivvers

I recently read an article called, "How to Be a Great Assistant Coach."

With the exception of 1 year with the L'Anse Purple Hornets, and one year as an 8th grade basketball coach, I have always been an assistant.

I like to think I'm a good one...

Here are my answers to the questions asked in, "How to Be a Great Assistant Coach."

1) Why did I get into coaching? Great question. I really have no idea.  I guess I just LOVED football so much that I didn't want to be away from it.  When I was in college, I didn't coach at all.  I guess I didn't see the opportunity. I could have found one, but made the choice not to.  When I got to the student teaching part of my education, I asked in my initial interview with my principal and was immediately hired as the assistant coach to the Gwinn Modletowner 7/8 grade team. I have only missed two seasons since that first season of 2005.  In 2006 I was in Iraq and in 2013 I was in Afghanistan.


2) What do I love about coaching? The kids! That is by far the number one. I really enjoy watching them come together as a group of individuals and form a team. I enjoy watching them as they, "get it" and start to understand the game. I enjoy seeing how excited they get over simple things. Stopping at McDonald's is a simple thing... 
I also love the work.  Figuring out what the other team is doing/trying to do. What we can do to counter. What we can do to counter their counter to our counter. I love it!

3) What do I dislike about coaching? That I'm a dork. I spend a ton of time on film, scouting reports, scout cards, etc. Does it matter? Maybe. Have we won a game we would have lost if not for that work? Maybe. I guess for me, I want to be as prepared as possible. If we lose a game by one score, I don't want to think, "Man...If only I would have spent more time figuring out how to...."  I think that would be a huge disservice to the players. So part of what I love in finding out the little things, makes me a dork and I fee like NO ONE else understands besides other coaches.  Even some of them  look at me like I'm a dork.

4) What are my present and future goals? My present goal is to be the best coach I can possibly be for the Freshman Flivvers. We have two more games on the season. I'm positive we can get at least one more win.  Can we get two?  I sure hope so.
My future goal is to be the Varsity head coach of the Kingsford Flivvers. Is that possible?  Maybe.  I know I have a lot to learn before I'm ready to take on that position, but I am in a position right now to learn as much as I can from some really great coaches. In the mean-time, I hope to provide value to the program by helping with what I can, when I can, and learning all I can.


5) Why am I in coaching now? Back to question 1. I love football. I really really do!  I love watching it, coaching it, playing it. It is a wonderful game. I really can't see myself not coaching football.

GO FLIVVERS!!