Keys to Being a Great Coach

In this short video, Chris Miller, Director of Coaching for Broncos Flag Football, walks you through some of the keys to having a successful season coaching your Broncos Flag Flag Football team. Topics include: goal setting, preparation, communication and how to plan and run effective practices and game plans.

Chris brings his years of experience playing football, coaching football at numerous levels, as well as officiating high school games to this great introductory video for rookie coaches as well as vet coaches that may be new to Broncos Flag Football. Check it out as well as the outline he has provided below for your reference.

"As coach, you cannot control winning or losing. What you can control is ensuring you're providing a great experience for the kids,
by being well prepared and organized and by creating a positive and supportive team atmosphere."

Keys To Coaching Success
Have a Plan for the Season

Have a game plan for yourself, your assistant coaches, your players and parents. Make sure you keep it focused and you set the proper expectations prior to your first practice.

Your First Practice

This is your most important practice of the year. This practice will set the tone for your players, coaches and parents. Make sure it is organized, has high intensity and that everyone is involved. Have a fun game or drill to end practice with that everyone will remember and look forward to doing again in the next practice.

Drills: What drills will your players need to work on to implement your offensive and defensive game plans? Put these together in a logical order starting from very basic fundamental drills to more complex. Drills will help your players improve their game and your strategy.  See our Recommended Drill here.

The Importance of Time Management
Managing your practice time is the most difficult task for any coach. You never have enough time to run enough plays, practice every drill and cover every possible play. Prior to the start of the season is the time for you to think of ways you can maximize your practice time effectively.

Letter to Parents and Players

Once you receive your roster for the upcoming season, the first thing you'll want to do is send an email to the parents and players introducing yourself and setting expectations for the team, players and parents. In most cases, your letter will be the first time your players and parents hear from you as a flag football coach.

Here is a list of items to address as a flag football coach in your letter to players and parents:

Coaches: Names, Titles, Contact Information
Location: Practice and Game Fields
Schedule: Practice and Games
Team Goals: Have Fun, develop friendships, teamwork, skill development
Coaching Philosophy: Practice Expectations
Communication: Team Announcements via Phone, Text, Website, Social Media
Volunteers: Team Mom, Snacks, Stats, Pictures, Videos, Other
Team Pictures: Date and Time
Equipment: Required Player Equipment
Parents: Practice at home with your player
Handling Issues: How to bring up issues or concerns with coaching staff (not at practice or games)

Pre-Season Goal Setting 

Setting goals will help you provide a road map for your team’s season. The most successful coaches in football all set goals. Setting goals is the most important task in coaching because the goals you set will guide your team strategy, coaching, practices and games for an entire season.

2. Coaching Goals
Communicating Effectively with players and parents
Teaching players the fundamentals of the game
Motivating your team effectively
Utilizing Positive Reinforcement with your players
Being Fundamentally Sound
Being Competitive in Every Game
Being Accountable to your team
Have Fun no matter the outcome of the game       

3. Player Goals
Commitment to Practicing with 100% Effort at every practice
Have Fun no matter the outcome of the game
Accountable for Myself, Family and Team
Practice at 100% Each Practice
Improve My Skills
Be A Leader

4. Parent Goals
Encourage and Support My Player
Positive Reinforcement
Let The Coaches Coach and refs officiate the games
Teach and Practice at Home

The First Practice

Finally, the first practice for flag football is here. What an exciting time for every flag football coach, player and parent. 

You have already emailed your letter to your team and parents. Now it's time to fulfill the goals and expectations you've set for the team. The first practice is the most important practice of the year. All of your players, coaches and parents will have your full attention.  

Spend the first few minutes introducing yourself to your team. Introduce your coaches and your goals for the team (play as a team, focus, improvement a particular skill). You will also need some sort of ice breaker. Have the players introduce themselves and announce one of the following:

Favorite Football Player / NFLTeam
Favorite Football Position
School and Grade

Now is a great time to ask for volunteers (for the practice and also for the whole season). This is your best chance to get as many volunteers as possible for your Team Parents, Assistant Coaches, Practice Coaches, and Photographer.

Every practice must have a schedule. If you do not have a schedule, you will fail. Break the practice schedule down into periods. Break the periods down to numbers so you can tell your assistant coaches what period to work on with your players. Clear communication is critical for your success. All you have to say is “Coaches, we are now in period x”. It also makes it easy to follow for your volunteer practice coaches and parents. Yes, give your practice schedule to your parents. This will get your parents more involved and they will feel more a part of the team.

The first practice should be light on plays and heavy on fundamentals. Some of your players may not have played in a while or at all. 

Here is an example of a practice schedule with time periods:

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM Warm Ups
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM Flag Football Fundamentals: QB/Center Exchange, QB/RB Exchange 
2:30 PM – 2:40 PM The Proper Flag Football Stance by position, offense/defense
2:40 PM – 3:00 PM Defense Fundamentals: Flag Pulling

Utilize drills and team scrimmages to evaluate the skills of each player to allows you to determine what positions each player can have the most success playing. 

By the end of your first practice or two, and depending on the age of your teams (very young kids will take longer), players should have been taught the following flag football fundamentals:
 

How to put on flag
How to properly pull a flag
How to properly catch a football
How to properly throw a football
How to properly hand off a football
How to properly receive a hand-off
How to snap (hike) the football (QB/Center Exchange)
The proper pre-snap stance for QB, RB, WR Defense
Defense - how to Back Pedal
Defense Angle Tackle – how to properly pursue a ball carrier
How to huddle up and break the huddle

Final Thoughts

“If you are playing in a game or coaching in a game it means something”.   New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick prior to his team's 1st pre-season game

I like this quote because it shows how important the game is for both players and coaches even if it is a preseason game. It should not matter if you are a professional, adult, co-ed, or youth flag football coach, the game means something. As a coach, you are accountable to your team, players, coaches, parents and fans. What you do as a coach will have a long term effect on your players and your team during the course of the season.  Be accountable and take your coaching responsibility seriously.  Be well prepared for each practice and each game.  Whether your team wins or loses, you will have earned the respect of your players if you show them that you care about them not only as players on your team, but as people.  

Chris Miller
Director of Coaching
Broncos Flag Football
Direct Phone:  303-523-9636  
Email: [email protected]