A Coaches Checklist For Youth Flag Football

Here are our Top 5 Tips to make your season a successful one this year, whether you are a first time coach or a seasoned flag football coach. Your kids will have their best season ever if you follow these simple tips. All it takes is a little preparation.
Good sportsmanship is important:
Teach them to love flag football for the rest of their life by teaching them to have fun and play safely. Drive home that that teamwork and a good attitude are more important than winning. These are traits every coach should remind their team at every practice.
Also remember to practice what you preach. Set an example and dont be that coach that gets in the refs face and screams after a bad call was made. Instead calmly approach the ref and discuss it with him; if he doesnt agree with you, drop it and move on.
Make sure to plan:
Dont waste precious practice time on conditioning. Always be prepared for practice so youll coach your team from one drill or play to the next to minimize standing around time. Keeping them moving from drill to drill will take care of conditioning better than laps around the field and calisthenics.
It is best to always have a few extra drills on standby in case what you had planned on teaching them is not working. If the players do not understand the concept or drill, you are the one explaining it wrong. Try explaining it different way, or move on to the next drill and save it for another day.
Let the kids play!:
Kids learn best and get a confidence boost by running the plays, so dont just talk about the plays, instead have them run them every practice. But move on to more complex plays when the kids have mastered the simpler ones. With the fundamentals under their belts, theyll be able to learn the more complex plays much quicker.
Practice in all kinds of weather:
Keep in mind not every game will be played in 65 and sunny weather, so dont cancel practices if it is raining. Practicing in not so perfect weather means theyll be used to working harder on a muddy field come game day. Tell parents your plan at the beginning of the season so they are not surprised when you dont call off practice at the first hint of rain drops.
Find an assistant:
The best assistant is someone who has a similar coaching philosophy and personality as you. A great flag football coach is not necessarily someone who played flag football in college or the local intramural league so keep that in mind when a selecting an assistant. Ask a close friend, co-worker or relative to ensure a greater chance of coaching success, rather than a random volunteer parent.