I had an interesting call from a head coach the other day.  Apparently, one of my GA's seems to think that his opinion matters and that he can talk back to a head coach if he disagrees with him.

Before you young coaches get your panties in a wad, there's a difference between standing up for yourself, arguing a point and being just plain disrespectful.

It seems the head coach has asked him repeatedly, to do certain things at practice and on game day.  None of this stuff is hard.  None of it is even inconvenient.  It's busy work with the purpose of assisting the head coach in his staff with keeping things the way he wants them.

  1. If a head coach tells you to do something, shut up and do it.  If you disagree or don't like it, shut up and do it.  It's not your place to give opinions.
  2. If you're reminded to do something more than one time, pull your head out of your ass.

I'm running into this more and more with young coaches.  They think their opinion matters even though it's not asked for and when it is asked for and you don't agree or don't use it, they get incredibly butthurt.

When you're the boss you can make final decisions.  When you work for someone and they make a final decision, you do it as if it were your idea.  That's your job.

When you're asked to email someone, check on this or that, make sure this.... is taken care of.  Whatever it may be, get it done.  Not on your time table, but on the head coaches.  Whatever it is that you're doing will NEVER be as important as what your boss asks you to do.

I feel like a lot of young coaches don't get this point:

  1. If I ask and you do, now you start to build my trust in you.  I now give you more leeway or responsibility, which prepares you for your next job and eventually, prepares you for when you are the boss.
  2. It shows you care.  Something as simple as getting something done that is asked of you shows your boss that you care about your job, even if you're the low man.

This GA and I had a chat - productive.  In it he mentioned that he is looking at himself and trying to find ways to get better.  I actually laughed at him and realized something in the process.

I told him that "getting better" and "helping" isn't always some monumental task.  It's not going to a seminar or getting another certification or even having to really do "something".  Sometimes getting better and helping is simply doing your job, as it is required.  It's not news worthy.  It doesn't come with recognition.  It's not some earth-shattering act.

It was like I was speaking another language to him.

Young coaches, before you worry about the stuff that really doesn't make a difference, look at yourself and what your boss(es) asks you to do.  IF, and ONLY IF, you are 100% on top of those basic tasks, then can you look to bigger things.

If the head coach asks you to monitor practice jerseys being tucked in, don't have the audacity to tell him that he should do it.  Shut your mouth and be the best damn "keep your shirt tucked in" coach you can be.  That seeming little detail is "getting better" and "helping".  It really is that simple.