Coaches, Don’t Be A Rookie Twice
There is an age old saying in the NFL to the players as they come back for year two. “Don’t be a rookie twice”. The message is blunt. This world you are in moves fast. If you are in year two but working on a year one level you will not see year three. There is a message for young coaches here too.
Once again, the message is clear. You had better grow from year one to year two. As some coaches are out there nodding and affirming, some will not understand that it applies to them too. To be perfectly honest, it happens with coaches more than players.
Most players, at whatever level, understand that the clock is ticking. Coaches? They think they have all the time in the world. “I’m a coach.” “I will work wherever I work next but I will coach”. Therein lies the problem. Some of us never grow. We don’t get better from one year to the next.
Why and how does this happen year after year in the coaching profession? Why do coaches just go out the next year and coach at the same level they did the year before? In FirstDown PlayBook’s opinion it is because some are poor at documenting their work. They repeat the same work over and over again, to the detriment of themselves and the players they coach.
Instead of having their practice schedules, drills, scout team cards and even installations saved and organized, some guys repeat this work year after year. This inevitably gets in the way of their professional growth. It also cuts into their time that could be spent teaching and developing players.
Obviously, we are not talking about all coaches, mind you. This is at the root of the question “How do some young coaches start at the same place and one ends up on February TV and the other is pissed about their coaching stipend?”
Good young coaches save their work. It comes in handy for things other than your next season. Those who are organized about documenting their work are the ones you see speaking at clinics, as well as moving up the ranks within their own building or even on a job interview.
So as we begin to wrap up the 2023 football season, congratulations to those of you who are still playing. For those of you who are preparing for next season, consider letting FirstDown PlayBook help you with organizing and documenting your work for next season and beyond.
