"Starting a Football Program"


This would be my suggestion, a starting point and only an example for just Football. Each and every sport should have its own program.

Before the end of this school year, 3 people, our current football coach, myself, and another potential coach of my choosing should look at, review, then select the following. Three boys from each grade 6th – 10th, also a couple from the 11th grade. In total about 15 boys.

These are our potential quarterbacks. Will we be right in our selection? Probably not. Will all the parents and kids be satisfied? Probably not. But, there has to be a beginning.

We should use the following qualities in our selection: Speed, hands, throwing ability, catching ability, attitude basic intelligence, confidence/composure and others.

We meet a couple times in early summer, with the centers, and go through basic QB routines. Then, after the boys are comfortable with the basics, we bring in an excellent quarterback coach that will be more knowledgeable than we are. The reason for this is to give the kids a little MORE than we can and with only 15 boys he will be able to spend a little time with each kid. (Individual expert advice will be a good "jump start" for everyone.)
Our day with the "expert" should include the following:


  1st - Our coaches
2nd - The Rocket football coaches
3rd - Someone local that has "been there" but needs a little refresher course, (Dean Paesens would be my 1st choice) and would then be our current QB coach for all age groups.
4th - A young teacher who would like to be our permanent QB coach, after a couple years of assisting Dean.


The next group to be included would be the moms (in the bleachers) and the dads on the sidelines.

In bringing in the parents, (they are a huge part of the program) 2 things will happen. First, they can get the feeling that they are part of the program, and second, they can see the beginning of their boy stumbling and fumbling at first, then growing into a knowledgeable young athlete that will probably end up playing a different position, but with the understanding of how difficult the QB position really is.

We will be helping to develop a QB coach, who will become much more competent as he helps the kids because each kid will remember some little thing from the expert to remind the coach and if the coach just remembers that we are all learning, he should say, "Oh that's right," and move on.

Probably more than anything else, a relationship will develop between the QBs, and some heroes will be born for the younger boys to root for and say, "Mom and Dad, let's go watch my friend play ball."

We then repeat this procedure with the Backs and Ends. We then repeat this procedure with the Linemen. If a line coach was developed where he is pretty good, he would become even better through repetition, and he doesn't need to know anything else.

If we have a few coaches that are "real good" at only one thing, guess what? We have a more competent coaching staff where each one knows what is expected from him. Always remember, we don't hire coaches, somehow, we have to train them and until someone comes up with a better plan, this would be a start. And, when practice begins in August, our coaching staff will be much better prepared than it has been in the past.

If this sounds like a huge project and a lot of wasted effort, just remember –

A successful program doesn't "just happen."


The right people in the right place with the desire to make things better for everyone and the "Guts" to see that it happens is only part of the solution. We also need a coaching staff willing to accept responsibility and realize that in part of being a coach there are expectations and accountabilities.

The coach also needs to remember that it's an "honor" to be able to coach our kids.

When completed, our "Program" will be more valuable than any one coach.

If someone leaves we just plug someone else in his spot. Remember, the 7th grader tells his little brother and he tells his friends. Do you get the idea what the possibilities could be?


Before this can happen...