High School Assistant To Head Coach

[AndyT_T]

The head coaching position is opening up at my school and they are offering the position to me.

So my question is: how much more work would I have as head coach? Between payments, planning, PO, camps, dealing with parents, etc. How much bigger of a commitment is it?

Do you have tips for someone taking over a program? Maybe things you wish you knew when you started?

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Hold that thought for info from someone else who does the job who is also a nurse full time....

Will get to this at the end of my shift.

 

[AndyT_T]

Hold that thought for info from someone else who does the job who is also a nurse full time....

Will get to this at the end of my shift.

That's my concern lol I want to do it but the work load is scaring me.

Tell me your secret! Lol

 

[tojofasho]

I'd say now that I spend on average about an hour a day doing cheer stuff not relating to cheer practice. Some days more, some days less. As time passes you get really good at cranking out POs, dealing with parents, calling vendors, etc. and what will take you twenty minutes your first year can take you like five minutes after a few years. I don't think anybody on here is just coaching - pretty much everyone seems to have a full time job (nursing, teaching, etc.). It can be done but just know that the first year is going to be rough until you get the hang of it.

The most time-consuming thing about being a head coach is that you have to be at everything. My assistant coach can miss practices, games, etc. if she needs to do something last second, but as a head coach you pretty much have to be dying in order to have a valid excuse for not going to an event.

Hope that helps!

 

[CPop]

If you have them, are your booster parents involved (if so, what do they take care of)? If you are currently an assistant coach, how much organizational work do you already do? Are you in charge of finding your replacement? Do you have to take any extra classes/training being head coach?

I guess the work load difference depends on where you coach. If you get along with your current head coach, he/she may be able to give you a wireframe of their responsibilities. A lot of this is super situational depending on your location and culture at practice. In both of my programs I've coached at, the booster parents took care of payment from the girls and invoicing. If you know what you want to do with the program, it shouldn't be too much extra work.

In my experience, the AD is the most important factor. If your AD does not have your back, it will make your life 10x harder.

 

[AndyT_T]

I'd say now that I spend on average about an hour a day doing cheer stuff not relating to cheer practice. Some days more, some days less. As time passes you get really good at cranking out POs, dealing with parents, calling vendors, etc. and what will take you twenty minutes your first year can take you like five minutes after a few years. I don't think anybody on here is just coaching - pretty much everyone seems to have a full time job (nursing, teaching, etc.). It can be done but just know that the first year is going to be rough until you get the hang of it.

The most time-consuming thing about being a head coach is that you have to be at everything. My assistant coach can miss practices, games, etc. if she needs to do something last second, but as a head coach you pretty much have to be dying in order to have a valid excuse for not going to an event.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much for your input! Vendors, POs, and Parents are the kind of thing I'm nervous about. I've coached all star and tumbling for a while now and the actual coaching aspect doesn't worry me, but I've never ordered uniforms, I've never signed a team up for a competition, I've never had to organize transportation, and I don't even know where to begin with bringing a team to nationals or anything like that.
I feel prepared to lead the team, but not to manage the team. If that makes any sense.

 

[AndyT_T]

If you have them, are your booster parents involved (if so, what do they take care of)? If you are currently an assistant coach, how much organizational work do you already do? Are you in charge of finding your replacement? Do you have to take any extra classes/training being head coach?

I guess the work load difference depends on where you coach. If you get along with your current head coach, he/she may be able to give you a wireframe of their responsibilities. A lot of this is super situational depending on your location and culture at practice. In both of my programs I've coached at, the booster parents took care of payment from the girls and invoicing. If you know what you want to do with the program, it shouldn't be too much extra work.

In my experience, the AD is the most important factor. If your AD does not have your back, it will make your life 10x harder.

I wouldn't be in charge of finding my replacement but with CU nearby I don't think it would be too hard. I've never worked with booster parents or a team booster club so I don't really know that much about them. How did you get a booster set up? Did they handle all of the payments and collecting money and everything?

I don't need extra training thankfully and the coach thats leaving and I are close so that helps, but I have a lot of changes I want to make and it's hard to tell if I'm being too ambitious or just being driven lol

Thankfully the AD is trying really hard to create school spirit in the school and because of that he's very supportive.

 

[AndyT_T]

Have you guys ever had problems with grades and eligibility? Many of my athletes will be first generation high school graduates and because of that I don't feel like many of them take school seriously. We constantly have problems with athletes becoming academically ineligible - like on a weekly basis. And it's not just one or two people, its almost everyone.

 

[ScottyB]

Have you guys ever had problems with grades and eligibility? Many of my athletes will be first generation high school graduates and because of that I don't feel like many of them take school seriously. We constantly have problems with athletes becoming academically ineligible - like on a weekly basis. And it's not just one or two people, its almost everyone.

We don't have any issues, but we aren't letting them try to have issues. We do grade checks personally as coaches a couple weeks before the official AD checks go out. That way we can try to beat any issues before they exist or occur. We have tossed the idea around about a pre-practice study hall a few days a week. Need a teacher sponsor to really make it effective we think, so we aren't sure.

As for finances, ask the AD how the district does team accounts and p-cards, etc. That was all new to us this year, but wasn't a bad learning experience. Our biggest hurdle was pushing away a booster club that was 'hurting' the program financially, so after we cleared that up and figured out our accounting needs with the school, we were set. POs and stuff have their own guidelines too, but once you do one you are set for the season.

As long as you can have an assistant there who has your back, I'd say you will do just fine. Assistant is there for you mentally and physically.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Have you guys ever had problems with grades and eligibility? Many of my athletes will be first generation high school graduates and because of that I don't feel like many of them take school seriously. We constantly have problems with athletes becoming academically ineligible - like on a weekly basis. And it's not just one or two people, its almost everyone.

No. My kids are mostly opposite of that. Every once in awhile I'll have someone come in really goofing off and end up with a 2.5 or so but the parent nips that in the bud pretty quickly. I have friends in similar situations, though (kids not taking school seriously, eligibility issues, barely even having a team because no one tries out and THEN having 4 kids not make grades.) Seems frustrating.