The continued improvement and expansion of lacrosse teams in Northern California is dependent upon, among other considerations, the availability of qualified team coaches. Currently, the availability of these coaches does not meet the rapidly growing demand. Existing coaches, in many cases, need assistants, and many new coaches are needed to meet the demands of new teams.
Over the past 40 years there has been a growing cadre of former players in Northern California. A few of them have made the transition from playing to coaching, but most have not. Many feel that they are not technically qualified to become coaches and/or cannot or do not want to make the considerable time commitment required of coaches.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Visiting Coaches volunteer to attend team practice sessions on a part time basis to discuss and demonstrate their particular area(s) of experience and expertise. They might also attend a scrimmage or game and provide a post-game critique or fill in for a team coach who is unable to coach for a short period of time.
Visiting Coaches are not active, full time team coaches but typically are:
* Former players who have experience and expertise in one or more of the playing aspects of the game …draws, face-offs, shooting, goalie play, attack/defense strategies, man down defense, fast breaks, picks and dodges, etc.
* Former coaches who have experience and expertise in any of the many aspects of coaching
* Anyone who has experience and expertise in areas such as practice planning, warm-up and conditioning drills, the role of a team manager, organizing support groups, conflict resolution, motivation techniques, sportsmanship, etc.
Special Note: The Visiting Coaches make these visits at the invitation of a team's coaching staff, and the scope of their participation is clearly discussed and agreed upon prior to their arrival.
A typical visit would last about two hours. The frequency of the visits to the same team would vary from one-time visits to multiple visits spread out over a period of time. The Visiting Coaches have full control as to what requests for their services they accept but should be willing and able to provide at least two two-hour afternoon visits a month during lacrosse season.
ADVANTAGES:
Team Coaches:
The Program offers two basic services to team coaches. They can call upon a Visiting Coach to help them address a particular aspect of the game that they do not feel comfortable with addressing themselves or do not have the time to adequately cover themselves. They can also request a Visiting Coach to fill in for a coach who must be absent for personal reasons for a short period of time.
Visiting Coaches (Potential Team Coaches):
The Program gives potential coaches the opportunity to try coaching without making a full time commitment. By participating in the Program, it is expected that many will realize that they can contribute and enjoy the experience while putting something very important back into the game. They will also feel more comfortable knowing that, if they become a team coach, they can call on the Visiting Coaches Program to help them in areas of coaching where they may need help. The program may provide just that extra bit of emphasis they need to become a team coach, and they will find or make the time to do so.
The Chapter and Lacrosse Community at Large:
The Chapter takes advantage of an existing and essentially untapped rich resource of lacrosse knowledge and skills to help existing team coaches (and perhaps retain coaches) and to hopefully expand the coaching and team base .
Note: It is recognized that the Visiting Coaches Program alone will not produce qualified team coaches, but it does provide a very important first step.
THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS:
1. The Chapter's Board of Directors asks current team coaches if they feel that the Program would be helpful to them and that they would take advantage of it.
2. If so, the Board puts together the necessary administrative infrastructure.
3. A Program Administrator is appointed and he/she conducts a program to recruit Visiting Coaches. Candidates are interviewed and screened by the Program Administrator.
4. The Visiting Coaches are given a brief orientation, and their names, qualifications, and contact information are posted on the Chapter web site. The web site includes areas areas of expertise, names of Visiting Coaches who have that expertise, brief resumes of the Visiting Coaches, and their geographic location, phone number, and e-mail address.
5. Team coaches are notified that the Program is up and running and are instructed on how to use the web site, what is expected of the coaches, etc.
6. Team coaches use the web site to find the Visiting Coaches with the expertise that can help them, contact them directly, discuss exactly what they want from the Visiting Coach, and negotiate time, place, subject content, etc.
7. Visits are made.
8. Brief reports are made by the team coaches and Visiting Coaches on the value of the visits, problem areas, improvement suggestions, etc. These reports go to the Program Administrator for follow up.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE:
The primary requirement is a Program Administrator who develops the overall system - performs the initial survey of coaches acceptance of the program, recruits Visiting Coaches, makes arrangements for getting the information system on our web site, develops the instructions for using the system, monitors the use of the system and the values provided, follows up on problems and improvement areas, and keeps the Board and system users informed on all aspects of the Program. |
