Coaching the Coaches

Definition

Staff development is the practice of upgrading your assistants' coaching, communication, and design skills with the same intentionality you bring to player development.

Why it matters

You cannot personally coach every minute of every drill. The quality of the practice equals the quality of the staff running each station.

Examples

• Weekly 30-min staff session: review one drill design together, debate one decision principle.
• Rotate assistants through 'head coach for a day' practices to build confidence.

Practical application

• Define what 'good' looks like for each staff role.
• Give specific, behavior-level feedback after every practice.

Common mistakes

• Assuming staff will pick things up by osmosis.