The in-season life of a football coach is one that calls for a lot of sacrifice.

There often comes tough decisions on how to spend time, whether that is with players or with family. Creating a work-life balance is key to maintaining success in both areas.

Rich Alercio, head coach of St. Johnsbury Academy (Vt.), recently appeared on USA Football's The Coach and Coordinator podcast with host Keith Grabowski, where he discussed the challenging juggling act of being a coach, especially one with a family.

Health is obviously important and as a coach, finding the time to get a workout in may be difficult. Instead of working out on his own time, Alercio takes advantage of the opportunity to get his exercise in alongside his players.

“I like to work out with our kids when we strength train on Monday and Thursday mornings,” he said.

This allows the coach to not only give attention to his health but to deepen the bond with his players. He enjoys taking this time to engage in competitions and games to make that time spent even more engaging.

Another key for Alercio in maintaining a work-life balance is incorporating his family into his program.

Whether it is bringing his children to practice at a young age or his wife volunteering to cook team meals, integrating his family into team activities has helped Alercio create additional time with loved ones while still executing football-related responsibilities.

“On Thursday mornings, when we have 53 kids in the weight room at 6 a.m., and my wife is setting up training tables with baked goods, fruits and juices and she is out there spending time with our players,” said Alercio.

Players also engage with Alercio's family when they come together on Friday evenings to watch other teams in the state compete (St. Johnsbury plays their games on Saturdays). Alercio’s wife prepares food for all the players as they keep tabs on the results for other teams in their league.

For as much as Alercio tries to weave in football and family, he also believes that it is very important to be able to carve out time where football does not enter the equation.

“You got to be able to say on Thursday night after practice that you’re done,” said Alercio.

Listen to Alercio discuss work-life balance and a number of other topics on The Coach and Coordinator podcast below: