Every parent who's now a head coach was once a first-year head coach. This year might be your turn. Here are a few things to think about once you accept one of the most rewarding positions in youth sports:

1. Choose your assistant coaches wisely

Even now, after several seasons as a head coach, I try to pick at least one assistant with head coaching experience. This guarantees at least one other person on the sidelines who can help make decisions through the eyes of a head coach.

2. Know the rules of the game

This sounds like a gimme, but I’m constantly amazed how many of the head coaches I meet at various levels of youth football who don’t completely understand the rules of their particular league. Make sure you have a copy of the rules and that you read them, even if you think you know them all. This is where that experienced head coach on your staff can come in handy.

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3. Know the rules for playing time

This might be the most important rule to understand because it’s often the one a parent will challenge if they think their child is not playing the required time. Whether playing time is defined by quarters, halves or a certain number of plays from scrimmage, knowing the requirements – and making sure your parents and players do too – will help alleviate some complaints before the first game even kicks off. 

4. Set and publicize your schedule

As soon as you are able, select your practice days and times and let your families know. While it sometimes seems that “football is life” in the fall, we all know there’s much more going on and the sooner we can plan around football, the more likely it is that our kids won’t miss many practices. Speaking of which – develop and publicize your policy for missing practices. 

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5. Team parents

Having a leading team parent can be a big help, if you need one. I’ve coached some teams that I never could've survived without a team parent, and others that for one reason or another, didn’t need one. But for your first season as a head coach, it might be better to have one who's not really busy, rather than not have one and wish you did.  

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years, originally as a coach and board member with his now-adult son and most recently "just as a dad" with his 9- and 11-year-old sons. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com, and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.