It’s time to select a football team. A significant commitment of time and money will be made by your family. Therefore, it is important to ensure, to the best of your ability, that the experience will be a positive one for your child. 

Here are five questions you need to ask a potential coach: 

1. What is your coaching philosophy? Without hesitation, a coach should be able to clearly define expectations for his players, their parents and his coaching staff. Is it about his desire to beat a crosstown rival, or does his philosophy center on the development of a football athlete. 
2. What is your definition of winning? An unfavorable coach’s answer would be: “With a stingy defense and our double wing offense game plan, we plan to play smashmouth football and win every game by 30 points!” While no one can dispute that winning games feels great, it is not the main objective at the youth level. At the end of a season, kids will not remember wins and losses. Instead, they will recall the memories and experiences shared with their teammates.
3. How do you teach tackling and contact? Player safety is paramount. Heads Up Tackling certification is the new standard in football safety. It is imperative that your coach is USA Football certified. Get a sense of the hitting drills that are performed at practice and the frequency. 
4. What is your injury protocol? If an athlete sustains an on-field injury, is he immediately escorted off the field or will he be asked to “suck it up” and play. Let the coach explain his concussion protocol. What about the importance of hydration?
5. Do you have a kid on the team? If the answer is yes, seek assurance that favoritism will not be an ongoing annoyance during the season. 

Vetting a coach with these five questions will assist you in weeding out those that are not fit to lead your child. Good luck.

Vin Sehgal is the co-founder of Youth Football Online.