Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide some assistance and advice for people intending to take on the demanding effort of coaching Australian Rules to kids.

You may also wish to read the Coach Description developed by the Junior Jets VP Football (current as of May 2003). Also, to assist new coaches and officials in their role, the Australian Sports Commission, in conjunction with State Departments of Sport and Recreation, have developed a series of new web pages - Tools and Tips for New Coaches and Officials. Click on the following icon once you get there:

Some common sense and pragmatic advice is:

• that a coach of kids is not easy, it is often frustrating and at times the coaching extends beyond the kids to parents as they too come to terms with the nuances and rules of the game,
• if you take on coaching, think as to what it is you wish to get out of doing this (and discuss with others doing it) because that fundamentally is the crux of whether you are doing it for the right reasons,
• kids are just that; kids, and as such have immature or gestating values, beliefs and ideals. Moreso, they basically aren't concerned about these or have little idea about what these mean. So stick to things you can easily influence in terms that the kids understand (and in a way that doesn't overload them with information),
• you are not there to be a crèche or child-minding service for kids so resist the urge to pander to how parents wish you to manage their children. Kids need to understand that while the game in the developing years should be fun, it is also quite a serious amount of effort and them just wishing to get better will not happen,
• don't take yourself too seriously with your coaching of kids and try to be something you are not - you should also be there to have fun as well.

The rewards really are worthwhile if you, just like the kids you are teaching, have the patience to stick at it.

Certainly, at the Junior Jets we encourage those people who wish to take on coaching by supporting them for accreditation and learning. We also have coaches who have been around a while who are more than happy to discuss any aspects of the game where it will assist.

The role of the Aussie Footy coach is to regard your function as a:

"Teacher of skill to children"

In obtaining skills it is, like most things, only obtained via hard work and as part of a series of dependant or developmental stages. But moreso, the coach should be concerned with the equality of participation and the subsequent results and success of participants. One of the frustrations you will encounter is that developing skills is repetitive, boring and progressive. Some kids will pounce on a skill whereas others convey a feeling of hopelessness. For both, they need just as much effort to maintain work and ingrain the skill patterns required. Your skill is in providing the exercises that keep the particular skill being developed but in fun and enticing ways. Good Luck!

Why Do It?

Fundamental to why you are deciding to coach is in first deciding the priorities of what objectives you want. Things such as:

• Helping kids develop individually. This means developing excellence in kids. Small goals at a time with rewards to keep the motivation and enthusiasm going.
• Helping kids develop in teams. Kids want to be affiliated with groups or teams to make friends, be with friends and have fun. However, kids should also be in teams because they want to and not because of other pressures.
• Having fun. Take kids minds of the drudgery with exercises that are sharp/short (but engage them constantly) and attractive to them.
• Winning. This should only be ever seen as an outcome of every one in a team performing to their best. Understanding how to win seems more relevant than the why! Even losing can be turned into positives and should be accepted - while it continues to provide learning opportunities.

Above all if you can convey to kids that you are having fun then generally they will too.

For Beginners

What does the Junior Jets do to assist?

The Junior Jets take the role of coaching very seriously and will assist newcomers to learn and develop. We are not just here to develop the kids in isolation of the needs of the parent coach. The ACT AFL run Level 1 coaching clinics on a regular basis which we are more than happy to support coaching staff by covering clinic costs.

All Junior Jets coaches are required to obtain at least a Level 1 certificate. For those wishing to extend themselves beyond Level 1 into the more demanding Level 2, then we can facilitate this as well.

Newcomers are not left to fend for themselves either as our Director of Coaching will take you under his arm and provide some hand-holding. Coaching Kids for the first-time is not simple and even those with years of senior experience find that having our DOC on-hand to help out and give encouragement or that wise bit of advice is more than welcome.

Your Style

The following represents the style of coach you might (unknowingly) start out as. This is generally more to do with your personality and approach - especially if never having done coaching or been adequately trained. Your style may also be an approach you have adopted after seeing it employed by other coaches.

The simple evaluation of these styles is that a coach needs to be all of these but astute enough to employ them at varying times for effect.

1. Authoritarian.
2. All Business.
3. Mr Nice Guy.
4. Intense.
5. Easy going - Smooth/Cool.

Coaching Principles

Because of the nature of being a coach and having the attention of so many kids, there are some characteristics that are helpful in ensuring that any influence is significant or long-lasting. The following qualities ideal for a coach are provided as a guide:

• Knowledge. This is not just knowledge of the game but moreso in understanding development of kids, the learning process, spotting weaknesses then providing remedial activity; and staying informed.
• Organisation. Being organised, looking like a coach, planning activities against a tactic or strategy, equipment availability, variety in exercises and ensuring maximum participation.
• Communication. Fundamental to any coach is the ability to pass on information and ensure an environment exists within the team framework for information to flourish. Also fundamental is the control so that overload is managed. Types of communication to work on includes:
  • Rapport. Talk with, not at, players,
  • Supportive, constructive advice. Praise attempts, positive reinforcement and promote sportsmanship,
  • Concise and explicit instructions,
  • Listening, digesting and assessing,
  • Delivery of the communication - emotional control and humour,
  • Messages. Appear in all forms to kids/parents but none moreso than in the conduct of the coach themselves. "Walk the talk" (to concise the phrase a bit…),
  • Maturity. Part of the message you convey.
• Intelligence. Originality of thought, creativeness, curiosity, open mindedness, a bit of a non-traditionalist but not entirely wedded to change for change sake. A questioner of contemporary attitudes.
• Leadership. This is the quality of consolidating the above into an approach that allows you to deal effectively with situations. It primarily requires you set the example and inspire the kids.

Coaches Responsibility - Job Description

The following represents responsibilities that currrent or prospective Coaches will need to understand are important to the position and have been identified by the 2003 Committee as being so.

• To run training sessions.
• To ensure that all children have been collected or gone home appropriately at the completion of training.
• To ensure that all training equipment is appropriately put away.
• Co-ordinate team on game day and coach (either on ground in the Aussie footy up to under 10's or by use of a runner for older grades).
• To ensure that there is a match report for the newsletter ready by Wednesday of the following week at the latest. To ensure it is provided to the editor for inclusion.
• To ensure that there is a year report and player profile done for the Yearbook by the date advised by the Secretary - usually 2 weeks after the completion of the home and away season.
• To encourage active participation and involvement of parents in the team.
• To be one of two of the initial points of contact for parents with particular issues relating to the team. (Manager being the other).
• To attend coaches and managers meetings as set by either the Junior League or the Club. (Usually there is 1 League one at the start of the year and the club would like to hold no more than 3 during the season).
• Attend club functions as required. (Magnet Mart BBQ attendance is requested as it provides an opportunity outside the game for officials and parents to get to know one another).
• Present team Trophies and say a few words on presentation day.
• Co-ordinate with the team manager on issues such as Volunteer co-ordination and recognition, Votes for Best and Fairest (in accordance with club policy), ground set up if required (particularly under 8's), team rosters for BBQ's, trips away, notification of changes (training off or game moved).
• All coaches must acquaint themselves with the Junior League By-laws and codes of conduct.

Please note this has been developed as a general guide of what is involved in this job. There will always be other ad hoc items that will require the coaches' involvement at some point during the season. However we have attempted to capture most of what is currently accepted as good practice by organisations such as the AFL, AIS and the Australian Football Coaches Association in this document.

Managers Responsibility - Job Description

The following represents responsibilities that currrent or prospective Managers will need to understand are important to the position and have been identified by the current Committee as being so.

• To co-ordinate game day activity. Including filling in of the Team Book and getting other teams manager signature at completion of the match, organising time keepers, goal and boundary umpires, appropriate equipment i.e. umpire flags, game day awards.
• To acquaint themselves with the junior league By-laws and codes of conduct.
• You are the game day official and have responsibility to enforce both the Junior League's and Club's policies in regard to expected behaviour. The codes of conducts and League By-laws are listed on these pages.
• Responsible to advise the appropriate person designated by the Junior League of results and best players (3) by midday of the following day (Sunday) - (the earlier the better). The club will advise who this is and the contact numbers once known.
• You are required to make sure that the days team sheet is dropped to the club registrar after the match - (this is because we need to keep our records up to date for 50 and 100 game presentations as well as for ensuring the Junior League receives all sheets and that for points competition teams ladders and results can be made and checked).
• To encourage active participation and involvement of parents in the team.
• To be one of two of the initial points of contact for parents with particular issues relating to the team. (Coach being the other).
• To attend coaches and managers meetings as set by either the Junior League or the Club.
• Attend club functions as required. (Magnet Mart BBQ attendance is requested as it provides an opportunity outside the game for officials and parents to get to know one another outside of football).
• Co-ordinate with the team coach on issues such as Volunteer co-ordination and recognition, Votes for Best and Fairest (in accordance with club policy), ground set up if required (particularly under 8's), team rosters for BBQ's, trips away, notification of changes (training off or game moved).
• Responsible for the allocation and collection of team Jumpers and equipment.
• The manager should co-ordinate additional equipment needs with the Property officer or VP Football.
• Responsible to collect all outstanding rego fees (issue receipts) and pass to the Treasurer for banking and to ensure (in conjunction with the Registrar) that all players have appropriately filled in a club rego form.
• Ensure player injuries that require medical attention are captured in injury reports.
  

I want to volunteer. How do I sign up?

There are several ways you can volunteer to become a Coach or Manager of the Junior Jets. What we would appreciate from you though is some background information on your previous football/coaching experiences (whether you have played football or not is irrelevant) and whether you have accreditation or not (again, not critical as we will facilitate you obtaining accreditation).

We don't expect a resume two inches thick either.

What you need to be aware of is that we will ask you to sign a statutory declaration after your nomination is processed before we will allow you to be in charge of kids.

1. You can either open our Coach/Manager/Volunteer Nomination form or just download it (right mouse click over the link then select "Save as..." Once you fill in the items required you can return it via the address provided.

Or

2. Via our Contact Us page you can submit a note indicating your desire to be a volunteer in whatever capacity etc. If as a Coach/Manager then please provide some supporting information as per above.

Or

3. Get in contact with our VP Football Operations to discuss about joining us before nominating.

The choice is yours - the benefit is all of ours!