NOTE: The below is undoubtedly overkill for almost every other youth flag football coach, but it’s something I like to do so I thought I’d share. Maybe all or some of it resonates with you and helps in some way. 

By now, you should be planning your practices, which is an iterative process and continually changing based on what you learn about yourself and your team. We will share more about how to think about practice planning next week.

In the meantime, let's take a step back and make sure we've cemented what we are trying to create for our kids, parents, and, ultimately, our program.

"What is simple can be remembered, and what can be remembered can be acted upon."

– Stan Richards, Founder of The Richards Group

I was fortunate to work for Stan and the country's largest independent branding agency for 11 years, and this quote from him has always stuck with me.

You need a "plan on a page" of concise language for everyone in your program to remember and act upon. There may be additional materials that back up your plan, but ultimately it needs to be summarized on one page, or else risk being confusing or worse, forgotten.

Below is called a "brand promise" in the advertising industry, and I learned this framework while working at The Richards Group. I put this together for myself last summer before my first season. Again, I realize this is a bit ridiculous for 2nd graders, but if I did it, I might as well own it. 🤓

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Here is the template for a brand (or program) "promise" in case you want to create one for your team.

I never shared this with my parents, mostly because I did not want them to think I was insane before our first practice (I'd give them other reasons to believe that later). 😎