Holding More Efficient Preseason Coaches Meetings

Preseason coaches meetings have long been used for a few critical and practical purposes. It is in these sessions that an athletic administrator reviews expectations, policies, procedures, legal responsibilities and due dates, and provides updates on new regulations and changes that have occurred since the last season.

While these meetings are vital for both the coaches and the athletic administrator, one additional goal is to make those meetings not only informative, but also efficient. Why? Meetings represent a time commitment and time is important to everyone. Meetings can be considered by some as an unwanted intrusion. Therefore, cover everything necessary, but do it in a brief, well-organized, concise manner.

To accomplish the goal of being more efficient while still covering all the vital, necessary items, the following suggestions should help.

• Prepare and use a detailed agenda that includes all updates and reviews for all important and critical items to ensure compliance with legislation, policies, procedures, and to meet the expectations of a coaching position.

• Keep a copy of the agenda on your computer. In this manner, it is easy to delete, add and revise this document for use each season and for the next year.

• Use a PowerPoint presentation to highlight important points of your agenda. This medium helps to keep the attention of the attendees. And like the agenda, keep a copy of the PowerPoint on your computer so that you can easily revise it for future meetings.

• Start your meeting on time, and do not wait for stragglers. In essence by waiting, you run the risk that some individuals will come later and later for future meetings, and this is not fair to the majority who were prompt. When someone enters late, jot their name down on your copy of the agenda – for accountability, and simply continue with your presentation. Of course, ask this person to see you the following day, and clearly explain that being late is unacceptable.

• Have copies of your agenda by the door – of the classroom, auditorium, cafeteria, or wherever you hold your meeting – for the coaches to pick up as they enter.

• Place any handouts that accompany an agenda item in order on a table in the front of the room. Have your assistant – if you are lucky enough to have one – or a volunteer coach distribute the handout at the appropriate time. Avoid making a packet of all handouts and passing them out at the beginning of the meeting. Why? Just like students, your coaches will leaf through the packet instead of listening and concentrating on the item at hand.

• Strongly suggest at the beginning of the meeting that the coaches should keep the agenda and the accompanying handouts in a binder or on file. These documents should serve as reference materials. While coaches can and should come to you with questions and for advice during the season, their first stop should be to review the agenda and the handouts. If this step is successful, it should cut down on the number of questions that you receive during a season.

• Answer any question that arises from any agenda item during the meeting, but this should not be a signal for a large open discussion. Also, jot down on your copy of the agenda a brief summary of your answer. It is important to keep these notes on file so that you can document what you explained in the event there is ever a problem.

• Be aware and keep any coach in check who typically likes to dominate any conversation. All groups have one or two of these individuals, and they normally just want attention. If this seems to be the case, offer “Please stop down to see me tomorrow and we can discuss this in greater detail.” Not surprisingly, most won’t show up, because they won’t have an audience.

• Close your meeting with, “If you have any questions, or if a situation develops with which you need clarification or help, please see me.” Of course, wish the coaches well with their upcoming season.

• Send a copy of the agenda and the handouts the next day to your principal and superintendent in order to keep them in the loop. If a problem does develop during or after the season, you can always refer to these documents and explain that you indeed covered or reviewed the item in question. With this approach, you can demonstrate that you were prudent, professional and covered the critically important and necessary information. With proper planning and effort, you can make your preseason coaches meetings more efficient. The coaching staff will appreciate this attempt on your part, and these sessions may also actually be more effective as a result.