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Here are our Top 5 tips to make your season a successful one this year, whether you are a first time coach or a seasoned flag football coach. Your kids will have their best season ever if you follow these simple tips. All it takes is a little preparation.

Teach them good sportsmanship:

Help your kids learn to love the game by teaching them to have fun and play safely. Teach that teamwork and a good attitude are more important than winning. These are traits every coach should drive home to their team.

Also remember to practice what you preach. Set an example and dont be that coach that gets in the refs face and screams after a bad call was made. Instead calmly approach the ref and discuss it with him; if he doesnt agree with you, drop it and move on.

Have a plan:

With kids involved with so many activities these days, practice time is short so dont waste it on conditioning. Always have a lesson prepared so youll coach your team from one drill or play to the next and minimizes standing around time. Keeping them moving will take care of conditioning better than laps around the field and calisthenics.

It is best to always have a few extra drills on standby in case what you had planned on teaching them is not working. If the players do not understand the concept or drill, you are the one explaining it wrong. Try explaining it different way, or move on to the next drill and save it for another day.

Let the children play!:

Kids learn best and get a confidence boost by running the plays, so dont just talk about the plays, instead have them run them every practice. But move on to more complex plays when the kids have mastered the simpler ones. With the fundamentals under their belts, theyll be able to learn the more complex plays much quicker.

Weather the practice:

Never cancel practice if it is raining, not all games will be played on sunny, dry fields. Get them used to playing on a wet and muddy field come game day by practicing in not so great weather. Let parents know your plans at the beginning of the season so they are not surprised when you dont call off practice at the first hint of rain.

Find help:

To ensure you will not waste time arguing over the correct approach to coaching your team, find someone who has a similar coaching philosophy and personality as you. A great flag football coach is not necessarily someone who played flag football in college or the local intramural league so keep that in mind when a selecting an assistant. Never coach with a random volunteer parent, you will have a greater chance at coaching success if you ask a close friend, co-worker or relative.

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