"I have had the pleasure of coaching Flag Football for The Farm League for 8 years, with multiple football seasons within each year (15+ seasons). In addition to coaching, I've officiated many Playoff and Championship games for the Farm League. The teams coached were The Seahawks, The Jets, The Lions and The Saints, at all age & grade levels. We have had win-less and undefeated seasons, and everything in between. The one thing that always remained constant, was that each player have FUN and learned each position on the team. Each player on every team, were able to design their own offensive plays and the plays were executed in the games during the season. As the season progressed, the players were able to chose and execute their own plays together as a team. My philosophy as a coach was to inspire players with the fundamental knowledge and skills of the game of football, so that it would be useful as they went on to play tackle football or any other sport. The fondest years of my life was coaching these young players and having a positive impact on their lives."
"I would like to share some advise with new and aspiring coaches. The Farm League is FOR THE KIDS. These kids are not playing in the Rose Bowl. These kids are playing to have fun, meet new friends, learn the game of football at a highly skilled level and yes, win a few games along the way. We never had a need or desire to yell at players. If players are coached well, there won't be a need to yell at them.
I have seen other coaches place expectations on these kids that were not warranted at this level. It was sad to look across the field at players that didn't seem to be having fun as a result of coaches trying to win games at any cost. Win or lose, we always rotated our players on offense and defense, and they all played the same amount of game time. Treat these young players as if everyone on your team is The Star Player. Coaching is a very gratifying experience, however, it should be more gratifying for your players. If you can reach that objective, you will earn the respect of the players, parents and referees. One last note..... Like the NFL, referees do make mistakes and not every call is made. Show the referees respect for their calls and I guarantee, they will do the same for you."