Im assistant coaching and disagree with head coach's training philosophy...

yes.

your job as an assistant is to back the head coach to athletes, parents, administrators and other coaches.

if you disagree, you can have cordial discussions with him. if he chooses he can take your advice.

but he is the authority. he was given that authority by administration. and he is providing you with an opportunity.

if you don't like the opportunity, then you can resign and do a better job of selecting your situation next time.

that is the professional way to handle it.

or you can divide and destroy the program by voicing your opinion to athletes, parents, administrators and other coaches. roll the dice.

Been there before. I don't have time to make a long reply, but DO NOT do or say anything that contradicts your head coach. I did, and, looking back on it, I should have just kept my mouth shut. The AD and your head coach are the ones who have the influence to get you into a head coaching position of your own someday. Then you can build your own program.

It's in the job description of an assistant coach to be frustrated with the head coach. That is just the way it is. As the above poster mentioned, if you feel that strongly about it then leave and find a new position.

The job of an assistant is to support the head coach and execute any assignment he gives you to the best of your ability, regardless of whether you agree with it (as long as it is not unethical).

Work hard, develop a good working relationship with the HC so that you can build your resume and have a good reference and move on at the end of the year. If you stay there for more than a year and you develop the trust of the head you can talk with him about changing things next year. But if this is your first year there... keep your mouth shut and do what you're told.

My last piece of advice is to stop thinking you know better than everyone else. Every kid out of college thinks they have all the answers (I know I used to). I'm not saying that your HC is right, I'm just saying that you need to get over yourself a bit and be thankful for the opportunity you have instead of trying to undermine the head coach. Take a step back, observe, watch and learn. Maybe you can pick up on some things you didn't know before.

I sat quietly as an assistant coach for TWO years watching a program run five days a week & max out on mileage at a gigantic 15 miles a week! Our weekly mileage looked like this (M-F): 3, 2, 3, 2, 3 to 5. Oh yeah, we did static stretching before & after every practice & race!

Then, I took over the program & it took me a good 2-3 years to start building it where we could do be competitive. Old habit die hard & it was difficult to get kids to believe in running more (We started practicing on Saturdays.) & NOT to static stretch before a race.

Now, 5 years later, we're VERY competitive. I've created a LIFESTYLE of running at the high school.

You'll have your turn. Be patient.

Are you actually that conviced against static stretching before a race or practice. If sequenced correctly it has it's place. I find it funny that you think it is so terrible since I've observed many elite athletes static stretching before competition. You can bring up scientific studies, but many on this subject are inconclusive or contradictory. Dan Pfaff has his athletes static stretch before workouts/competitions as long as the muscles are warm and there is appropiate blood flow. I agree on the mileage, but I think you are making the stretching issue into more than it actually is.

Been There, Done That! wrote:

I sat quietly as an assistant coach for TWO years watching a program run five days a week & max out on mileage at a gigantic 15 miles a week! Our weekly mileage looked like this (M-F): 3, 2, 3, 2, 3 to 5. Oh yeah, we did static stretching before & after every practice & race!

Then, I took over the program & it took me a good 2-3 years to start building it where we could do be competitive. Old habit die hard & it was difficult to get kids to believe in running more (We started practicing on Saturdays.) & NOT to static stretch before a race.

Now, 5 years later, we're VERY competitive. I've created a LIFESTYLE of running at the high school.

You'll have your turn. Be patient.

I would say that with the sense of entitlement and arrogance on this board that nobody is going to "sit and wait" and be able to keep his mouth shut.

Hmmmm? I thought it was accepted that static stretching reduced productivity (but I do have an open mind). Fill me in.

Know your role. Good assistants are good soldiers. If you don't like the head coach's philosophy, find somewhere else to coach.

All those guys posting before must have been your head coach or kids on the team who don't want to work harder than they are doing currently. Rock the boat man. Life is too short to waste. It's your ethical responsibility ot make sure that the kids with potential on the team right now are not getting shafted. You can choose to coach elsewhere, but how about them? Be a man. Do the right thing!

Lots of good input and advice thus far. Just be thankful you're not a highly motivated athlete. I had two coaches whose philosophy was to run everyone into the ground (long hard workouts 4-5 days a week) and who wouldn't even allow me to finish a sentence if I ever tried to talk to them about training. It hindered me greatly in high school and ruined and ended my college running career (coming into indoor track season in 8:30 flat 3k shape only to end the year with a 10:20 3k steeplechase and hating life isn't exactly something I wanted to relive for the next four years).

The role and power of the assistant coach varies depending on the school. At my high school, the assistants were basically sidekicks for the head coach; they helped cheer on runners and with timing. That was it. I know there are some cases in which some athletes train under the head coach and others under the assistant coach though. This is much more rare and will cause problems once one groups' athletes start outperforming the others'. My advice is to listen to what others have said, particularly the first responder.

Ask the coach if it would be okay for you to lead optional, before-school morning runs, occurring 3 times a week. If your coach goes for it, you'd be adding 12 miles/week for kids who attended.

This way you're not questioning the coaches after-school, mandatory training, which he/she will see as the bread & butter of the program. The worst thing that could happen is he/she will say no.

Didn't school just start? Don't freak out if it's the first week. But do talk to the coach. You're the assistant. You should know the plan for the whole year.

Never disagree in public. Leave soon if you can't stand it.

what shoebacca said. you getting a stipend? - go along to get along, until your obligation is concluded. - no stipend? - move along and volunteer elsewhere.

I would leave if I were you..I worked for an absolute moron for 5 years..

I should have left, much, much sooner.

it only made me look bad when I openly critisized the coach even though everyone agreed and I was right.

I finally had to walk away from the most gratifying position that I have ever had.

Mine was at the high school level and I trained the guys by myself in the summer, winter and recruited from the middle schools something the coach thought he was too good to do.

My recruits and the guys that I trained are all jujiors and seniors and I even had to break off contact in giving advicer etc....

That after the fact that you are no longer assitant coach could be construed as jock sniffing.

As much as I hated to.

Damn, you guys are a bunch of passive aggressive asses.

Go talk to the damn coach about training. Ask him if you can take some of the talented guys and increase their mileage.

Relax on the static stretching. Your total shock and amazement about static stretching makes me think you are a sensationalist who is blowing everything out of proportion.

You didn't provide enough information.

How may kids are on the squad? If you are at a small school can you afford to hurt a few with the sudden increase in mileage and intensity you suggest? Is it a young group or heavy with upper classmen? 6 mi max MAY be all a new, green 9th grader can handle...that may not be low mileage for that individual. Did they run over the summer? If your boss doesn't have a summer plan the kids may need to build a little base... perhaps speed shouldn't start until the kids get a bit of consistancy and base. When does the plan peak? Some sectional meet or state championships? Is the school board satisfied with the level of performance? Has the program been successful in the past?

As Bowerman said "...lots of ways to skin a cat". Sit back and learn one.

man up and talk to the boss and perhaps some of your athletes as well- see what they all think- after all you are still a coach and should act accordingly and whats best for your runners- dont be afraid be professional and dedicated to your team- its your job!

Wait to see if he gets results. I have fairly low mileage- ok my top runners will do a long run of 8-9 and most days are 5-7 and that includes the warm up and cool down. I don't start hills and speed until a couple weeks after the other area coaches and, guess what?- My teams are consistently better than all the others in our region.

They are high school kids and over training is real easy to do and MOST coaches over train. Peaking early will happen when you start speed too early.

Give it a chance.

runn wrote:

Wait to see if he gets results. I have fairly low mileage- ok my top runners will do a long run of 8-9 and most days are 5-7 and that includes the warm up and cool down. I don't start hills and speed until a couple weeks after the other area coaches and, guess what?- My teams are consistently better than all the others in our region.

They are high school kids and over training is real easy to do and MOST coaches over train. Peaking early will happen when you start speed too early.

Give it a chance.

Hey, I would like to hear your training schedule. I always worry about starting the "hard" workouts too soon. Can you fill me in?