I am a new coach, I managed to get onto coaching a jv team at the college that I played at (a small college similar to d3 level)... I am really enjoying myself but for some reason I keep wanting to coach younger kids.... probably middle school age. It keeps coming up in my mind. I know that I would be basically putting a stop to me going up the coaching ladder but I think that I would enjoy coaching this age, as the main thing that I like doing is teaching.\ Do you think it would be the wrong decision to do this? Or just try it next year and see how I like it?

Tough call.... you have to weigh what you want to do right now vs a career at the College level.

I coached middle school kids for many years before I moved onto the high school level. That was many years ago :-) when the coach was like a God... not so much anymore.... but youg kids are still great to work with. IF they know you care about them they will try very hard to do everything you ask of them.

Are you teaching anywhere right now? Do you have a teaching certificate? Its a lot easier to get a coaching job if you are teaching at a school.

You certainly could try it for a year or two to see how it goes.... but, IF you are looking to coach at the college level you might be better off where you are at. Like I said, tough call.

Good lluck

I'd check into some local programs for 7th/8th grade b-ball in your area. Talk to a few league directors and see if they need any coaches. Maybe you could try out a team if they need a coach and see if you like it vs jumping in with both feet right away.

Thanks for the advice guys. Even though i love being able to work with athletes that are at a high level i feel that i would be able to connect better with kids that are a little younger.

My end goal is not to coach college as i dont really have the ability to move around much because of my wifd and newborn. I think my end goal would be to teach and coach at a public high school near where i live now.

I do have a teaching license in the state of ohio so i know thqt will helpa lot.

I am currently teaching at a private christian school....... we are adding high school next year, so maybe that will be an opportunityfor me to start up a high school program from the ground up. I have a lot of options at the moment.

I think that teaching and coaching at the Christian school is a good way to start... prove to them that you can handle this.... and then realize your dream. Being a head coach of a HS program.

Starting from the gound up will be a difficult thing... but at least all the kids will know your system. Get the middle school coaches on board regarding everyone teaching the same thing. That way, when they come into your HS, you will be able to tweak their weaknesses and theif fundamentals.

What a great opportunity, I hope that works out for you. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the reply.

I am going to give my all to this year and the college I am coaching at first. I really like the college level but know that if I want to coach there in the future I would more than likely have to move away.

Coaching and teaching at the christian school I currently teach at will be a good start. It has plus and minus. I am teaching third grade which is a bit young for me. But again its a start.

I just want to use my career and coaching to influence young people and enjoy whay I do. I don't really have aspirations to make it to the big time or anything like that.