Editor's Note: This resource is an excerpt from the book Blueprint for Better Coaching released in Spring 2011. Written by long-time high school coach and athletic director Dr. David Hoch, the book provides coaches with ideas that will help them become positive and trusted leaders in the arena of high school teams sports. Click here for more information on the book.

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If you believe that players are made in the off-season, the same can be said about coaches. It is the planning, preparation and effort that you invest during this time that gets you ready for the actual season.

There is a well-used maxim that if you fail to plan, this is a plan to fail. Good, experienced coaches will use their off-season to analyze and plan every detail to make sure that they are fully prepared for the next campaign. Leave nothing to chance.

Even if you take a few weeks off after the conclusion of your season, you will have approximately 7-8 months prior to the start of tryouts for the upcoming season. This off-season is the perfect, optimal time to plan for the next effort.

As an example, below are some of the items that could be on your pre-season planning checklist if you are a basketball coach. Review, revise and update the following:

1. Offense versus man-to-man
2. Offense versus zones
3. Press offense versus full-court man-to-man pressure
4. Press offense versus full-court zone pressure
5. Out-of-bounds plays under own basket
6. Sideline out-of-bounds plays
7. Last second shot plays
8. Man-to-man defense
9. Zone defense
10. Drills for individual skill development
11. Assignments and responsibilities of assistant coaches
12. Team rules
13. Scouting schedule
14. Clinic for feeder programs
15. Fund-raising
16. Blueprint for junior varsity team
17. Coaching philosophy

Evaluate Returning Players

Analyze your returning varsity players and those who might move up from the JV squad. You will want to make adjustments to your offensive sets and defensive packages based upon the strengths and weaknesses of your available athletes. Take advantage of their skills or disguise some of their deficiencies until you have the opportunity for the players to improve.

Weekly Seasonal Plans

Make a comprehensive list of everything that has to be taught during the season. Break this list down into what absolutely has to be taught and installed before the first contest and what can be added incrementally. To be further prepared, it helps to review what your first few opponents will run based upon last year's scouting reports and game films.

Prepare or Revise Team Rules

To be effective, team rules should be simple and concise so that they are easy to understand. You aren't writing a dissertation. Team rules provide a few guidelines to govern expectations and to set the parameters for your athletes. The end result is to have a consistent basis to control the deportment and provide guidelines for your players.

A common coaching mistake is to include or attach penalties to team rules. The problem with listing definitive penalties is that you have no latitude for extenuating circumstances. While you do want consistency for all players, you want to be able to consider alternatives and legitimate reasons.

Don't forget to get approval from your athletic director before giving a copy of team rules to your athletes or their parents. This chain of command is important so that your team rules conform to the school's philosophy, policies and existing procedures. Also, getting approval is important to ensure support in the event that there is a problem.

Revise your Coaching Philosophy

After completing a season it is always a good idea to examine if there are any aspects of your philosophy that may need tweaking. Do you still believe in everything that you did throughout the season and can you justify every element?

A good barometer is to look at what your opponents did successfully versus your offense or defense. The answers to this question can provide a good starting point to consider making any changes or improvements.

During this process, ask yourself if you truly believe in the education-based athletic philosophy? Or do you claim that you do, but reality dictates something else. This introspective approach can be difficult for some coaches.

Coaching Clinics for Feeder Programs

The future success of any program is largely dependent upon the incoming talent from your middle schools and community teams. Instead of sitting back and waiting for whatever athletes eventually arrive for your program, take the initiative to help develop the incoming athletes.

One method is to conduct coaching clinics for the younger, inexperienced athletes. Using your varsity players to demonstrate the skills and then lead the drills is an excellent approach. You can either invite these feeder programs to your facility or travel to the various community venues.

In addition to providing instruction for athletes, it also wise to conduct coaching clinics for youth and middle school coaches. By doing this, they have a chance to learn specifically how you teach skills, implement offensive and defensive systems and what you expect of your athletes at practice sessions.

Once youth-level coaches understand what you teach and what is necessary to thrive in your program, they have the opportunity to use the same approach with their athletes. This early preparation can be a huge ingredient for improving the level of skilled players who will eventually join your program.

Professional Development

The off-season is the prime time for you to learn more about the sport. Regardless of your experience, there is always something more to know. You should never have the attitude that you already know everything.

It is important to attend clinics, watch instructional videos, read coaching books and work at summer camps. Spending time with successful coaches is a valuable learning tool and a great way to improve upon your background.

In addition, you should develop a coaching network. Contacts for the future are important not only to be able to ask questions, get new ideas and seek help, but also to find out about potential openings in order to advance your career.

Also consider earning your NFHS National Level I Coaching Certification. For information concerning the NFHS Coaching Education and Certification programs, log on to www.nhfslearn.com.

Another great idea is to read more coaching books. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Dance produced Quality Sports: National Standards for Sports Coaches. This book details the important domains and standards that are important for professionally prepared coaches.

In the off-season, set a goal to improve in one or two specific areas each year. If you don't, chances are that some of your opponents will. Besides, your athletes deserve the best and this means gleaning as much knowledge as possible.

Regeneration

Learning more about your profession and expanding your coaching acumen is all well and good, but you also need to get away from the sport, relax, and regenerate. It is easy to get so involved, immersed and passionate that you burn out. Coaching is emotional, demanding and obviously time-consuming. You need to be refreshed in order to start each new season.

Junior Varsity Team Blueprint

It is important that you consider the ultimate purpose of the JV team and clearly communicate your expectations to its coach. Being a member of this team should provide opportunity for young, inexperienced athletes to develop their skills for a possible move to the varsity.

In order for the JV to ultimately provide the greatest benefit to both the players and the program, it should be modeled after the varsity team. This means teaching the same skills--although they may have to be adjusted to the age-level and experience of the players--and system. A seamless, unified approach is the desired goal.

Never assume or take the chance that your JV coach is on the same page. As the head coach you want to meet with and guide him. Explain what is important, how to teach everything and provide the philosophical rationale. You may even want to help him organize and plan his practice sessions so that the necessary skills are being developed.

It often takes a very special person to fill the role of the junior varsity coach. Someone who is devoid of ego and not concerned about personal goals and wins is ideal. Doing what is best for the young people has to be the ultimate goal.

Be sure to praise, support and constantly thank this valuable individual. You also need to reward him by recommending and promoting him for vacant positions in the future.

References

Hoch, D. Considerations for Developing Team Rules. Strategies, March/April 2003, pp. 29-30.

Hoch, D. Using the Off-Season to your Best Advantage. Coaches' Quarterly. Summer 2006, pp. 8-9.

Hoch, D. The Purpose and Role of A Junior Varsity Team. Coaches' Quarterly. Spring, 2009, pp. 22-23.