This is a great reason why we encourage all teams to have an assistant coach! If you know you are going to miss a game please ensure you hand off the equipment bag to the parent who will be filling in for the week.
Best Practice:
- Get an Assistant Coach at the start of the season. Many parents are sitting watching the practices and games. Great way to get them involved to be helping so they are ready to go if you needed
- Designate a parent who will be willing to fill in if you are not able to make it last minute. Example is if your child wakes up sick and you are not able to make it that day you know who is the back up person.
Know You Will Miss in Advance:
- If you know in advance work with your parents to get someone to volunteer to fill in for you.
- Have the person shadow you or be your assistant coach the week prior to the week you will miss.
- This allows them to understand what needs to be done in practice
- Get an understanding of the plays and rules
- Gets to know the kids
- Kids get to know the coach
- Ensure the Equipment bag gets handed off to another parent
- Let the field manager of your location know that you will not be there so they are aware of the situation for the upcoming week
- Communicate to your parents either at the end of your game or send them an email to let them know the plan
Last Minute Situation - Sometimes you don't find out until you get to work on Monday or your child wakes up not feeling well.
- Email or Call your designated parent who will be covering you encase you are not able to make it
- Communicate to your parents that they are aware you will not be there and the back up plan
- Make arrangements to have another parent bring the equipment bag to the field
- Email your local Gridiron Football League commissioner. This allows us to communicate out to the field manager