SEVEN SECRETS TO COACHING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

By Ron Kretz, Baseball Coach www.kretzfiles.com

Coach to win in life, not just a game!

I spent 30 years as a high school coach in the great state of Texas. Along the way, I met many great people, helped numerous students, and created many wonderful memories. I was fortunate enough to work on many successful teams/programs. When ready, I took what I learned and led my programs. I worked in six different school districts and held positions from freshman coach to quarterback coach to offensive coordinator to head football coach. I was also a head baseball coach (19 years) and did a year or two of powerlifting, track, and basketball.

I now serve as a high school assistant principal. I have time now to reflect on why coaching is important and how much a coach can impact a student’s life. So, I sat down and wrote a list of seven topics that I believed helped me as a coach.

Here are the 7 Secrets to Coaching High School Sports:

1. Cultivate a Passion to Serve

2. Develop and Embrace Your Core Values

3. Build Meaningful Relationships

4. Master the Sport You Coach

5. Master Coaching the Fundamentals

6. Model the Expectations You Set

7. Encourage Multi-sport Athletes

Career Secret #1: Cultivating a Passion to Serve

Coaching high school sports is more than just teaching skills and winning games—it’s about serving others. Every aspect of your role, from sharing your knowledge and expertise to dedicating your time and energy, reflects a commitment to service. Whether you’re planning practices, teaching lessons, managing travel, or handling less glamorous tasks like laundry, coaching is, at its core, a service-driven profession.

But make no mistake—serving doesn’t mean catering to every whim like a hotel concierge or a made-to-order restaurant. A coach’s service comes with high expectations and firm demands. Why? Because instilling discipline, accountability, and resilience in your players is a powerful way to prepare them for life’s realities.

Why Service Matters for Longevity

A passion for service is the cornerstone of a fulfilling and enduring coaching career. Players will come and go—they were there before you and they will be there long after you leave. But your ability to impact their lives, and make a meaningful difference, is what creates a lasting legacy. When your focus is on service, you can leave behind not just wins and losses, but a collection of positive memories and life lessons that resonate for years.

Key Takeaways for Coaches

• Arrive with Purpose: Approach each day with an open mind and a desire to make a positive impact.

• Leave a Legacy: Strive to leave the campus, the team, and the program better than you found them.

At the heart of coaching lies a simple but powerful truth: the greatest measure of success isn’t the scoreboard, but the lives you’ve touched through your passion to serve.

Career Secret #2: Develop and Embrace Your Core Values

Core values are the foundation of any successful coaching career, but developing and living by them requires intentionality and growth. Here are three critical steps to guide you in cultivating your core values as a coach:

1. Align with Leadership

Before anything else, you must fully embrace the core values and philosophies of your head coach and coordinators. Long-term success in high school sports hinges on respecting the leadership’s decisions and implementing their vision with commitment and enthusiasm. There’s no room for “ifs, ands, or buts.” Your role is to support the program’s overarching goals and ensure a unified message is delivered to your players.

2. Discover and Refine Your Core Values

As a young coach, it’s natural not to have a fully formed set of core values right away. Developing your values takes time and reflection—and they may evolve as you gain experience and grow both personally and professionally. However, start with values that emphasize key attributes like:

• Work Ethic: Model relentless effort in everything you do.

• Loyalty: Show unwavering support for your program and colleagues.

• Commitment: Dedicate yourself to the success of your team and players.

• Time Management: Balance responsibilities effectively and prioritize what matters most.

Over time, your core values will become clearer and serve as a compass for your coaching decisions and actions.

3. Live and Communicate Your Values

Your core values mean little if they aren’t shared and demonstrated. Communicate your expectations to your players, and most importantly, lead by example. Consistency is key—players will notice if your actions align with your words. To ensure your values are truly making an impact, adopt the principle of “inspect what you expect.” Regularly evaluate whether your team is living up to these standards, and provide guidance when they fall short.

Final Thoughts

Developing and living by core values isn’t just about coaching; it’s about shaping the culture of your program and fostering growth in your players. When your values align with your actions, you not only strengthen your credibility as a coach but also set the stage for a fulfilling, impactful career.

Career Secret #3: Build Meaningful Relationships

If there’s one secret to a long and rewarding coaching career, it’s this: build relationships. Relationships are the glue that holds every part of your professional and personal life together. Here’s how to prioritize and strengthen those connections:

1. Professional Relationships with Supervisors

Start with clear and respectful communication. Read and respond to emails promptly, approach conversations with a professional demeanor, and always fulfill your responsibilities with excellence. Show up where you’re expected to be, and do your job to the best of your ability. Consistency and reliability will earn you the trust and respect of your supervisors over time.

2. Personal Connections with Players

Dedicate time each day to connecting with your players beyond the sport. Ask about their lives, listen to their challenges, and show genuine interest in who they are as individuals. This is about what you can do for them—not what they can do for you. Remember, you might be the only adult in their lives who listens and cares. That’s a special responsibility and an incredible opportunity to make a difference.

3. Fellowship with Coaching Staff

Coaching is a demanding job, but it’s also a unique fraternity of men and women united by a common cause. Take time during the week to connect with your fellow coaches. This doesn’t mean wild nights out— it’s about meeting in a casual setting, decompressing for an hour, and sharing a few laughs before heading home. These moments of camaraderie are what makes coaching enjoyable and create lifelong bonds.

4. Prioritize Your Family Relationships

Above all, nurture your relationship with your spouse or significant other. Schools, jobs, and seasons will come and go, but your family is your constant. Investing in your “home team” ensures stability and balance in your life. Be intentional about spending quality time together and showing appreciation for their support.

Final Thoughts

At its heart, coaching is about relationships. The stronger they are, the more fulfilling your career— and life—will be. When you make relationships a priority, you create a ripple effect that benefits your team, your staff, your family, and ultimately, yourself.

Career Secret #4: Master the Sport

Never—ever—step into coaching a sport you’re unprepared for. While you don’t need to be as seasoned as the head coach or varsity assistants, you owe it to the players, the head coach, and yourself to do the job to the best of your ability. Preparation is non-negotiable.

How to Prepare

1. Clarify Expectations Early: Before the season starts, meet with the head coach to understand your role. Ask for specific details, examples, and guidance on what’s expected from you.

2. Study the Sport: Dive into videos, read articles, and research techniques and strategies. Knowledge is your most powerful tool, so take the time to strengthen it.

3. Learn the Basics: At a minimum, understand the rules of the game and its fundamental principles. This ensures you can effectively teach and manage your players.

Why Preparation Matters

You’re being paid to coach, which means your effort and expertise are part of the job. Players are counting on you to teach them and prepare them for more advanced competition. Additionally, the head coach is trusting you to help develop the program’s future.

When you take your role seriously, you not only grow as a coach but also enhance the entire program. And if you find yourself struggling, never hesitate to ask for help—learning and growing are part of the process.

Final Thoughts

Coaching is a responsibility that requires dedication, preparation, and humility. By understanding the sport, you position yourself to lead effectively, support your players, and earn the trust of your head coach. Always strive to coach to the best of your ability, because when you’re prepared, everyone benefits.

Career Secret #5: Master Coaching the Fundamentals

At its core, coaching is about teaching the fundamentals. Every practice, every drill, and every game hinges on the basics. To be an effective coach, you must prioritize fundamentals daily and ensure your players not only understand them but can execute them with confidence.

The Essentials of Coaching Fundamentals

1. Teach Clearly: Players need to hear, see and do to truly learn.

• Verbally explain what you expect in simple, clear terms.

• Demonstrate the skill or technique yourself. If you’re unable to, enlist a skilled player to model it.

• Create opportunities for players to practice the skill repeatedly until it becomes instinctual.

2. Be Patient: Patience is a cornerstone of effective coaching.

• If a player isn’t getting it, pause and reflect— did you teach the concept effectively? Break it down further or try a different approach.

• Understand that some players may never master certain skills, but your job is to develop them to the best of their abilities.

• Remember, even the least skilled player could be crucial one day due to injuries, eligibility issues, or roster changes. Coach everyone up, no matter where they start.

3. Repetition Builds Mastery: Fundamentals form the foundation of any successful program.

• Select a few key drills that directly prepare your team for success and run them consistently.

• Repetition builds confidence and muscle memory, making fundamental skills second nature when it counts the most.

Why Fundamentals Matter

Great teams are built on a mastery of the basics. A strong foundation in fundamentals enables players to handle high-pressure situations and execute advanced strategies. As a coach, your commitment to teaching the fundamentals isn’t just about winning games—it’s about instilling discipline, focus, and a work ethic that transcends the sport.

Final Thoughts

Coaching fundamentals require patience, clarity, and consistency. When you prioritize these principles, you set your players and your program up for long-term success. After all, championships may be built on strategy, but they’re won with fundamentals.

Career Secret #6: Model the Expectations You Set

As a coach, your actions set the tone for your players, colleagues, and community. To earn respect and build trust, you must lead by example in every aspect of your life.

1. Set the Standard with Your Behavior

Your players will look to you as a role model, so demonstrate the same values and habits you expect from them:

• Be On Time: Punctuality shows respect for others and sets a disciplined tone.

• Do What’s Right: Make integrity your guiding principle in all decisions.

• Give Your Best Effort: Show the same commitment you demand from your players.

2. Exemplify Professionalism in the Classroom

Your role extends beyond the field. In the classroom:

• Be Present and Prepared: Arrive on time and ready to engage with your students.

• Dress Professionally: Avoid overly casual attire like shorts or sweatpants; appearance matters.

• Teach Actively: Move beyond worksheets and deliver meaningful, interactive lessons.

3. Represent Yourself Well in the Community

Remember, your actions off campus are just as important as those on it. Communities have high expectations for their coaches, and social media amplifies visibility.

• Be Mindful of Local Norms: Some districts may tolerate adult beverages, while others may not. Learn the expectations of your community and act accordingly.

• Stay Aware: In today’s world, everyone has a camera. Your actions can quickly become public, so always represent yourself and your program with integrity.

Final Thoughts

Modeling expectations isn’t just about earning respect—it’s about embodying the qualities you hope to instill in your players. Whether on the field, in the classroom, or out in the community, strive to be the example others aspire to follow.

Career Secret #7: Champion MultiSport Athletes

Encourage your athletes to participate in multiple sports during their high school years. This short window of time offers unique opportunities for growth, friendship, and unforgettable experiences— let them make the most of it.

1. Prioritize the Athlete’s Experience

High school is about more than just excelling in one sport. By playing multiple sports, athletes:

• Build new friendships.

• Learn from different coaching styles.

• Create a broader range of lasting memories.

Ask yourself: Do you want him to specialize in what he can do for you or for what you can do for him?

Do you want the kid to specialize to help you win more games? If you are, that is the wrong answer. The player must be a good athlete so let him enjoy all sports (if they want), help all teams, and create memories for a lifetime.

Don’t rob the player of the experience of playing another sport.

Shift your mindset to focus on the player’s best interests, not just your own.

2. Understand the Challenges of Larger Schools

Multi-sport participation is a necessity in small schools. However, in larger schools, where specialization pressures are higher, it’s even more crucial for coaches to support athletes who want to explore multiple sports.

3. Don’t Penalize or Discourage

Never harp on or penalize an athlete for their involvement in other sports. Selfish behavior alienates athletes and limits their opportunities. Instead, embrace and promote the well-rounded development of all athletes. Encourage participation in multiple sports.

4. Use the Other Career Secrets to Support Athletes

Apply the principles from the previous six secrets to help your athletes manage their schedules and commitments. When you coach with patience, flexibility, and a service-oriented mindset; you’ll find ways to support multi-sport ambitions.

Final Thoughts

Encouraging multi-sport participation isn’t just good for the athlete—it’s good for your program, your school, and the culture of the high school. When you put the athlete’s best interests first, you create an environment where they can thrive on and off the field.

In Conclusion

These are my Seven Secrets to Coaching High School Sports for 30 years or at least these seven mean the most to me.

The most important part of coaching is to:

• Know why you coach – this will make you feel like you never worked a day in your life (unless you did old-fashioned 2-a-day – that was work).

• Know where you coach – it is important to know the community you coach in, some things might be accepted in one area and frowned upon in another.

• Know who you coach – these are all someone else’s children you are coaching. Be demanding and set crystal clear expectations, but don’t give the kid a reason to talk poorly about you or the program.

• Know what you coach – you coach kids, never forget that!

Coaching is the last line of defense in producing quality men and women for our future. Don’t let them down. Coaching is one of the few professions where we do not allow students to take shortcuts or make excuses. Coaching demands and teaches discipline, a work ethic, and teamwork. NOWHERE ELSE IS THIS TAUGHT! DON’T LET THE KIDS DOWN.

Only one coach can win a championship, but we can all win a life. How can a coach help a student win in life?

Consider implementing these 7 Secrets to a Long Coaching Career and see what happens.

1. Cultivate a Passion to Serve

2. Develop and Embrace Your Core Values

3. Build Meaningful Relationships

4. Master the Sport You Coach

5. Master Coaching the Fundamentals

6. Model the Expectations You Set

7. Encourage Multi-sport Athletes

In the words of Brian Kight, “Doesn’t Matter . . . Get Better.”

If you would like more coaching thoughts, I recommend you subscribe to:

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