Successful Coaching

Core responsibilities

INSTRUCTION

- Produce a developmentally appropriate instructional program based on best practices. Demonstrate the highest sportsmanship and foster mutual respect.
  - Collaborate vertically (Grades 6-8 → JV → Varsity).
  - Develop team respect for opponents & officials.
  - Role model appropriate language & behavior.

SAFETY & SUPERVISION

- Direct adult supervision is mandatory at all times. If a coach cannot attend, find an adult substitute or cancel practice.
- Mandatory documents: Please see the forms & contacts section for important documents needed in the season.

FACILITY & EQUIPMENT

- Assist with setup/takedown of equipment. Supervise students closely during volleyball net & heavy setup.
- Issue & collect uniforms against an official inventory.
- Report damaged/missing items to AD immediately.
- Submit equipment requests to AD and Sebastian Manntz.

GOVERNING BODIES & RULES

- Be thoroughly familiar with FIS Athletic Department policies and rules of affiliated international organizations.
  - ISST
  - DoDDs

Seasonal checklist

PRE-SEASON

Complete all required employment paperwork (safeguarding, police check, etc.)
Sign coaching contract.
Attend coaches' meeting and confirm tryout and practice schedules.
Confirm access to all tryout documents.

TRYOUTS

Take attendance at each tryout and ensure all students have registered through the Google Form.
When teams are selected, email each student with their team selection information (see Tools & Templates page for a team selection email template).
- Note: Emails must be sent after school hours
CC athletics@fis.edu on team selection emails and confirm with Admin. Assistant that your team roster is set and correct in the Tryout Google Sheet.

KICK-OFF

All coaches are expected to attend the Kick-Off event, where students will be given uniforms and take team photos.
Coaches Responsibilities
- Distribute uniforms to your teams (priority is to ensure appropriate sizing and comfort, NOT number preference).
- Take team photos.
- Facilitate a team culture-building session with your teams.
- Attend Coaches Meet & Greet with parents (about a 15-20 minute time commitment).

SEASON

Coaches are expected to travel with the teams on away weekends. The Athletics Department manages your transportation, hotel stays, and any applicable meals.
Check the Athletic Trip Logistics document for pertinent travel details.
Submit travel rosters as soon as possible, but no later than the Tuesday night prior to travel.
Ensure you have your team first aid kit, and communicate with our athletic trainer if anything needs to be restocked.
Conduct headcounts of your team at each stop and ensure your athletes maintain a clean area/bus.
Send game scores into the coaches chat.
Monitor safety and appropriate behavior of students in the hotel/hostel. This responsibility should be shared among coaches.
Coaches are highly encouraged to take the initiative to make contact with local clubs and, where possible, schedule additional games. The athletic director must be kept well informed of all developments and ultimately these additional games must be approved by the athletic director.
For FIS Employees: Submit all absences as soon as possible to your divisional leader and the MS/US offices so they can find coverage for your classes.

ISST/TOURNAMENT

Coaches are expected to attend the end-of-season tournament with their team (usually Thursday-Saturday).
Tournament rosters should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than the date set by the host school.
Coaches must attend the coaches meeting online, hosted by the tournament host school.
Should your athletes win any title in the tournament, please bring home the trophy and/or plaque provided by the school and give it to the Athletic Director for Sports Awards Evening.

SPORTS AWARDS EVENING & POST-SEASON

Coaches are expected to attend the Sports Awards Evening.
Communicate individual awards and collect them from the athletics office.
Host a breakout session, giving out the individual awards and celebrating the team.
Return facility keys to the athletic director and the first aid kit to the athletic trainer.
Schedule a season review with the athletic director.

Trip/Hotel Guidelines

As trips typically take place starting on Friday mornings, any school rules that apply on campus also apply on the bus during school hours.

Cell Phone Use: The school states that all personal cell phones must be powered down and kept in their backpack for the entirety of the school day (this does not include students exempted from this policy for medical device use). When the school day ends (15:10), students are welcome to use their cell phones on the bus.

Homework Time: Students should have a designated time to work on homework or schoolwork. A minimum of two hours on an overnight trip, either one hour each direction, or two hours one direction, is acceptable.

Expectations for Athletic Trips - Hostel/Hotel Stays

Athletes:

Athletes are representing Frankfurt International School and must conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner. Please be aware of other hotel guests; avoid loud noises and inappropriate behaviour in the hotel.
The Athletic Code of Conduct and US Handbook Guidelines (G6-8 & G9-12) for behaviour must be adhered to at all times - always good to give them a reminder of some of the key components (ie. curfew, fraternizing in non-assigned rooms, drugs, alcohol, tobacco products, vaping, etc.)
All athletes need to be told a defined curfew. The default is that all players should be in their own rooms for the night by 22:00, unless otherwise stated by the coach.
- I usually set a time to be in their rooms and a separate time for lights out and quiet.
Remind athletes that they are liable for any damage; rooms should be kept locked when unoccupied (don’t forget their key in the room). Athletes should only be in their assigned room - they may use common spaces to hang out.

Chaperones:

All supervision and duties are a shared responsibility of all travelling coaches and chaperones and need to be divided equitably amongst all. Have a plan for the evening as well. Too much downtime can lead to issues. Often an evening walk or team meeting is a good way to fill the gap.
If it is a mixed gender trip, it can be convenient (where possible) to have an entire floor per gender. If not, rooms organized by team also allow for easier supervision.
Make sure you have a list of all of the rooms and who should be in each room. Please make sure athletes know your room and how to get in touch if there is an emergency.