What Every Staff Should Do in Preseason Meetings - Before You Talk Scheme, discuss...
As the countdown to fall camp begins, coaching staffs across the country are gearing up for their annual preseason meetings. Agendas are drafted. Depth charts are debated. Practice scripts, install schedules, and special teams assignments await.
But before you dive into all that—pause.
The other day, a client asked me a simple but powerful question:
“As we head into coaches’ meetings and fall camp, any advice you’d give your younger self?”
Without hesitation, my answer was this:
“Spend the first day doing nothing but building unity with your staff. No football. No logistics. Just connection.”
Day One: Coaches’ Unity Day
Here’s how we did it:
Get off campus. No whiteboards. No film. Just your staff in a space somewhere distraction-free.
Sit in a circle and go around the horn with just four questions. They start light, but they go deep:
“Who was your first crush in school… or your first pet?” (Icebreaker. Get the laughter flowing.)
“What was your favorite team you ever played on—and why?”
“Who was your favorite coach growing up—and why?”
“What was your relationship like with your dad or father figure?”
Don’t rush it. This will take hours—it should. The Head Coach sets the tone by going first—be lighthearted on #1, but lead with vulnerability as the questions deepen. When people share real stories, trust is built. And trust is the glue that holds staffs together when the season storms hit.
Because if we don’t truly know the people in the room, how can we count on each other when it matters most?
Day Two: Know Who You Coach
What I didn’t include in my reply to the coach who texted me—but should have—is just as important: Day Two should be all about the players. Not their 40 times or bench press numbers, but who they are as people.
Know who they are. All of them.
Again—get off campus if you can. Print a full roster of every player who will be on the field Day 1 of fall camp—freshmen through seniors. Assign each coach a list—not just of the players they coach directly, but also of others. Everyone is responsible for becoming a player profiler.
Give your staff a heads-up beforehand and challenge them to come with real intel. Encourage them to dig deeper than huddle stats:
Who just moved in with Grandma?
Who’s dad just lost their job?
Who shares a bedroom with three siblings?
Whose parents are splitting up?
Who’s working a part-time job to help at home?
Every athlete is fighting a battle you may not see. Take the time to learn what they’re up against.
We Need to Know How They’re Living
I’ll never forget a player of mine who kept being late for 6:30 a.m. lifts. I called him in, ready to fuss, but also knew this was out of character. He told me something made me stop in my tracks - he’d been sleeping in his car. His home life was so chaotic that he had nowhere else to go. I still held the standard, but I had more empathy and understanding and that changed everything.
Take it seriously. Celebrate the coach who "Sherlock Holmes" his list the best with a restaurant gift card. Take pride in knowing your roster like it’s your own family. That level of care becomes your program's competitive edge.
Yes, the Xs and Os Still Matter
Of course, you still need to meet about your practice scripts, install tempos, communication plans, RPO tags, and punt team personnel. You’ve got to figure out who’s snapping, who’s holding, and how you’re handling 3rd and long.
However, if you spend your first two days focused on the people, you’ll build your team on what matters most—relationships.
Know your foxhole. Know your brothers. Know your team.
We aren't coaching oval circles on a white board. Before you talk scheme—talk people.
Before coaching the player, get to know the person.
Before you chase wins—build the foundation that wins are built on:
Trust. Vulnerability. Unity.
That’s the advice I’d give my younger self.
And it’s the best way I know to start a season.
Video of Coach John Snelson, AD/Head FB Coach, Dickinson H.S. (Texas) and Texas High School Coaches Association President
https://youtu.be/PASTBSv9JSc
