I am actually adding Junior High basketball this year along with HS Football, Track and Basketball (Statistician/Scout). I have never coached basketball so should be interesting. Every weekend from second week of August through Memorial Day is booked with one sport or another. It is a lot of time but it is fun. Although if I wasn't getting paid there was no way I could justify the time I put in unless it was my own child.

As someone who has had volunteers help out, my advice would be to give specific days you can make it to practice or games. The year I had a volunteer who came whenever did not go as smooth. I could not plan drills or segments to utilize their time with us. If the coach and kids know when you are going to be there, it is easier to plan things for practice and the kids look at you more as a coach than a person who occasionally shows up. I had a volunteer last year who could come to practice on Tue and Wed and Fridays for games. It went really well, planning practice was easier and the volunteer had a defined role they could help us with.

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Decided not to do the coaching. My wife is not too thrilled about my decision but I want to use that time between 3 - 5:30 to get myself to the gym
and increase my workout length and intensity. I have said this for years but I have to look at myself in the mirror and make an honest full out effort
and see what happens. Thanks to all with your advice, I honestly thought long and hard about this opportunity.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I coached my son in baseball for about 8 years, and even though it went well for the most part, when I look back on it now I kind of wish I hadn't, and had just kind of let him find his own way and I had enjoyed just sitting and watching his games instead of being so invested in it. I think he would have had more fun, and I think I would have appreciated that period of time more. I am proud that I was able to coach and help the kids and "do my part" for the community on some level, but the further removed I get from it the more I wish I had just watched it and enjoyed it and let him make his way through it with different coaches and kids.

Better to honestly say no that half time or half ass it in my opinion.

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Elections have consequences.

This certainly weighed on my mind. The whole thing came up because I was asking this guy about playing pick up hoops with a group he belongs to now.
I had no intentions or thoughts of coaching before he mentioned it. I just couldn't get excited about it and I thought the kids would see right through that.
I also didn't want to commit to it, even just a few days a week and end up dreading going. He said I could back out at any time but then I feel like that
would look even worse than just saying no from the start.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Greatest youth coach ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoTu0U6AhdA

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

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Elections have consequences.

"(I)f so, your dad's a loser"

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.