AFM Home | The Staff Report | July 2003

George Novak
Head Coach, Woodland Hills High School, Pittsburgh, Penn.
2002 Schutt Sports Northeast Regional High School Coach of the Year

As the result of our success, I’ve been asked numerous questions about our program. The most frequently asked questions are: What is the reason for your teams continued success? Why is your program a contender every year? After hours of thought and discussion I’ve come to the conclusion; there is no one thing that accounts for success in any athletic program. Most are simple things that get overlooked in the struggle to out coach your opponent.

Part I: Coaching Philosophies
At the beginning of each season I review these philosophies with all my coaches. As obvious as some may seem, they are often overlooked by many coaches. The first two I inherited from my high school coach, John T. Kracsun.

• Coach every player every day!
Make sure every player gets involved. Don’t just work with the talented and/or older players. Give everyone an opportunity to develop and get better. When you show everyone that you care and that they are all important, they will all work harder and the team will be better.

• Make football fun!
“Anybody can teach a kid to play football. Only the great coaches can make it fun.”
– John T. Kracsun

Don’t lose site that this is a game and should be fun for the players and coaches. At the end of each season our players are usually sad because it’s over and they can’t wait until the next season starts.

• Treat every player like you would want a coach to treat your son.
Each coach must remember that he has a powerful influence on every player he coaches. Make football a positive influence on their lives. Every player should have a positive experience and take with them some things they can use in life.

• Never let an upset player go home upset.
If one of your players has a bad day and/or you have to correct them a lot at practice and you can tell they’re upset or down, make it a point to talk to them one-on-one during a break or after practice. Don’t let them leave discouraged.

• Stress discipline and sportsmanship.
You cannot have success without discipline. Discipline is the number one objective of our coaching staff. Discipline on the field, in the locker room, on the buses and in the school and community.

The second objective is sportsmanship. We demand our players to show sportsmanship to our opponents, officials and fans. This ties in with self-control and discipline. Both are a big part of success in athletics and life.

• Stress Academics and Citizenship
You win with good kids that work hard. We want our players to be leaders in the school and community. We encourage them to be part of the Student Government, Class Officers, take part in school clubs and activities. We recognize them for academic success (honor roll, academic awards, etc.). We want them to be positive role models for our younger students. We encourage them to achieve academically and further their education after high school.

• Nobody out works us!
Our work habits and effort are things we control ourselves. Our motto is “Nobody Out Works Us!” We live this motto in everything we do, both the players and coaches. We work hard in preparation and practice. Not just one day or one week but year round. You never want to say that your opponent out performs you because they out worked you.

More from George Novak in upcoming issues of AFM