Why this matters
Teams lose good coaches to exhaustion, not ability. A sustainable coach helps more players than a brilliant one who quits in February.
The common problem
One person does the planning, the messages, the kit, the subs, the pitch bookings and the parent management — for free, alongside a job.
Try this instead
- Delegate three jobs permanently: kit, communications, match-day admin.
- Reuse sessions. A repeated practice is a progression, not a failure.
- Set a communication window and switch off outside it.
- Keep one thing that reminds you why you do it — a player who's improved, a note from a parent.
- Take a week off in the season and let an assistant run it.
On the pitch
Instead of writing a new session every week, run the same core practice for three weeks with a new constraint each time. Players progress; you get an evening back.
Questions to ask
- What am I doing that somebody else could do?
- What do I still enjoy about this?
- What would I stop tomorrow if I could?
Your coaching challenge
Hand one recurring job to somebody else this week.
Reflect afterwards
Did the session still run well without you doing everything?