New coaches take the field

As Zero Hour (in this case, 12:01 a.m. Monday) approached, Ryan Bartlett was ready to go.

Armstrong's new head football coach was clearing up some last-minute details, about to lead the 2009 version of the Falcons onto the football field for a season-opening practice as early as Minnesota State High School League rules allowed.

First, however, was the matter of locks. A number of his new players either didn't know or had forgotten the combinations for the locks on their lockers.

"It's always something," Bartlett said as he disappeared into the locker room, hoping to head off a mini-crisis.

He emerged a few minutes later, problem solved, and headed out onto Armstrong's floodlight-soaked football field.

Minutes later, 64 players followed. After months of preparation and meetings, interviews and long days, the task that Bartlett was hired for -- coaching -- was finally at hand.

Most coaches say that the fun part of coaching a football team comes on the field.

A couple of hours between the lines when everything else slips away and a coach can do what drew him to his job in the first place: teach young people.

But, as all first-year head coaches quickly find out, that aspect is but a small part of the overall job.

There is more, much more, to being in charge than just putting on the headset and deciding when to punt. And no matter how prepared a coach is, his first year on the job is always an eye-opening experience.

"There is a ton of stuff you have to do that you just don't think about," Bartlett said. "I was warned when I took this job about how much it takes, but you just can't be prepared for all of it."

• • •

So, what exactly does a new coach need to do after he gets hired? It's just football, right? How hard can it be?

Here's an idea of the things that chew up a new coach's time. Keep in mind, in no way is this list complete:

Meet with school administrators, meet with former coaches, interview new coaches, meet with players, set a schedule for offseason conditioning, meet and greet with the booster club, learn the team's finances, figure out how to improve those finances, address parent concerns, set academic standards, become familiar with the facilities, inventory equipment, schedule and work with youth camps, address the media, deal with salesmen, order new equipment, return phone calls and e-mails, schmooze the local businesses, choose captains, monitor weightlifting and conditioning.

Oh, and if time permits, try to figure out how to win football games.

"Your first year as a coach is so busy it's unbelievable," said Lambert Brown, who is entering his second year coaching Fridley. "You've got to pace yourself. There are a million things to do. You have to prioritize and know that you're going to leave at the end of the day with things unfinished. There's always the next day."

Having that first year behind him, Brown said, has made this offseason go much more smoothly.

"Now I know the kids and they know me," he said. "I know what to expect. I've got a system in place. I know what has worked and what hasn't. It's not, 'What do I want to do?' it's, 'How can I make it better?' "

• • •

Reed Boltmann had been an assistant coach at Edina for nine years and served two head coaches before being selected for the Hornets' top job last spring.

Boltmann has the obvious advantage of experience and familiarity with the program. He's not a new face and the players and parents know him, making for a smoother transition. But that doesn't mean that his life is any less hectic than that of his first-year counterparts.

"Has it opened my eyes? I guess it has, with all of the e-mail and information you have to get out and fundraising," he said. "When I was playing back in the [1980s], the coaches coached during the season and that was it. Now, it's a year-round thing. So much of it is about time management."

A strong foundation from the school administration helps, too. In taking over at DeLaSalle this year, Sean McMenomy, who coached at Minneapolis Southwest for the past four seasons, has the added pressure of coaching the Islanders as they open their much-anticipated home stadium.

Couple that with the high expectations that come with the job (DeLaSalle has been the Class 3A runner-up in each of the past two years), and the pitfalls for McMenomy become obvious.

"I knew that when I took the job," McMenomy said. "But the administration here has been amazing. They've been very welcoming and supportive. I'm always stressed at this time of year, but I know I can fall back on the administration as I need to."

• • •

Despite all of the time constraints and potential pitfalls, coaching football is still a labor of love.

To a man, coaches say that the game itself and the relationships it builds far outweigh the negatives that accompany the job.

"I love the X's and O's of the game," said New Prague first-year coach Jim Benick. "If I look from the time I got hired in May to now, I've spent maybe 5 percent of the job on X's and O's. The offseason is quite an undertaking. But I really enjoy having a vision and leading people toward that goal."

Bartlett agrees. The motivation comes from seeing the bigger picture.

"It's fun, but it's also a huge challenge," he said. "I've found out that in the end, it all comes back to you. And that's a huge responsibility. But at the same time, it's very rewarding. I feel lucky to have this chance."