“Don’t tell your friends about your indigestion. “How are you” is a greeting, not a question.”
-Arthur Guiterman
As the coach of the home team, it is your responsibility to be the first person that an arriving coach meets. Thus, you want to leave that coach with a good first impression. It may not be the first time you’ve met that coach. It may be a great friend of yours. It may be the biggest jerk you know. Despite any of the previously stated scenarios, you only have one chance to make a first impression for that day.
The home coach should pick the proper time for this meeting. Remember that the opposing coach is just as busy as you are on a game day. He may have been on the road for up to 2 hours. His job is to get his troops prepared to play as soon as they come off the bus. So, he’s ready to get busy. The best time to greet the opposing coach is on his jaunt from the bus to his dugout. It is a short period of dead time for that coach. His players will be spending the next 5-10 minutes doing all of the wonderful things that young players today need to do in order to be ready to loosen up. Here’s a brief list: putting on cleats, taking off earrings, covering tattoos, and turning off cell phones. There are others, but I might vomit as I continue to list them.
Let the visiting coach know your name and ask him his. Here’s a little trick in case it is the first meeting for you and the visiting coach. Look up the opposing coach’s name on the Internet. Most schools have great websites that usually contain a list of their entire staff including coaches. I like to know their names ahead of time. I like to send the opposing coaches a welcoming message, but also a one of preparedness. I like to think that the mental edge for the day belong to me.
Finally, offer up only information, such as location of restrooms, concession information, access to the athletic trainer, etc. Don’t bore the other coach with mundane and trivial problems that you’re having with your players, parents, or other coaches. It’s not a therapy session, just an informational greeting.
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