▸ Start slowly. Dr. Rafael Silva advised starting out as a team parent or an assistant coach to gain some baseline coaching experience. That way you get a realistic idea of the time commitment required. "If they see that they would like to be a head coach the following year, then they can jump right in," he said. "I think the position to be a team parent or an assistant coach is a good way to learn. That way you don't feel stressed out about starting something totally new."