More Football & Programming

So I noted in a previous post I can lassoed in to Coach a little leage football team, and just two days after I found that out we had our first practice. By trade I am a software engineer and at night I am a bumbling handyman. So how does one rapidly pickup a new skillset and 'wing it'. I decided to apply the problem solving and planning skills I learned from my years in engineering to coaching.

When I need to learn a new programming language or complex application I purchase dead trees (aka books) that are education or reference manuals. So I did the diligent thing and purchased books on football coaching from the local Borders. I was very surprised to find an actual Dummies book on coaching little league football.

Then next thing I usually do is find somebody smarter than me. I've been foolish enough in the past to think I can learn something without advisors by just reading and maybe applying. Don't get me wrong, you *can* do this and get something to work but you can never do it as efficiently as somebody that has been doing it for years. Yes, its fun to make mistakes while learing by doing but it is neither expedient nor effiencient. Why waste time? On my personal list of things to do to become a better programmer is learn Erlang. When I get to it, I'll find a local user group or some sort of mentor to help me along. Failing that, I'll join an online forum to field questions to the world. I was fortunate enough to find that talent among the parent pool of the kids of the team.

So I have my knowledge base, and my experts panel to guide me and the first practice went through without too many hick ups.
Next step is to build my 'team' and to separate the team into their relevant skill set positions.