Immediate Start - Middle School Flag Football Head Coach - East Harlem

DREAM is seeking a high-capacity, student-centered leader to serve as Head Coach for our middle school competitive team. The Head Coach is the primary leader responsible for team culture, athlete development, safety, and program execution during all practices and games. This role reports to the Dean of Student Life and serves as the on-site leader responsible for upholding all DREAM expectations, policies, and youth development standards. Coaches are key members of the Athletics team and ensure the continued excellence, safety, and impact of DREAM’s sports-based youth development programs.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of team culture, setting clear expectations for behavior, effort, and sportsmanship; Establish a structured, positive, and accountable team environment rooted in DREAM’s values; Model professionalism, preparedness, and strong judgment at all times; Intentionally develop athletes in teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-regulation; Use practices, games, team meeting/study halls and conflicts as opportunities to explicitly teach and reinforce these skills; Implement proactive behavior management and coach students through challenges using positive discipline; Lead and support a structured study hall program, ensuring student-athletes meet academic expectations through supervision, guidance, and accountability; Design and submit high-quality, structured practice plans in advance; Facilitate engaging, well-paced practices that maximize participation, skill development, conditioning, and teamwork; Lead all game-day strategy, roster management, and team readiness; Maintain active supervision at all times, including constant scanning, positioning, and engagement with athletes; Ensure safe arrival, transitions, and dismissal of all participants; Uphold all organizational safety protocols with consistency and attention to detail; Take full ownership for the physical and emotional safety of all athletes; Maintain accurate, real-time attendance for all practices and games; Communicate proactively and promptly with the Athletics Director regarding attendance, incidents, and program updates; Follow all internal protocols related to student eligibility, behavior expectations, and program participation; Escalate concerns and incidents in a timely and appropriate manner; Drive athlete recruitment and sustained engagement; Manage roster, communication with families (as directed), and logistics; Ensure all program expectations are implemented with consistency and follow-through

Requirements

2+ years of coaching experience; Demonstrated ability to lead youth programs with structure, accountability, and care; Strong understanding of the sport’s rules and strategy; Experience working with school-age children; Ability to explicitly teach and model youth development competencies; Excellent communication, organization, and attention to detail; Strong alignment with DREAM’s mission and values

Nice to have

Middle school experience strongly preferred; Previous competitive playing experience (high school and/or college) preferred; CPR/First Aid certification, a plus

Benefits

403(b) retirement plan, with employer matching up to 4% after one year of employment (12-month continuous period) in which you work a minimum of 1,000 hours; Disability benefits; Referral bonuses; Access to Employee Discount Program, offering savings on travel, entertainment, retail, and more; High-performing part-time staff have the opportunity to apply for the DREAM Teaching Fellowship, through which they can earn a Bachelors or Masters degree and become full-time teachers at DREAM