Revitalizing a Coaching Career: The Impact of Flag Football
In the spring of 2020, Doug Caines was burned out and finished coaching football. The COVID season had taken its toll, and he had decided to step away from the sport. He had been the head coach at Dos Pueblos High since 2018 and had previously coached at Santa Barbara from 2012-14. However, he remained at Dos Pueblos as a media arts teacher and focused on his own kids.
Then, in 2023, he was approached about becoming the girls’ flag football coach in the first season of the sport. It changed his life. Caines has found a new sense of purpose and enjoyment in coaching flag football, citing the enthusiasm and coachability of the players as a major factor. “Honestly, I’ve never had this much fun coaching football,” he said. “Man is it fun. The girls are just coachable and want to play and most are other athletes first.”
Dos Pueblos flag football receiver Brooklyn Hedricks, left, and quarterback Kacey Hurley.
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)
The Rise of Flag Football
The third season of flag football has brought a new level of excitement and enthusiasm to the sport. Players are enjoying the opportunity to play a sport that was previously reserved for boys, and coaches are appreciating the chance to teach the game from scratch. “Before freshman year, I had never played and never heard of it,” said star Dos Pueblos receiver/defensive back Brooklyn Hendricks, whose father, George, is head baseball coach and also an assistant flag coach.
Hendricks, a travel ball player in softball, has found a new passion in flag football. She credits the sport with helping her develop new skills and build confidence. “Softball was my best sport, but flag football honestly is my best,” she said. “To get a scholarship offer is crazy.”
Dos Pueblos head coach Doug Caines, center, talks with his players during halftime.
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)
