As travel baseball becomes more and more the norm at younger ages, many coaches are starting to see the difficulties in running a team. Since many of the players are traveling some distance to practice and play on your team, organization will insure that the player and their parents enjoy their time with your club.1st – Having open lines of communication with your players and parents is critical to a successful season.
The technology today makes broadcast messages easier then ever. How many times have you called one of your coaches and said “you take half the list and I’ll take the other half’?
As you start acquiring players, whether through recruitment or the draft, getting a player’s information form filled out by their parents will be your first step towards getting organized. This form should have space for home phone #, cell phone # and e-mail address. With this information, you will be able to use the Internet to stay in touch with your team. If you have voice mail through the phone company, many now are offering free broadcast calling as part of the package. So with either one e-mail or phone call you should be able to contact your whole team (parents and players).
2nd – Prepare your team calendar as early as you can.
This team calendar should be given to all the parents before your season starts. The calendar should list all your practices, league games and tournaments. Will the team calendar change as the season progresses? Yes, but by having a target or goal for everybody to see, it will allow for your team to be prepared every time they meet.
By preparing a calendar it will prevent your team from not having enough players at any of your tournaments due to vacations, birthdays, etc. This calendar will also insure that your team is well supported in the stands. Grandparents will appreciate the fact that if they need to travel to see a player they will know ahead of time when it will be a good time to come. Nothing is more intimidating then having your stands filled with cheering fans. Make it happen!
In review, organize early and keep your team informed! Work out several ways to communicate with your team, whether through e-mail or phone. Get your team calendar prepared early. Your team’s parents will appreciate this and be more involved with the team, all of which will lead to a more positive experience for your entire “team-family!”
Coach JP comments:
Coach Chuck is absolutely correct. His first year team had good success (and great fun) due in part to his simple planning that so many of us just don’t do.
As I say to all who will listen… Plan tomorrow’s practice today, next week’s this week, and next season…now!
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