I can’t believe I’m already talking about football this year. Our season doesn’t start for another couple of months, but believe it or not, we’re already under way in many other aspects. This year I’ve been appointed team mom for my youngest son’s team, so there is lots of work to do. I will be learning along the way, so I want to share what I learn with you!!
First in my plan is trying to figure out how to get organized. We’ll have copious amounts of information to keep track of once the season starts so it’s better to figure out that system early. Generally speaking I HATE paper, but for all of the information I have, I anticipate needing to have it available. Maybe at games, practices, and other special events.
First on my list is the player information worksheet. Here’s what I’ve captured on the sheet.
You can download a blank copy here. Customize with your team name, and you’re off and running! I will also be responsible for the T-Shirt, and Uniform orders. Just the thought of it makes my head spin really! Thankfully our vendor will provide us with a detailed order form, so I don’t have to mess with it. We will be adding on an additional option of Air Brushed hats and shirts for parents and players, so we will need a sign-up sheet for that. I haven’t created one yet, but I’m thinking something similar to what is noted above should help.
For our vendor shirt (sweatshirt, hat, blanket, etc) we will also put together a “look book” with each individual design, and separate sections for Men’s, Women’s, and Youth looks. This is done in PowerPoint, if you ask REALLY nicely your shirt vendor may provide this to you, along with the SKU’s and matching excel order form. This really helped last year so everyone knew exactly what they were ordering. It was especially helpful as I like my t-shirts fitted a specific way, so I knew which was which!
Speaking of shirt orders I learned a valuable lesson last year, have each family fill out their OWN order form, whether via email, or a physical copy that they return to you. This way you have something to reference when the shirts come in. If there is any mistakes, you will know where it was made. We had a mom who ordered a sweatshirt, but really wanted hoodies. We were able to go back and look at the forms she completed, and it was marked in the wrong column. Save yourself the headache from the beginning.
One additional tip, and this one has been quite successful for our team for 2 years. Start a Facebook Group, Blog, email group, and any other communication channel you can think of. Our coach doesn’t use Facebook, so I knew having an alternative this season would be important. For that reason, I started a blog. Most of the posts will be duplicate (though likely MUCH shorter on Facebook.) This will also give me a place to share pictures taken at the game, communicate about our Season Kick Off BBQ, discuss fundraisers and more. I’ve already started encouraging parents to sign up for the blog, and will send out a link again after our picnic when I’ve gathered everyone’s email address.
I’ll be back soon with some additional information on how I plan to stay organized for this upcoming season, and look forward to learning some of your tips and tricks along the way!
Mom of EC3 