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Some Tips for Team Managers
From the ATSC Coaches and Managers Manual, Appendix B
- DELEGATE! Don’t try to do it all yourself. By giving a job to each family on the team, you help to create team unity and support.
- Divide your phone tree into “branches.” Have 2-3 adults be responsible for calling five or six families each. “Branch leaders” should check in with you after making calls so that you know who couldn’t be reached.
- Suggest that every family have an answering machine or voice mail. Any family that does not have an answering machine or voice mail should be responsible for checking in with you or a caller.
- Stockpile for the telephone “branch leaders” as many numbers as possible for each family: main phone, kids’ phone, work phone, cell phone, fax, pager, e-mail address, etc.
- Distribute a roster with most of these numbers, e-mail, home addresses, parents’ names, and (for new teams) children’s schools.
- Prepare a wallet-sized, laminated phone list with families’ names and home/cell/work phone numbers for emergency contacts while en route or at the field.
- Use your own answering machine to leave messages for the team. Let them know under what conditions they should check your machine, and have them leave their name so you know who has checked in.
- Send a weekly email on Wednesday or Thursday (after confirming directions with the opponent) that reminds parents/players of game time, opponent, provides driving directions, and specifies who is responsible for snacks.
- Whenever you prepare a handout, write each player’s name on top. That’s the only way to keep track of who got what (and who left it on the bench).
- Use a loose leaf binder to keep track of official team paperwork, such as medical releases, official roster and copies, player status forms. Store player passes in the binder in sports card protector pages, and store all papers in clear plastic page protectors.
- Have a well-stocked medical kit at every practice and game. Assign a parent the responsibility of regularly checking and restocking the medical kit.
- Make an extra copy of the notarized medical release forms and put them in a small binder to give to the coach to take to all games and practices, in addition to the official set which stays in the manager’s binder.
- In addition to the standard bandages, tape, and cold packs, a medical kit should contain a small ball pump, a pen, shoelaces, loose change, a bag of elastics to keep the girls’ (and boys’!) hair out of their faces and plastic bags for players’ jewelry.
- Someone will invariably forget part of the uniform. Have a spare set of shorts, socks, and shin guards, and an extra team jersey at all games. Keep electrical tape and safety pins in the medical kit and use them to fashion the correct number on the jersey when a player forgets to bring the one being worn that day. A player can play using a jersey with a different number if the referee is informed in advance and the substitute number is shown on the game card roster.
- Bring a small cooler filled with ice and plastic zipper bags for making on-the-spot ice packs. The cooler is also a good place for storing washcloths (to clean injuries) and cups.
- Open a bank checking account for the team; do not use personal accounts for team funds.
- Assign a parent to be team treasurer and to receive and disburse funds and prepare the budget each season. Have both your signature and the treasurer's on file at the bank, and have your own team checkbook so you are not in trouble when fees are due and the treasurer is out of town. Put the team’s name on the checks if you can, but not the age group.
- Have players sign new player passes and submit photos for player passes as soon as tryouts end so you don’t have to hunt people down during the summer.
- Keep a file of handouts, schedules, budget, and other information that is distributed during the season. When new players try out, give them a copy of the file. This will help them know what to expect on your team.
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