You’re organized...you’re a good communicator...which is why your child’s coach has asked you to be the team’s manager for the upcoming lacrosse season. “What do I need to do?” you ask.
Chilliwack Minor Lacrosse recommends that the team head coach chooses their own team manager. It is paramount that a coach feel comfortable with the person selected as manager as the two will have to work closely together for a successful season. A great team manager really means taking responsibility for all the off-the-floor logistics of running the team — leaving the coach free to coach.
Our association will have a managers meeting prior to season start to offer information, tips and training but what does it really take to be a great team manager? Here are a few tips to get you off on the right foot:
Be the coach’s right hand.
Most coaches really don’t want to worry about league paperwork deadlines, uniform orders, snack schedules, etc. They want to focus on developing the players and creating a fun season for the kids. A great team manager takes ownership of all these important items that can distract the coach from his or her job.
Don’t do it all by yourself.
The mistake that many team managers make is that they fail to delegate. There are some team jobs that are easy to have other parents take on such as score or time keeping, bringing snacks, helping with team fundraising, taking game photos, etc.
Be prepared.
Always being prepared for the unexpected. One of the most important things you can do as a team manager is create a team roster with everyone’s contact information, especially cell phone numbers. While it’s a good idea to distribute this to every parent on the team, no one needs it more than you do. Make sure a copy of the roster is in your car or your team manager binder at all times. That way, if you’re at the arena and two players are late, you can call the parents and find out where they are and when they’ll be there — while the coach is getting the rest of the team ready to play.
Most parents like to have a wallet sized roster card with the player names and jersey numbers so they can cheer for all the players!
Other smaller crises can be averted by thinking of the little things. Have an extra jersey and pair of shorts in your bag for the player who ran out of the door without them. Little things like making sure the first aid kit is fully stocked makes a huge difference in time of need.
Let technology make your job easier.
Thankfully, most people are now comfortable with email as the primary method of communication for team info, so you don’t have to call everyone anymore. However, there are other ways to make your job as team manager easier too.
The TeamSnap app can let you know who will and won’t be at a specific game as well as team chat that allows players to text the whole team to let them know there's bad traffic on the way to the away game.
Have fun!
Finally, being a great team manager is about keeping the team running smoothly so the kids can have fun! And that’s really what it’s all about.