Here are a few helpful tips being a team manager:- Be resourceful and know where to get information and who to contact.
1. Club Administrator- Usually your club admin is the person with all the answers! Hopefully they are kind and helpful and can help you with the information that you need.
2. Experienced Mangers- Get to know an experienced manager from your club and ask them for information and
tips.
3. The Internet is your friend– Make sure you have all the weblinks to your club, league and state/national
organization. Teach your team where to find important on-line information as well.
- Don’t do it all yourself. That said, don’t try to do everything yourself. The mistake that many team managers make (and some leagues encourage this) is that they fail to delegate. There are some team jobs that are easy to have other parents take ownership for: snack schedule, the end-of-season party, team reporter, etc. Make a list of all the jobs you want others to handle and add them to the list of other required team volunteer positions — e.g., referee and field prep — so you know how much help you need.
- Communicate as often as you need to and make it simple and to the point
- Respect your role as a team manager
1. You are not the coach– Refer all questions about players, strategy, play time, etc… to the coach. Don’t try and get in the
middle, just advise that person to speak directly with the coach and not endlessly discuss their complaints
on the sideline. In return your coach should handle parent complaints and respect your position by handling the
business of coaching. Direct communication is key.
2. Don’t Gossip- Most likely as the manager you will be privy to confidential information about the team. Make sure
to be trustworthy and keep that information to yourself. Avoid gossip- especially getting pulled into any negative
conversations about the team or other players and parents. Direct those people to speak directly with the coach
or the club administrator. This can be really difficult and there can sometimes be some tension straddling the role
of manager and parent, but the less you engage the better!
3. The league administrator probably doesn’t want to hear from you– Communicate through the proper channels
and ask your Club Administrator before going directly to any league administrator. There are so many clubs and
teams that hearing directly from managers is overwhelming. Ask your club admin for help with league matters or
even if you need help with a tournament application.
- Have fun! Finally, being a great team manager is about keeping the team running smoothly so the kids can have a positive experience. And that’s really what youth soccer is all about.