Here’s a general timeline for a team coach:
August/September –
- Register your team & pay the $50 dues
- Speak with your principal/supervisor to discuss your budget and assistant coaches
- Gather paperwork that will be required by your school for student participation
October –
- Attend the Fall Coaches Meeting & Workshop (date tbd)
- Sign up for the new coach mentor program
November –
- Set a date for student and parent info meetings
- Set a tentative competition calendar for your team
- Email tournament hosts to request an invitation/password for their meet
- Set up a calendar of coaching times and share with students and parents at info meeting
- Consider promoting the association t-shirt. The profit from the annual t-shirt/sweatshirt sale helps to off-set the costs of the state tournament. Ordering information will be posted online.
December –
- Begin to meet with students to choose categories and selections
- Have a team meeting to get to know each other and to gather paperwork
- Confirm with tournament hosts that you will be able to register for their meet in January
- T-shirt/Sweatshirt sales are on-going. If you order, your team name is imprinted on the sleeve of the shirt and you’d be able to pick up at the upcoming competitions.
January –
- Begin to coach students
- Gather any missing paperwork
- Begin to register your team for competitions via the Tournament Scheduler
- Once your competition schedule is finalized, contact your bus company to schedule your transportation
- Have a team meeting in early January where the students perform for additional coaches/judges who can give them coaching and feedback for improvement. Often, the students aren’t quite ready, but this is a great opportunity to do a “run-through” and also get assistance with introductions, etc.
- Have a team meeting/mock meet later in January where the students should be “performance-ready”. You might want to consider inviting parents!
- T-shirt/Sweatshirt sales are on-going. If you order, your team name is imprinted on the sleeve of the shirt and you’d be able to pick up at the upcoming competitions.
February –
- Complete your team registrations.
- Request registration checks from your school office.
- Competition season begins!
- Continue coaching students. I suggest at least weekly with the student also working outside of school with parent.
- Toot your horn! Include competition results in your school announcements and newsletters. Don’t forget to take pictures!
- Track your students’ results/scores in order to determine who will qualify for the state tournament
- Gather volunteer names & info who will be willing to assist at the state tournament. Each team is asked to provide at least one volunteer.
- T-shirt/Sweatshirt sales are on-going. If you order, your team name is imprinted on the sleeve of the shirt and you’d be able to pick up at the upcoming competitions.
March –
- Competition season continues. Be sure you track your students progress. I suggest you do a google spreadsheet and share it with your students!
- Consider whether your state students will order boxed lunches and your judges will order judge buffet.
- Early March the state tournament registration and information is posted online.
- Register your students for the state tournament by the deadline (typically the second week of March) and request check for registration
- Schedule an awards night the week of state. Have your state competitors perform for the students, parents, and families. (We always do a cake and punch event!)
- State Tournament!