Written by: Emily Joswiak • March 10, 2020• Sports

Tips for Starting a Sports Team

If your meetups with friends for a pick-up game of ball have become a regular thing that everyone looks forward to, perhaps it’s time to get more organized. Here are some tips for starting a sports team that will pull your friends together for regular competitive play.

Find a Niche

Take an inventory of what’s already out there before you put a lot of work into starting an entirely new league. Popular sports like basketball and baseball almost certainly have some local structure in place already, but maybe they don’t have a team or teams in your age group or proficiency level.

If your passion is for a more unusual sport, such as frisbee golf or roller hockey, determine if there is a mass of like-minded athletes in town. Finding an online community can help you to meet people with similar interests. Team sports are a lonely pursuit if you’re the only person who shows up. Alternatively, if you are new to frisbee golf and would like to try it out, you can head over to a site similar to Hyzer Flipped to learn more about it.

Identify a Venue

Whatever sport you’re going to play, figure out where you’re going to play it and book the venue. Find out from your local park district board how to go about securing a place to play and start the process as soon as you’ve got enough interest.

Set a Budget

Figure out if you’ll require team members to pay for their own gear, and whether there are fees for using the venues you’ve identified. Find sponsorship or determine a fee or dues-paying structure. You will definitely need help from a lawyer and accountant if you’re going to be taking and using people’s money. You must be transparent, accountable, and keep excellent records. You might need to create a governing board that will be responsible for managing the team’s financial and legal affairs.

Set Policies and Codes of Conduct

Everyone should know before any games begin the type of behavior that will get them booted off the field or out of the league. Be clear, fair, and open about what behavior you won’t tolerate. Be consistent in enforcing your policy.

Decide on a Name, Logo, and Uniform

Aside from playing your sport, this is the most fun part! Someone in your group might have graphic design skills to create a great team logo. Decide on your colors and what kind of uniform you’ll wear. Team uniforms are important for many reasons; they’re used not only to tell players apart, but also to build spirit and support.

Find Coaches and Refs

Decide if you’ll rely on volunteer coaches and referees or if you’ll have to budget to pay them. Identify candidates in your community who are already involved with your sport, and if they can’t do it, they may know others who can.

Determine a Succession Plan

It would be a shame to go to all the work of organizing a team only to have it fade away as players age or lose interest. Figure out how to bring in the next generation while you are still having fun participating.

These tips for starting a sports team should help you bring your post-work pick-up game of hoops or softball to the next level.

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