First things first: There are Team Dads too. And if you knew me well, you would know I am an independent woman who doesn’t believe in gender-specific roles or limitations. My husband does laundry and I do our taxes. But since there are waaaaay more Team Moms out there than Team Dads, I’m addressing this to the moms. Okidokie, Smokey? 😏
The Team Mom can make or break your experience with a team. If you have a great Team Mom, go get her some Starbucks and tell her how much you appreciate her. I absolutely took great Team Moms for granted until I had a bad one and spent the first month of the season mining information out of her and banging my face into the wall.
The A-#1 rule for a great Team Mom is COMMUNICATE! COMMUNICATE! COMMUNICATE! Parents shouldn’t have to ask you too many questions because you’ve already anticipated those questions, gotten answers or direction from the coach or league and communicated it to your team.
I’m going to write this post as it pertains to rec ball (county recreation, Little league, Dixie Youth, etc.) so a lot of this won’t pertain to travel or club ball (note to self: write a Travel Ball Team Mom post sometime soon). This comes from my experience as both a Team Mom and a baseball/softball parent for nine years. If I’ve forgotten something, please let me know!
STEP ONE – CREATE A TEXT GROUP AND AN EMAIL LIST
The first thing you need to do it collect cell phone numbers and email addresses for all the parents. Create a Group Text and Email List with all the parents. Don’t assume Dad doesn’t want to know about softball bows or mom doesn’t want to know about batting practice. If someone wants off your distribution list, they’ll let you know.
STEP TWO – ADDRESS THE BIG STUFF WITH YOUR TEAM
Following are several important topics you will likely need to address with your team. Find out how (or if?) your league handles these, communicate with your coach (always get your coach’s buy-in before you address the team on the BIG STUFF), then get the information to your parents.
Uniforms
Leagues will issue basic uniform attire and rely on the parents to provide the rest. Some will only provide a shirt while others provide more. Determine what your league is providing then work with the coach to determine exactly what the parents will need to acquire ASAP. Often pants need to be ordered online or hemmed so allow ample time for parents. You will also need to find out what protective gear is required by the league and ensure each player has what s/he needs. If a team order is being placed for specialized or personalized items, communicate that as well.