As fall pre-season looms closer and excitement builds for students and coaches alike, there’s plenty of administrative tasks to finish before training begins. Pre-season can be one of the busiest times of the year for coaches, athletic trainers, and other members of the athletics department. And practices haven’t even started! 

Now is the time to reflect on what went well last year — and what went wrong — so you can make this upcoming season one of the best yet for your team. To get as ahead as possible, we’ve compiled a list of athletic preparation tasks you definitely don’t want to skip during pre-season. 

Prepare Your Calendar 

It may be the beginning of the season, but we all know how fast the calendar fills up! Note any upcoming tournaments and games that you already have scheduled and put them in your calendar. For any overnight trips, submit them for approval so you can confirm those dates right away for parents when the season starts. If you can, schedule any facilities that you may need for practice or games. 

Review Your Budget 

Did you go over budget last year? Or even under budget? Review last year’s spending to look for areas where you could improve or didn’t initially allocate funds before creating next year’s spending plan.  

When preparing this year’s budget, ensure you leave room for miscellaneous items and a buffer should unexpected expenses arise. This is also a good opportunity to see where you might benefit from fundraising efforts or need to request more funds for things like new equipment or uniforms.  

View Injury Reports 

For any returning athletes, take time to review their health information. Note any injuries, treatments, or concussions that may have occurred in previous seasons. Make any treatment notes and try to follow up with the student and their parents ahead of the season to assess their current health situation.  

Magnus Health integrates with SportsWare as an athletic training software to help you track and manage injuries. This allows you to create effective treatment plans, manage student athlete information, and even diagnose and manage concussions. 

Collect Required Athletic Forms 

Paperwork is often a tedious part of athletic preparation, but it is very important to get done ahead of the season. Review any athletic forms from previous years and note any changes you’d like to make. Within Magnus Health, you can edit and adjust your forms and other paperwork and send them directly to parents. Everything is in one place, automated, and easily accessible for both the athletic department and parents. 

Review Inventory 

Whether it’s finally time to retire that one basketball or you realize that the disc cones have mysteriously disappeared, take full stock of your inventory and see what needs replacing.  

Besides the sports equipment, restock all your emergency and safety equipment. Check the first aid kit to ensure nothing is expired and that you have more than enough supplies should an injury occur. Also consider larger items such as cold packs, braces, crutches, a taping station, or a treatment table. 

Update Educational Resources 

Injury prevention should be top of mind year-round. Take this extra time to review any educational resources you may have, from training videos to posters to PowerPoint presentations, and ensure they’re up to date and contain all crucial information. 

Consider if there are other opportunities to help with overall student well-being. Many coaches are in a unique position where they have a deeper personal understanding of their students. Ensure that students are aware of available resources and that you plan yearly prevention activities surrounding issues such as stress, eating concerns, anxiety, depression, and more. 

Set Up Family Communication 

While you hope that students will let their parents know about every upcoming meet or practice, never assume that parents are in the loop. Prioritize communication with parents and ensure that all the information they need is easily ready for them to access. With Magnus Health, you can share all pertinent athletic preparation information with parents as well as other staff, from injury notes to permission forms, in one secure platform. 

Prepare Handouts and Uniforms 

The second pre-season starts, the time you have for doing administrative work in the office shrinks. If you create promotional material for tryouts, games, tournaments, or pep rallies, try to have that material ready beforehand. Prepare graphics or flyers with the basic information so all you have to do is fine-tune the details when it’s time to hand them out. 

In addition, prepare any uniforms or school merchandise orders for when the students arrive. This way, you’ll only have to order the right sizes when they’re ready to hit the court. 

Prepare Team Ice Breakers 

By the end of the year, a team bond is similar to that of siblings. But a coach must help encourage that camaraderie when the season is just starting. Make new teammates feel at ease by preparing icebreaker activities. These could be drills on the field or ways to get people chatting and connected. The more fun the students are having, the better! 

Set Up Your Athletic Training Software 

Before tryouts begin, make sure you have a system in place for documenting all your notes and storing student athlete data. The more organized you are, the more you can focus on choosing the right people for the team.  

In Magnus Health, you can make notes for each student directly in their profile. Every staff member on the team can access the notes and add their own to keep track of a student’s progress and abilities in one comprehensive health and athletic training software. 

As you prepare to welcome students in August, ensure their health and safety remains top of mind all season long. Magnus Health can help you stay organized, keep health a priority, and free up your athletic preparation time to allow you to focus on the students. Get in touch today to set up a demo with our team.