How do you run your shoots?
It’s a good question to ask and one that I get quite often. I have seen it done many different ways but I prefer to give my athletes scheduled shoot times. In today’s day and age family’s are constantly relying on their calendar to know where and when they need to have their athletes. By doing a few simple things you can offer your family’s a good idea of their time commitment to this sport.
What are some of the ways a team can run their shoots?
One single start time
- While OK for small teams, one single start time can lead to many athletes standing around or waiting in long lines
- Not a good fit for everyone’s schedule
- Not preferred when squadding athletes of the same age, ability, or skill level
Staggered Start Times
- Depending on the number of fields you have available this system should work for most small to medium-sized teams
- Can be confusing at first but eventually family’s will figure it out
- Allows coaches to work with specific athletes at specific times
Scheduled Start Times
- Barring any unforeseen weather issues the athlete shoots at the same time, on the same field, and under the same coaching staff all season long
- Family’s can plan their day around the shoot time
- Athletes shoot with other athletes of their maturity and skill level
- Reduces confusion from week to week and allows coaches to build on previous weeks
I am sure there are more ways than this but these 3 are the typical styles I have seen. Of the three I recommend the “Scheduled Start Times” for all of the benefits an organized schedule can have for both the team and the family’s.