Program Director's Playbook

Build the August Sequence in June, Before You'r...

Your summer camp wraps the last week of July. Two hundred and forty kids cycled through over six weeks. The staff was solid. The reviews were good. Parents posted photos....

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Build the August Sequence in June, Before You're Underwater

Your summer camp wraps the last week of July. Two hundred and forty kids cycled through over six weeks. The staff was solid. The reviews were good. Parents posted photos..

The June Planning Window Most Programs Waste

Most experienced directors know June matters for what comes next. The conventional framing is that June is when you draft September materials so the fall registration window opens on time...

The June Planning Window Most Programs Waste

Most experienced directors know June matters for what comes next. The conventional framing is that June is when you draft September materials so the fall registration window opens on time.

The Playing Time Conversation to Have Before th...

Most programs have a playing-time conversation with families in August or whenever the season starts. It covers the program's philosophy on minutes, on rotation, on the difference between rec and...

The Playing Time Conversation to Have Before the First June Tournament

Most programs have a playing-time conversation with families in August or whenever the season starts. It covers the program's philosophy on minutes, on rotation, on the difference between rec and.

Why "Just Let Them Be a Kid" Is Harder for Pare...

The phrase shows up everywhere in youth sports. In coaching talks. In parent handbooks. In well-meaning Facebook posts from directors trying to dial down the intensity. Sometimes a kid says...

Why "Just Let Them Be a Kid" Is Harder for Parents Than It Sounds

The phrase shows up everywhere in youth sports. In coaching talks. In parent handbooks. In well-meaning Facebook posts from directors trying to dial down the intensity. Sometimes a kid says.

What Parents Are Really Asking When They Ask If...

The conversation usually starts the same way. A parent catches you at the field after practice, or sends an email at 11pm on a Sunday, or asks for a quick...

What Parents Are Really Asking When They Ask If Their Kid Is Behind

The conversation usually starts the same way. A parent catches you at the field after practice, or sends an email at 11pm on a Sunday, or asks for a quick.

The 3 Things Families Hear in Every Placement E...

The email goes out on a Sunday night. Roster placements for the upcoming season. You've been refining this email for years, and the language is careful: every kid found a...

The 3 Things Families Hear in Every Placement Email

The email goes out on a Sunday night. Roster placements for the upcoming season. You've been refining this email for years, and the language is careful: every kid found a.

How Structured Feedback Turns Families Into Adv...

Most programs have something resembling feedback in the season calendar somewhere. A year-end report. An end-of-season conversation. Maybe a midseason check-in if the coach is the type to run them....

How Structured Feedback Turns Families Into Advocates of Your Program

Most programs have something resembling feedback in the season calendar somewhere. A year-end report. An end-of-season conversation. Maybe a midseason check-in if the coach is the type to run them..

The 5 Friction Points That Cost You Your Best F...

Your program structure makes sense on paper. Rec feeds into select. Select feeds into travel. Travel has clear age-group lanes, a competitive arc, and an off-season plan. You've thought hard...

The 5 Friction Points That Cost You Your Best Families

Your program structure makes sense on paper. Rec feeds into select. Select feeds into travel. Travel has clear age-group lanes, a competitive arc, and an off-season plan. You've thought hard.

Why Every Summer Program Needs a Clear Purpose ...

Ask ten directors what their flagship summer camp is for, and you'll get ten answers that start strong and trail off. "It's a development camp, but it's also our biggest...

Why Every Summer Program Needs a Clear Purpose Statement

Ask ten directors what their flagship summer camp is for, and you'll get ten answers that start strong and trail off. "It's a development camp, but it's also our biggest.

The Heat Protocol Gap That Costs Programs Their...

Every experienced director has a safety protocol. Most have several. The heat illness plan. The hydration policy. The Emergency Action Plan that lives in a binder behind the front desk...

The Heat Protocol Gap That Costs Programs Their Summer

Every experienced director has a safety protocol. Most have several. The heat illness plan. The hydration policy. The Emergency Action Plan that lives in a binder behind the front desk.