Program Director's Playbook

What Parent Group Chats Are Saying When You Aren't in the Room

What Parent Group Chats Are Saying When You Are...

There's a phrase that gets repeated in director circles like a virtue. "We don't worry about the club down the road. We just focus on us." It sounds disciplined. Grounded....

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What Parent Group Chats Are Saying When You Aren't in the Room

There's a phrase that gets repeated in director circles like a virtue. "We don't worry about the club down the road. We just focus on us." It sounds disciplined. Grounded..

Why Families Leave Even When Their Child Is Improving

Why Families Leave Even When Their Child Is Imp...

You ran the numbers after season ended. Forty-three percent of your U12 players showed measurable skill gains by every metric your coaches tracked: better touches on the ball, cleaner passing,...

Why Families Leave Even When Their Child Is Improving

You ran the numbers after season ended. Forty-three percent of your U12 players showed measurable skill gains by every metric your coaches tracked: better touches on the ball, cleaner passing,.

The Summer Weeks That Decide Who Comes Back in the Fall

The Summer Weeks That Decide Who Comes Back in ...

Spring season ends, the inbox slows down, and the Slack channel goes dormant. By 6pm on a Tuesday, the facility parking lot is half-empty. For many programs, summer is when...

The Summer Weeks That Decide Who Comes Back in the Fall

Spring season ends, the inbox slows down, and the Slack channel goes dormant. By 6pm on a Tuesday, the facility parking lot is half-empty. For many programs, summer is when.

Why Parents Say "Development" but Watch the Scoreboard

Why Parents Say "Development" but Watch the Sco...

A parent fills out a registration form and answers the question "what matters most to you for your child this season?" The answer is consistent across thousands of programs and...

Why Parents Say "Development" but Watch the Scoreboard

A parent fills out a registration form and answers the question "what matters most to you for your child this season?" The answer is consistent across thousands of programs and.

Next Year Is Being Decided at the Kitchen Table Right Now

Next Year Is Being Decided at the Kitchen Table...

Over the next four weeks, families across your program are weighing the same question, usually at the kitchen table or on the drive home from the last tournament: was this...

Next Year Is Being Decided at the Kitchen Table Right Now

Over the next four weeks, families across your program are weighing the same question, usually at the kitchen table or on the drive home from the last tournament: was this.

The 5 Kinds of Growth Parents Can't See (Until You Show Them)

The 5 Kinds of Growth Parents Can't See (Until ...

A 10-year-old comes home from practice. Their parent asks how it went. The kid says "fine," and that's all the parent has to work with. Maybe the parent will see...

The 5 Kinds of Growth Parents Can't See (Until You Show Them)

A 10-year-old comes home from practice. Their parent asks how it went. The kid says "fine," and that's all the parent has to work with. Maybe the parent will see.

8 Moves for a Camp Week That Runs Itself

8 Moves for a Camp Week That Runs Itself

The first day of summer camp is a few weeks out, and most programs are running a version of the camp they ran last year: a familiar setup, a familiar...

8 Moves for a Camp Week That Runs Itself

The first day of summer camp is a few weeks out, and most programs are running a version of the camp they ran last year: a familiar setup, a familiar.

Why Your Perfectly Competent Beginner Clinic Isn't Converting

Why Your Perfectly Competent Beginner Clinic Is...

A six-year-old finishes the program's beginner soccer clinic. Six weeks, twelve sessions, the standard introduction. The kid had a good time. The parents got their money's worth. Everyone is friendly....

Why Your Perfectly Competent Beginner Clinic Isn't Converting

A six-year-old finishes the program's beginner soccer clinic. Six weeks, twelve sessions, the standard introduction. The kid had a good time. The parents got their money's worth. Everyone is friendly..

The Athletes You Lose After Tryouts (and How to Keep Them)

The Athletes You Lose After Tryouts (and How to...

Every program knows the pattern after tryouts. The athletes who made the top team celebrate, the ones who made the next tier take it in stride, and the ones who...

The Athletes You Lose After Tryouts (and How to Keep Them)

Every program knows the pattern after tryouts. The athletes who made the top team celebrate, the ones who made the next tier take it in stride, and the ones who.

The Whole-Athlete Review Every Director Should Run This Season

The Whole-Athlete Review Every Director Should ...

There's a subtle pattern in youth sports that researchers have a clinical name for and most directors have never heard of. Identity foreclosure. It happens when an athlete starts to...

The Whole-Athlete Review Every Director Should Run This Season

There's a subtle pattern in youth sports that researchers have a clinical name for and most directors have never heard of. Identity foreclosure. It happens when an athlete starts to.