Everything that has to happen between today and the first practice of the season — clearance, team setup, parent communication, and your first session plan. Work the four phases in order and you'll walk onto the field ready.
March 8, 2027
March 20, 2027
May 15, 2027
May 29 weekend · U10–U19
Phase 01
Now — 6 weeks out
Nothing else can happen until your GotSport checklist is approved. The background check is the slow one, so start here.
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Phase 02
3–4 weeks out
Once rosters are built, the club assigns practice nights around coach availability and field space. Lock yours in early.
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Phase 03
1–2 weeks out
The team that hears from you first shows up organized. One message now saves twenty texts later.
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Phase 04
Week 1
Your only goal in week one: every kid leaves smiling and wants to come back. Skills come in week two.
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Send one message to every family the week before practice starts. Cover these six things and you'll answer most of the season's questions in advance.
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Arrival & free play
Check in, learn names, let them dribble and shoot at a goal. No standing in line.
Fun warm-up
Tag, red light / green light, body-part dribbling. Everyone moving, everyone with a ball.
One simple skill
Pick a single theme — dribbling, turning, or passing — and teach it through a game, not a lecture.
Small-sided game
3v3 or 4v4 to small goals. Short games, frequent restarts, plenty of goals.
Huddle & hand-off
One thing they did well, one thing to practice at home, then release to parents.
Background checks take two to three weeks, and you cannot take the field without approval. Start with the step-by-step clearance walkthrough.
Coach Clearance StepsNext Up
Practices, game days, parents, and how to survive a whole season without burning out.