How to get ready at home for practice or game day.

Getting Ready: Sure, We Know It — But How Exactly?

A good warm-up for practice or a game starts at home. But… we’ve seen plenty of times that it doesn’t quite hit the mark. And it shows up in all kinds of ways:

A kid staring off into space during warm-ups, daydreaming and wondering, “Wait, I was just chilling on the couch with my phone, and now I’m suddenly out here on the field?”

Or kids running up with a mouthguard in and a drink in their hand.

Or just kids who (often) show up late. Or is it the parents? Even if it’s only by a few minutes each time.
Or even better, sometimes we’re already out on the field and have to call the parents to check if they’re even coming to the game that suddenly got switched from Sunday to Saturday.

“Huh, I was just sitting on the couch staring at a screen”

So said a cheerful kid from the U12 baseball juniors

And let’s be fair to each other—from coach parents to regular parents—it’s not always easy to manage everything perfectly and be fully prepared. It takes quite a bit of effort and patience to focus and get everything ready, and then show up right on time. There are tons of variables and roadblocks that can mess up your plans. In this post, I’ll walk you through how it could work and what we as coaches expect (or hope) happens at home.

Why even bother with preparation?

Kids' brains don’t work quite as fast as adults’, and it takes them a bit of time to adjust to new situations. Especially for kids who thrive on structure or really need it, this approach works well.

We’ve noticed that games can already have quite an impact on kids at a young age, so it’s important to prepare them for the game to help them approach it relaxed and confident.

Do’s

• Pack your gear the day before.
• Let the players pack their own stuff with a checklist to encourage responsibility.
• Have them pack their own water and snacks too.
• Check if everything is packed and give a compliment when they’ve done well.
• Communicate the timings well in advance.
• Leave on time, and factor in those pesky red lights.
• Label your gear as much as possible—super helpful if you have multiple kids playing sports in the house.
• Make this preparation a routine. Having a rhythm means less thinking and faster getting ready. Think of it like unloading the dishwasher.
• Every now and then, check if the cleats still fit.

Don’ts

• Stressing about getting there on time.
• Forgetting to check your gear.
• Giving a full meal right before practice or the game.
• Sending snacks or sweets along. Not needed and just too distracting.
• Having your uniform still in the wash.
• No set spot for your bag and equipment.

Got any tips or tricks yourself? Additions that work, or maybe some that don’t? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll be happy to update this post.

This post How to prepare at home for practice or game day. first appeared on Coach Ball.