Tips for coaches: how to organize your team efficiently

Ask an experienced coach how many hours a week go into things that have nothing to do with tactics, and you'll often get a rueful laugh in reply — frequently more than the training itself takes. Answering messages, finding a substitute, logging a fine, sorting out a carpool for Saturday. Whoever organizes that work well ends up with time left over for what actually matters: making players better.

1. Communicate through one channel

One of the biggest frustrations in sports teams is fragmented communication. Messages come via WhatsApp, email, Instagram and verbally — and then nobody knows what the official information is anymore. Choose one primary communication channel and stick to it consistently. Clearly inform players and parents (for youth teams) through which channel official information will be shared.

2. Plan activities well in advance

The earlier players know what's on the agenda, the better they can prepare and the fewer last-minute cancellations you'll receive. Try to share the season schedule as early as possible, including training sessions, matches and team events. Use a shared calendar so everyone always has an overview.

3. Delegate responsibilities

As a coach, don't try to do everything yourself. Assign responsibilities to players or parents: one person manages the fine pot, another handles the equipment, someone else is responsible for team photos. This distributes the load and increases the involvement of the whole team.

4. Track attendance

Always know who is present at training sessions and matches. This is not only useful for your lineup, but also for your planning. If a player is structurally absent, you can respond to this in time. Use an app or digital system so that the administration is kept automatically.

5. Evaluate regularly

Schedule an evaluation at the end of each season. What went well? What can be improved? Involve players in this — they have valuable insights that you as a coach might miss. Use the feedback to organize the next season better.

6. Use the right tools

• A digital calendar for the season schedule
• An attendance app to track presence and absence
• A fine management tool for transparent finances
• A statistics tool to track performance
• A messaging app for clear communication

One Tuesday evening, reconstructed

Take a field hockey coach with a squad of eighteen. Without a system, he spent roughly forty-five minutes every Tuesday answering messages, scrambling to find substitutes, and logging a fine for a forgotten shin guard. After putting a fixed structure in place — one channel, an attendance deadline of Monday 8pm, and a delegated equipment manager — that dropped to about ten minutes. The thirty-five minutes he got back went straight into preparing the actual training session.

Organization isn't the goal itself — it's time you earn back. Set it up properly once at the start of the season, and you'll benefit for weeks without having to think about it again.