Team Moms: The Unsung Heroes of Youth Football - S1E3

Hey there, gridiron enthusiasts! Coach Mikki here, tipping my hat to the MVPs off the field—team moms.  Today, you're getting the ultimate playbook on the multifaceted role of team moms, from the logistics of equipment management to the nuances of nourishing team. Whether you're a rookie to the role or a veteran looking to up your game, this episode is your ticket to mastering the behind-the-scenes magic that keeps the cleats on the turf and the parents in the loop.

I'll walk you through my tried-and-true methods for juggling the intricacies of Pop Warner responsibilities, from the crucial first step of background checks to the art of jersey customization and the sage advice of always keeping a stash of extra mouthpieces. Get ready to pick up pro tips and personal anecdotes that will help any team mom—or dad—navigate the season like a champ.

But let's not forget the heart and soul that team moms pour into our teams, often without the fanfare they richly deserve. As we wrap up, I'm laying out the red carpet to celebrate these unsung heroes, sharing heartfelt ways to express gratitude that extend far beyond the final whistle. Tune in as I discuss the power of a simple thank you card, the lasting impact of well-planned year-end celebrations, and the importance of fostering a supportive community for our young athletes. Every play counts, both on and off the field, and together we're building more than just football skills; we're crafting lifelong memories and lessons in teamwork.
 
Let's cheer  the team moms who help make every season possible.

Start Strong, Stay Strong, Finish Strong! - Coach Mikki
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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:14

Hey, team, come on in, bring it in and take it me. And today on our field, we are going to discuss team moms. I am coach Mickey and I'm glad that you guys are joining us. We've got a little bit of something for everybody in this playbook, whether you're a coach, a parent or a player, and even sometimes first time parents that are have that have kids that have decided to play tackle football and I know that's a big choice and sometimes with that into the pop Warner, at least pop Warner arena, I know some of the requirements are a lot of volunteering, a lot of volunteering, and being a veteran of pop Warner through the years as a team mom, assistant coach and as a coach, let me tell you team mom is one of the most valuable team players you can have on your field for your season. It is just one of those positions I think that's overlooked and kind of taken for granted, but realizing it, being in that position but also having some great team moms I've had some amazing team moms that have made my seasons so easy, and I've had other seasons where, as the head coach, I've had to take on that responsibility myself because they either didn't have the time nor were able to do it or sometimes just didn't understand what it takes to be a team mom and what it all involves. So I'm going to kind of go over that with us today. This is something that I think is going to be really valuable for each and every one of us, especially if you are just starting out and you said, hey, you know what that sounds like. Fun, I think I'll be a team mom. So let me tell you what it all involves and what your responsibilities are. And again, you are a volunteer and keep in mind coaches. They are volunteering also for you, so cut them some slack. There might be a mistake or two. So we are going to give you kind of hopefully an outline that'll help you guys a little bit get through this season.

Speaker 1: 2:18

So, as a team mom, I'm going to tell you right now first of all, you're going to have to go through a background check. You're going to have to also have your ID and all that available, just like we do as coaches. So I think that is really important. We have to carry a CPR card, which I feel is very important. I think each place is different. I know for us, I chose to do that. Pop Warner has got its own rules and you might want to check into that based on where you're at. Okay, the first thing as a team mom, you are going to be the go to person. You are going to be the go to person that the head coach goes to to see that everything is organized. You're going to be the person that is the go between for communication between what's happening in the season, the head coach and the parents. So you are going to be your coach. You're going to be the head coach of team parents and that really is an important role because it keeps everybody informed of what's happening and when you are trying to wrangle in, you know 20, some kids and families and all their crazy schedules. Having that organized so you can get to them on a regular basis, so they know where to be when, when to be their time, you know location, it's going to be really important. So, first of all, I suggest, before you even start the season and having to take care of all this information is create a place where everybody can go.

Speaker 1: 3:50

In the past I have used Shutterfly. It gives you an opportunity to create kind of a profile where you can name your team, you can keep it private. They can upload pictures for all the games. You have a way to cross-reference all the players and the kids. You can put their emails in their addresses along with their phone numbers, and this gives you a go-to place at any time if you need to reach out. Also, it will directly go to their email. So anytime you upload a schedule change or something that needs to be done, or a reminder, then it automatically goes to their email and it's a quick and easy reference. And for parents, they should have it downloaded onto not only their email but also have it on their phone. So when there is a change and you will find there will be a change through the years I have had games where all of a sudden there's a field change because a field's either flooded out or something happened or it's not available. And here we are Friday night and we've got a game Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon and they're changing the field and you've got to let everybody know immediately. So make sure your parents know to always check their email when it's coming from Shutterfly or have it available on their phones. This is gonna help you tremendously throughout the season and it'll also keep things organized.

Speaker 1: 5:17

So what are some of the responsibilities. Let's just start from day one. You're gonna get there and parents are gonna start. The first thing besides the communication will be your team's equipment and jerseys. That usually is a designated time that your coaches and your equipment manager will have. A lot of times you're gonna have to go to one designated area. Sometimes it's at the shed that they have on the field, sometimes it might be at a designated location or the high school where everybody can come in to get fitted for their helmets, the shoulder pads, pick up their jersey and their pants, the knee pads and chin strap and all that. What's your responsibility as a parent is to buy your own cleats, to buy, sometimes, your own socks. Sometimes they will give you socks, other times you won't. That may fall under the umbrella of you having to order them. Each team is different. They're going to have the jerseys and the Pop Warner patch. Now we'll get to that in a minute.

Speaker 1: 6:22

Let's stick with equipment day. So you wanna make sure that everybody knows the designated equipment day and that everybody shows up and, yes, bring your player. You cannot have a parent just show up because they've got a player that's doing something else. In the event, you have a child that's playing dual sports or can't make that equipment day, make a list and a note of who didn't show up so you can contact that parent and get them out there for a secondary equipment pickup. That is so important. It's so crucial because what's gonna happen is you're gonna get a player that's gonna go home. They're gonna put on their helmet. It's either gonna feel too tight, maybe they've got a headache, and you're gonna have to have an opportunity to switch out gear. So having that secondary equipment day pickup not only allows for someone who may have missed it, but will also help for people that got to switch out equipment. Maybe sometimes the shoulder pads, the pieces, are broken or they don't fit right, or you know, and your coaches should know, how to fit a helmet and shoulder pads, and that's a whole another podcast. So, but with that being said, please make sure that you've got equipment day set, because that's really, really important.

Speaker 1: 7:32

When equipment day is over, sometimes teams do put names on the back of their jerseys. So I have found that there is usually one designated area that a lot of teams take their jerseys to that can embroider, or those times they don't embroider, they just actually put on a panel that goes on the back or they just kind of press it. It's sort of like one of those presses that they'll put the name on the back and they will tell you how much it's gonna cost and what it's gonna take and how long to have those jerseys. So, with that being said, collect all the jerseys as the team mom, and you will find the location to go ahead and take those and drop them off. Do yourself a favor make sure you had the spelling of everybody's name correctly. I'll remember one year it was really funny I had a kid all year long he wore his jersey and I kept calling him by that name and was that game. Before the last game, we were at game nine and he's like coach, my last name is this. And I was like really, really, you're telling me. Now I say it's been spelled wrong this whole time. He's like yeah, but I'm like okay, so just save yourself the hassle.

Speaker 1: 8:49

And also any kind of fixes. Just double check and make sure the last name is spelled correctly, which is funny. But so anyway, that'll help you. And then also the pop order patches. I'm gonna put up a link where you guys can see the location of the Pop Warner patches. There is a place that has it's got to be sewn on, whether it's on the pants or it's on the jersey, and sometimes, if you guys are reusing jerseys, the Pop Warner patch is already on them. If you've had to order new jerseys, you will have to put the patches on. So I'll go ahead and I'll put up that link for you, so that's something that you guys can take into consideration. All right, that's a. So we got through equipment day.

Speaker 1: 9:35

That's going to be one of those crazy things. One of the things I have found is Team Mom and, as crazy as it is, you might want to keep a couple of extra mouthpieces in your bag. I have gone full seasons, even to this day, as a coach. At any given time, you can find in my bag. I have got extra chin straps and extra mouthpieces and groin protectors. At the Pop Warner level they are going to do a groin check and I cannot tell you how many times I have had a kid go coach. I don't have my mouthpiece, I don't have my groin protector.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Do yourself a favor, grab a couple, throw them in your bag. Your coaches should do that also, but in the event that they don't, if you have it as a backup. It's going to save you from having to have a kid have to step out, and if you drop below a certain amount on your roster you're going to forfeit a game. So make sure you've got a couple of those. Go to Walmart and get a couple of them for 97 cents, for just some cheapy mouthpieces. Even if it's not molded to the kid's mouth, it'll get them by through the game and they'll. It'll teach them to be able to remember their mouthpiece. A lot of times they're tethered to the helmet, so that really does help. But during the games and practice and when they're taking them in and out of their bag, it pops off and you'll be surprised how many mouthpieces you will trip over and see on the field, on and off practice and after game. So grab a couple of mouthpieces. So that's kind of cool.

Speaker 1: 11:07

The other thing too is you want to make sure on your roster sheet have the list of all of your parents, their emails and their phone numbers. This is going to come in handy. I would say make yourself one, take it down to Kinko's, laminate it, or UPS store or staples or wherever you want to go and just laminate it, because that is going to be priceless to you. You are going to rely on that roster sheet so many times because you're going to have a player that doesn't show up and you need to call and find out. And a lot of times you just cannot rely on the parents to call you and say hey, you know, so-and-so is out because they've got a fever or you'd be surprised. Some of the you'll hear or some of the information you'll hear and you want to be able to call and say here they going to be available.

Speaker 1: 12:01

But besides that, you also want to know what is the emergency contact. Make sure that you have got a column that lists the emergency contacts. Are they on any medication? Do they have any allergies? Over the years I have had so many players that have had asthma and they have to have an inhaler. I've had a couple players that have to carry EpiPens because they're allergic to bees. So have that, save yourself the hassle of having to dig through a binder and find out each individual kids information on your contact sheet and your roster and then have them know that your emergency contact and know about any medication and who they should contact, who's the backup and do they have any allergies, and that'll help you out a lot, and I know this sounds like a lot, but and it really, once you have it all organized, it really is kind of easy.

Speaker 1: 12:56

And as the season progresses, everybody, everybody kind of gets into a rhythm and it's fun. It's fun and you're going to be the person that's in charge of the snack bar. A lot of times you will have the opportunity to open up the snack bar on your home games and you need to get parents to volunteer for that. And what I mean by volunteer it's not just show up and be at the snack bar, it's volunteer with a list of things that they're going to bring. Go to Costco, go grab the big box of Dorito chips or potato chips, or whether it's the thing of almonds, some of the big things of Gatorade, and they can volunteer to sign up and bring whatever they want and then sell them at your snack bar. That is going to be your bread and butter for your trophies, your end of party games and other things like that.

Speaker 1: 13:53

And I'll give you a couple things that you can do to kind of put a spin, to make it fun. We can raise some money throughout your season to help you with those end of party expenses, so and what you can do also just to make it fun, if you don't raise enough money and that's okay too, because I've had I've had seasons on a shoestring and sometimes those have been my best seasons ever and if you have got a group of parents that are fun and contribute, the kids don't matter, they're having a great time, they're having fun and they don't care if the end of the season party is at a park or a country club or if it's at you know someone's house and I mean I'm talking at the Pop Warner level. You know we get to high school, gets a little bit different, so okay. So your snack bar get your sign up sheet for that, find out with your high school when you can have that and have that on your schedule. On your shutter fly. You have a calendar. Make sure you have those calendars always updated, knowing the dates, the times and the place, and that's going to be the go to that a lot of parents are going to rely on when they're looking through that calendar to find out what needs to be done. And it's a reminder for them If you know that you have got people that have got to volunteer for the snack bar or for games, and I'll tell you that in a minute they can go there and see it. Okay, you're going to find some parents are not going to want to volunteer and everybody should be chipping in. You're talking about coaches and yourself that are volunteering for the season, that are going to be out with these families to coach their kid and make it a fun season. So if you run into that challenge, my suggestion would be start right through the alphabet, go go A through Z, and if you need three to four people, just just right down. And if they can't, then it's their responsibility to find a replacement. And what I mean by that? If you have got, you know, two parents, if you've got parents and grandparents that constantly come to these games, then have them find their replacement in the event that you put their name down and they can make it. Um, your games, besides the snack bar, are also going to involve two parents to work chains and the Dow marker, and then you're also going to maybe need an announcer and for you, during the games, you're going to have to be there for the weigh-ins and the equipment check, so you can bring along an assistant to do that, if need be. But also the chains and the Dow marker are really important. Oh, and track a play. You're going to need a parent that's going to have to do track or play. And what does that mean?

Speaker 1: 16:45

During the Pop Warner programs, you have what's called must play and what it means is every player that's on that team is required to play 10 plays. And what they do is, as you, as the coaches, weave in offense or defense or special teams. What they'll do is they will say, okay, number number 10 was in, and you check off every time you see that player go in. Now, over the years I I struggle with must play. And the reason and let me and hear me out the reason I say must play is because I truly believe as a coach, I want all my kids to be a must have, which means every player has got a position on my team, every single one of them. I will find where they shine the most. So, having them go in, I should never, ever, ever have to have my must play list, have the person on the sideline come up to me and go hey, you know, number 36 hasn't been in. He's only been in twice. And here I am in the fourth quarter, which means I've gotten up with my games on the line and I got to put in someone that can't fill the position that I need. Let's say I'm all on offense and they're a defensive player or special teams player and I'm totally offense. Well, now I'm required to have to put in that child because I didn't play them.

Speaker 1: 18:13

So do yourselves a favor, coaches, if you're listening to this. In regards to team mom, make every single one of your kids a must have player, not a must play player, and that'll help you. So back to you team moms. You're going to want to have two chains and your must play less person, and then your snack bar people. If you are away games same thing. You're going to have to have a must play, and then you may need one person who may do down markers or chains. So at any given time, somebody's got to be out of that field. Most of the time, you'll get a lot of dads that really like working chains, and the reason is is because it puts you right there in the heart of the game. You get to be up close and personal and see what's happening, although please make it perfectly clear to people that are working the chains and the down markers. They cannot be coaching from the sideline and screaming. In the event that you run into that problem. That is something. You will have to pull that parent aside and and let them know that their job is to be neutral, and so that's. But it's fun. I've had an opportunity to do all of those Positions and it really is a fun, and encourage the moms to do it. It's really simple. The referees are great. They will work with you and tell you what you need to do and you can't really screw it up, because the referees know it's pop Warner level and they're gonna tell you where to place the marker, where to place the chains. You know, and so it really is is a fun opportunity if you've never done it, and Tell your moms not to be afraid of it, because it can be really fun. Okay, so that's that.

Speaker 1: 19:57

So we have got Our roster sheet, you've got your sign up. You've got for your volunteer sheet. The next, you've got your, your equipment. So we're done with that. The next things that you're gonna come across You're gonna be team picture. They're just gonna give you a bunch of forms. You're just gonna make sure you hand it out to the team again. Make sure you put picture day up on the calendar so they know when to arrive. They'll have those forms pretty well filled out. You're just gonna wrangle everybody in, line them up and make sure their forms are filled out. And the people that are doing the Photographs. They're pretty good about keeping it all in control and it makes it really fun and easy picture days. Fun because it gives an opportunity for you to get team pictures and then they get their individual pictures and they get key chains and all other jazz. So it's kind of fun.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Uh, the other thing, to end of season party. Let's go ahead and get to that end of season party and Also the cost, for the only cost you're really gonna come up against are going to be end of season party coaches, gifts and Maybe the trophies. So at the end of the year you are gonna have the ability to either do trophies or Redaliens or whatever you guys decide to do for your end of season party. It's really fun. Some some years I've done t-shirts. I think that's more fun and I usually get them a little bit bigger size so as they grow into it. But also the trophies are fun when you have got Trophy after trophy after trophy from all the seasons that my son has played pop one or all the way up to high school. After a while it's just another trophy.

Speaker 1: 21:40

So be creative, talk to your parents, see, see what they would like, maybe to have something a little bit better For an end of season party to give to your, give to your kids. And also your coaches are going to award, you know, mvp players and stuff like that. Maybe you do hats, so that's kind of fun. You can do touchdown jars. Every time your team scores a touchdown, you could Send it through the stands, you know, and everybody can put in a buck or change or whatever they have. And then you can you send up a couple kids, maybe a couple cheerleaders, if they want to do it. If your team's got cheerleaders, send them up into the stands to do the touchdown jar and then they'll bring it back to you. And that's kind of fun you could do. It is every time they make a field goal, you know Just anything, to raise a little bit of something, something. The money from your snack bar is going to contribute to that, so that's kind of fun too. You're gonna also be responsible for a little scholar awards.

Speaker 1: 22:41

Academics is really important. Your, your coaches will probably keep track of that. You will find that academically, if there's someone that's excelling, they will be recognized. They will receive a special medallion and be recognized not only through your team but through the state of their academics as a player, and that's really kind of important and it's inspiring to keep these kids to keep their academics up While they're playing a sport. So I kind of I really like that that pop Warner offers that.

Speaker 1: 23:13

The other thing, too, at the end of your party is going to be Coaches gifts. I'm gonna leave that up to you and what you you find appropriate based on your coaches. I'm gonna give you a couple suggestions. One of my favorite favorite gifts as a coach is the team picture, and you can go get cheap frames that have got a border around them. You can go get them at Walmart. I would say maybe the 10 by 11, even ten, eight by tens, they're, they're great and then Put the picture in and then have all the kids sign it, sign the border that goes around it and put their number.

Speaker 1: 23:51

I have got I have got 15 years of pictures of my kids that I've had an opportunity to coach and I cannot tell you how priceless that is to me and some of them gone on to college and and I got a couple that have even gone on to the NFL, and it is so rewarding to go back and see these, these pictures of these kids, that I've had an opportunity to touch their lives and Know that they've gone as far as they have and and, honestly, a lot of times I still hear from any of them and it really means a lot to us as coaches because we're putting in a lot of time and effort. So, if you can't think of anything, the pictures being signed are priceless. I absolutely love those, the, the coffee mugs, the yeah, shirts, hats and stuff yeah, it's, it's, it's nice. I mean you could do a hat, maybe, have have the kids sign it but honestly, that that memory is priceless and I'm speaking for as a coach. So, yeah, that's that's a kind of my spin on being a team mom. I'm going to put up a list of these things for you guys to be able to go back and and take a look at If you think of anything else that makes your job easier. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

Speaker 1: 25:08

Again, it's a fun, fun season.

Speaker 1: 25:10

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but the reality is is when you're organized and get that, get that shut or fly up, that's going to be your saving grace.

Speaker 1: 25:18

Trust me and work with your coaches, communicate with your parents, so have fun doing it.

Speaker 1: 25:25

And for those of you that are listening that are not team moms or other coaches or the players, take care of your team mom and make sure she gets a gift at the end of the season. And, honestly, if you want a really good gift to give a team mom, a gift card a visa gift card is priceless because I guarantee she's going to use it for anything she wants and what she needs for the season, and that that's the best. And a thank you card Thank you cards signed by the whole team is again is cherished more than you guys can possibly imagine. So that's about it for me on team moms and if you guys have any questions, reach out to me on first, down to touchdowns, and you can go to our full contact page and reach out to me with any of your comments or suggestions and I'll look forward to hear from you guys. All right, until then, you are just competing with yourself out on the field. Start strong, stay strong and finish strong. I'm coach Mickey. I'll see you next time on first down to touchdowns.