Q:       Do players get to keep their uniforms?  

A:       Yes, they get to keep their uniforms. Uniforms include shirt and hat.

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Q:      Do shirts have numbers on them?

A:       Yes, they are sequential (1-10 for example) depending on how many players are on the team. Unfortunately, we cannot accept number requests during the regular season.

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Q:      What color pants should my team wear?

A:       That’s up to the coach. You get to pick the color pants but please communicate it to your team with enough notice. In our experience, gray is the easiest color to find in a variety of sizes.

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Q:       What color socks should my team wear?

A:       That’s up to the coach too. You get to pick the color socks but please communicate it to your team with enough notice.

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Q:      Do coaches receive equipment?

A:       Yes, coaches receive a few helmets, bats, catchers gear, and practice balls. You’ll be notified when equipment is ready for pick-up, or we’ll coordinate to get it to you by your first practice.  

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Q:      What equipment does each player need?

A:       At a minimum, a glove. Cleats are also highly encouraged (for coach pitch and above). SMYO does provide a few helmets and bats to share.

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Q:       When will uniforms arrive?

A:       At the last minute. 😊 It’s just the way it works, due to the short time between registration closing and the first game. Rest assured they’ll be in before the first game but not far in advance so manage your parent’s expectations in regard to this.

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Q:      Does our team have to do snacks or an end-of-year party?

A:       No, but it’s more fun when you do. Ask a parent to coordinate this for you!

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Q:      Who do you recommend for end-of-season awards or team banners?

A:       Crown Trophy in Waldorf. They have a large inventory and are used to these requests. This should be a team-shared expense (per player), not a coach responsibility. Again, ask a parent to coordinate!

www.crowntrophy.com
301-870-0223
[email protected]

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Q:      One of my players ordered the wrong size uniform shirt. Now what?

A:       Unfortunately, this happens but don’t worry. Although SMYO can’t purchase them another one, they can contact our vendor directly to order another size.

[email protected]
301-396-5999

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Q:      There’s someone practicing on my assigned field. What do I do?

A:       All fields off of the SMYO property are owned by the county and for use by permit only. SMYO has permission to use the fields we’ve assigned for our practices. Unfortunately, sometimes people use county fields they aren’t technically allowed to use. If that happens, let them know you have a county-issued permit (you can ask for a copy of this in our Coach GroupMe chat). They’ll likely disperse without a problem. 

SMYO Coach Toolkit

The following information pertains to administrative-type team responsibilities. It is perfectly acceptable (and encouraged) to delegate these to an assistant coach and/or team parent. Ask for help!

Introduction
It is so important that you introduce yourself to your team via the app or email within 24 hours of receiving your team roster. Parents are often eager for information, and this will make a good first impression. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. We’ve seen coaches provide their background, goals, coaching philosophy, and player/parent expectations, while others offer a warm welcome and a promise of a fun season.

Uniforms
SMYO provides shirts and hats. Players are responsible for their pants, socks, and belt (if needed). Coaches are responsible for communicating the pant/belt/sock color to the players and parents. This color is your choice but let your team know as soon as possible what you’ve picked so they can shop accordingly. Uniforms will be in before your first game but likely right before so please manage your parent’s expectations in regard to this. You will be the first one to know once uniforms arrive and are ready for pick-up so, please don’t worry if the game is approaching and you haven’t received them yet. Assure your parents of this as well.

Snacks
Snacks are completely optional and often end once a child gets to a certain age. But they’re a nice incentive particularly for the younger age groups. If your team is interested, ask a parent volunteer to create a schedule and keep it simple. 

Concession
Concession duty is shared among all sports and is as follows:

• The HOME TEAM is responsible for providing 1 parent volunteer per game. The way I have done it with my teams in the past is split that duty between two parents so that no one misses an entire game. So, I list two names (the first name takes the first half of the game and then the second name relieves that person for the last half of the game). 
• Sometimes the Concession Stand is not busy enough and/or already has enough volunteers, but please check-in anyway to make sure. There is a side door behind the backstop of Field 3. You'll say that you are with the (Enter Team Name) and here for concession duty. 
• Please stay on your parents as much as possible in regard to this. The Concession Stand is a really great amenity (and huge fundraiser) for us but it takes volunteer support to make it happen. I assure you that we will all enjoy what it has to offer this season.

Again, ask a parent volunteer to help with this and create a concession schedule. Here’s a sample snack/concession schedule:

End-of-Season Awards/Party
This is completely optional but a fun way to leave a lasting impression on the players and their families.

Teams typically pick a medal or trophy (depending on how much parents want to contribute) and get a quote from Crown Trophy in Waldorf (301-870-0223). It's good to clear it with the parents ahead of time and ask they contribute the amount of the award per player. It’s so affordable, I can sometimes keep it to $4 per player. I’ve never once had a parent decline to contribute, and this small token goes a long way for your players.

It typically takes a week or two to prepare the order. We’ve typically handed them out at either the last game of the season or at an end-of-season celebration. Again, this is completely up to the individual team (perhaps a parent volunteer can coordinate) and can be as simple as a kickball game on one of our fields or a pizza party. Do whatever you’re most comfortable with.