The Manager (in consultation with the Head Coach) should organize a mandatory parent meeting within the first two weeks of the team being formed. The meeting is held to introduce everyone to each other and to the team management group.

The Head Coach should lay out their plans for the seasons as to what they want to accomplish, their expectations for the players and for the parents’ supporting roles, and how they plan to reach those goals. The meeting should also be used as the opportunity to discuss team budget and fees, tournament planning and fundraising options.

The Head Coach and Manager should also use this opportunity to remind parents of the policies in place, the forms they need to submit and the training they may require.

Some associations create team questionnaires in advance of the parent meeting, which is a great tool to see what your families want out of the season (e.g, number and location of tournaments), fundraising options, confirm contact information is up to date, etc.). This questionnaire saves time at the meeting and allows for a more focussed discussion on the ideas generated.