I recently read this great article by Changing the Game Project, “Four Words That Can Change the Culture of Youth Sport,” there are some mentions of administration and booster clubs, but it primarily focuses on what a coach can do to change the culture of their team. So it got me thinking, what can we do as youth sport administration leaders to change the culture?

This will depend on the organization structure.  For a board of directors of a youth sports administration, you will have a very direct influence on the culture of your organization.  You get to choose that culture when you allow volunteers to behave in various ways. You hire the coaches that set the tone in each of your teams. Accountability to the culture is paramount. If you expect a coach to behave a certain way and they don’t you must hold them accountable for that. As the above article mentions “We will miss you” are liberating words to say. There is always another volunteer, there is always another coach. Some times might be harder than others to find them, but it always manages to work itself out.

However, when it comes to a high school booster club, we’re looking at a whole different scenario.  You have to report to the school in some fashion (even if you are your own entity, you do represent the school, don’t forget that!) and you have zero control over the coaching staff. Essentially you have no real power to enforce a culture, in fact it’s possible that the coach creates an environment counter to your ideology, but you can influence it. You have control over your club.

  • Set the tone early in the season.  Send out an early beginning of season welcome message, include any school district policies that deal with game rules and behavior. Likewise, at the end thank your parents for their positivity throughout the season.
  • Keep communications from your club clear and positive. Its very easy to fall into the scolding trap when parents aren’t participating.  Do what you can with the volunteers you have; but don’t stretch yourself and those volunteers you do have too thin.  If someone asks why something didn’t happen, explain that you did not have the support needed to make it happen and ask if they’d like to help out or take on that task the next time.
  • If you have someone around that is not furthering your mission or is not doing the task they have volunteered to do, take it back. Do it yourself until you find someone else who is able. This can be very difficult sometimes, especially when you are dealing with friends and community members you’ve known for many years. When the people you are surrounding yourself with don’t buy in, remember it’s ok to just say “We will miss you.”
  • Don’t rush into filling positions.  Yes, you need all the help you can get, and the first few years of building (or rebuilding) a booster club program can be a grind – but when you do the hard work and lay the right foundation early it tends to be much more stable for many more years to come. Once you have a few of the right people in place, they can help you fill those other open spots, and they can help to backfill their positions when it’s their time to move on.

Booster club leaders have the most direct contact with parents and can influence the culture around them.  It takes all facets of the program, the parents, the booster club, the school administration, the coaches and the players to fully create the culture. Do your part in keeping that positive, and you’ll be amazed at the outcomes that can happen.