Handy Tips to Help You Prepare For Softball Team Travel

Almost 10 million people play softball regularly over the course of any given year.

And why not?

Softball is an outstanding sport that teaches children and adults the merits of competition, sportsmanship, discipline, and a variety of other life-enhancing skills.

Of the 10 million people who play softball, many do so through youth softball organizations and many of those organizations have their teams traveling regularly.

Whether it's hopping in a van to move your team to a neighboring city or jumping on a plane for inter-state play, if you're the coach or parent of a fastpitch softball team, you're probably no stranger to travel and the challenges it brings.

To help improve your team travel workflow, our group has laid out some handy tips you can lean on below.

1. Communication

The number one element that will create a smooth team travel experience for coaches, parents, and players is communication.

Everyone should know where the game is going to take place, when call-time is, and how to get there. Furthermore, everyone should be on the same page as far as accommodations are concerned.

While there's no hard and fast rule that the whole team needs to stay at the same hotel if they're traveling with parents, doing so can be a great team building experience.

2. Car Maintenance

Most team travel destinations can be reached via parents driving kids in their personal vehicles. If traveling to neighboring cities is something that's going to happen regularly, make sure that your car can handle the mileage.

It's important to get your car serviced, have access to an emergency auto-repair kit, and have your AAA card handy.

You don't want a popped tire to come between your kids and their big game.

3. Fly in The Morning

If your travel plans are going to have you up in the air, we recommend flying in the morning.

Flying in the early morning is traditionally a less busy time to travel. That means that you'll have an easier time keeping track of kids and their belongings.

Also, people tend to sleep through early flights which could save you the headache of having to ensure your excited team doesn't get overly rambunctious in transit.

4. Have a Single Point of Contact

Whether it's the coach or a team parent, since communication is key while traveling, we always recommend making it clear to the team who to contact if anything should arise.

The point of contact should have all relevant information regarding bookings, flights, game details, and everything in-between.

A single point of contact keeps too many cooks from being in the kitchen and reduces the chance of misinformation leading to game-time drama.

5. Bring Snacks

Finally, to seal the deal on a great team travel experience, bring snacks. Lots of them.

Also, be sure to keep them nutritious. Your kids have to be feeling their best come game time!

Wrapping Up Handy Tips to Help You Prepare For Softball Team Travel

There you have it! 5 solid tips to help you improve your team travel experience.

We hope the information in this post helps reduce any in-transit hiccups and allows your team to focus on enjoying the bonding experience that is team travel.

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4 Great Ways to Promote Your Local Softball Team

Do you want to draw a crowd for your next softball game? Here's how you can get locals excited to watch your softball team play.

There's no better feeling than having a stadium full of fans rooting for your team. But, aside from friends and family members, it can be hard to build a cheering section.

Luckily, the internet has made it much easier to promote local businesses. Your softball team should use a mix of old and new marketing strategies to see the best results.

You're probably familiar with some of the more traditional methods like printed material or local media. So, let's talk about some of the more new-age methods you should leverage. Here are 4 ways to draw a crowd for your next game.

1. Get Social

Think your softball team has nothing to post about? Think again.

Nearly any organization can employ social media efforts to gain better exposure. It's all about creating the best content for your audience.

Are you a high school team trying to gain more fans? You should tailor your posts to other high school students. But, if you're an adult league, you'll probably want other community members close to your age.

2. Start Blogging

Blogging is another easy way to garner organic attention to an organization. You'll want to compose at least 1-2 new posts a week to see any search engine results.

Again, the topics you blog about depend on who you're targetting. What's great about blogging is there are an endless amount of topics to write about. You just need to make sure they align with your organization.

You could also write about hot topics within the baseball or softball industry. Think of any prominent news about upcoming games, players, the industry, etc.

3. Send Out Monthly Newsletters

Ask game attendees and social followers to sign up for a monthly newsletter. This is the easiest way to keep patrons in the loop since all they have to do is check their email. MailChimp allows you to build email campaigns for free, and it's simple to use.

4. Partner with Other Local Organizations

Partnering with another organization can help build a following for the above platforms. Both groups will double their exposure, leading to an influx of new fans and followers.

Ask another group to promote a giveaway on your behalf. They can help gain exposure for a few one-on-one sessions with your team's players. Or, you could hold a raffle and offer a basket full of goodies.

If you're not offering the same prizes, make sure they have the opportunity to create something similar through your social platforms.

Other Ways to Promote Your Softball Team

Promoting your softball team shouldn't end with the fans. Make sure you're going to each game with team swag!

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