It’s the same story every year. July and August fly by, and the new season arrives sooner than you think. So a pre-season checklist is worth its weight in gold.
Between registrations, affiliation, training schedules and keeping parents in the loop, it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed.
So here’s a simple checklist to help your committee start the new season calmly, without forgetting anything important.
1. Start your pre-season checklist by reviewing last season
Before charging into the new season, take time to look back:
- How many members did you keep? How many left?
- Which events worked well?
- Which problems kept coming back (budget, volunteers, kit and equipment)?
After all, that review will shape every decision that follows.
2. Check the admin and compliance side
It’s the least exciting part, but the most essential. Requirements vary by sport and by governing body, so check your own NGB’s guidance. In football, for example, it looks like this:
- Affiliation: renew your club’s affiliation with your County FA (or your sport’s national governing body) and register your players for the new season. In football, moreover, the affiliation window for the new season typically opens in June.
- Safeguarding: if you run junior teams, make sure you have a Club Welfare Officer. In addition, everyone in an eligible role working with under-18s (coaches, managers, welfare officer, first aiders…) must hold an in-date FA-accepted DBS check (Enhanced, with Children’s Barred List check). This check is renewed every three years, and they must also complete the required safeguarding training.
- Insurance: check your cover is in place before the first session. For instance, County FAs require public liability and personal accident insurance as part of affiliation; other sports have their own requirements.
- Constitution and committee: update your constitution if needed and make sure committee roles (chair, secretary, treasurer, welfare officer) are filled.
- Fixtures: get the season’s fixtures and key dates from your league or governing body.
As a result, a club that has everything in order from day one avoids plenty of headaches later in the season.
3. Organise registrations and welcome new members
The start of the season is when a club gains (or loses) new members.
Here are a few habits, for example, that make all the difference:
- A dedicated registration session, clearly advertised
- A welcome pack or a simple introduction to the club
- A social get-together so new families can meet the coaches and other parents
Worth reading on this: “Why members leave a sports club (and how to keep them)“. The start of the season is exactly when members decide whether they’ll stay.
4. Mobilise (or recruit) your volunteers
Of course, no club runs without volunteers. The start of the season is the right moment to:
- Identify the roles you need to fill (tea hut or bar, lifts to away games, coaching, communications)
- Ask parents directly instead of waiting for them to come forward
- Also recognise the volunteers you already have, to encourage others to join them
And remember: any new volunteer taking on an eligible role with under-18s will need their DBS check and safeguarding training before working unsupervised.
5. Launch your season’s communications
Social media, parents’ WhatsApp groups, noticeboards in the clubhouse: the start of the season is the perfect time to get back in touch and set the tone for the year.
It’s also the right time to launch a project that will bring the whole club together throughout the season. Many clubs, for instance, use pre-season to kick off a personalised sticker album: every member has their photo taken and the album circulates all season. As a result, it becomes both a shared keepsake and a natural way to communicate with families and sponsors.
6. Lay the financial foundations for the season
Above all, a clear budget from the start avoids nasty surprises later in the year:
- Estimated income (membership subs, grants, sponsorship, fundraising)
- Priority spending (affiliation and insurance, pitch and facility hire, kit, coaching courses)
- A contingency for the unexpected
To go further, you can read: “How to fund a sports club: practical ideas that work“.
Your pre-season checklist in a nutshell
| Step | Goal |
|---|---|
| 1. Season review | Identify what worked and what didn’t |
| 2. Admin and compliance | Affiliation, safeguarding and insurance in place from day one |
| 3. Registrations | Welcome new members and keep them |
| 4. Volunteers | Rally the people who keep the club going |
| 5. Communications | Set the tone for the season |
| 6. Budget | Secure the club’s finances for the year |
And after the pre-season checklist?
A good start to the season isn’t just about paperwork. It’s also about the enthusiasm you give your members, volunteers and sponsors to share the season with you.
It’s often that little something extra (a shared project, something new, a moment that brings everyone together) that makes the difference between a season you get through… and a season nobody forgets.
