Tips: Preparing your football team for the new season

Training, coaching and facilities are all key in preparing your team for the new season

There are some areas of interest that manage to capture the attention and have an effect on the lives of people all over the world. Football is one of the best examples there is and although it is true that not everyone loves it, the number of those who live and breathe it is well into the millions. Due to this, there is a shared excitement felt by lovers of the game when the new season begins to approach.

No matter what level of competition the team is in, it is absolutely fundamental that they have a good standard of kit to play in and this is just one of the preparations that have to be made before the schedule for the upcoming campaign gets underway.

Football operates at so many different levels, from those who earn the most handsome salaries at the top level, to those who sacrifice their spare time just to play it on a park field on a weekend morning.

Amateur and junior teams can be found almost anywhere and if you are in charge of one of these clubs then there are some arrangements to take care of before the next season begins.

Secure a pitch and training facilities

In any league season you have to be able to host half of the games; so you need a home pitch to be able to play on. At amateur level, there is likely to be at least one, if not plenty more pitches, in the local area. It is up to you to get in touch with the people who are responsible for giving out permission for matches to take place at these venues.

It is a sensible idea to go to every effort to hire a place that each member of your team will be able to reach easily and the same rule applies for the sports hall or floodlit facility you will choose for your training sessions.

Make sure you can afford the costs

Football clubs below the professional level survive due to the commitment of those who are involved, whether it is the players, the managers, coaches, or parents of those in a junior team. Funds are needed to cover the cost of hiring out pitches and providing the equipment such as training cones, nets, corner flags, team kit and footballs for example.

Fundraisers are a big part of an amateur club and this is when a lot of the money to cover the costs of the season comes in.

Put in some pre-season training

The physical pain that comes with the first training session after the summer break is not something that is strictly limited to those who are professional. It is important to get your team together a good few weeks before the league season begins and this will allow you to cast your eye over the players that you will have available.

Friendlies are a necessity during the summer for fitness and practice reasons and they also allow everyone to look forward to the start of competitive games.

The author, Tom Mason, has had an involvement in grass-roots football coaching for many years and he buys his team football kits from Toga Sports.