The summer break is long enough that by the time pre-season rolls around, a few things always need re-confirming: who's actually coming back, whether contact details are still current, and whether anyone's changed age group over the break.
Confirm who's actually returning
Not every player who finished last season will be back — families move, interests change, some kids simply age up into a different group. A quick "are you returning this season?" prompt at the start of pre-season saves a manager turning up to the first session unsure of numbers.
Update what's likely gone stale
Emergency contacts, medical information, and consent forms from a year ago are worth a quick re-confirmation rather than an assumption they're still accurate. A child's circumstances can genuinely change over a summer.
Age-group moves need sorting before the first session, not during it
Kids move up an age group each season based on birth year, and getting this right before training starts avoids an awkward conversation about which group a player actually belongs in, in front of everyone, on week one.
Communicate the return date clearly, once, everywhere
Parents forget exact return dates over a six-week break. One clear message — date, time, location — sent through whatever channel your club actually uses (and ideally more than one) avoids half the squad turning up on the wrong week.
The pre-season checklist, in short
- Confirm returning players via a quick prompt, not an assumption
- Refresh medical info, emergency contacts, and consent
- Sort age-group moves before the first session, not during it
- Send one clear "we're back" message with date, time, location
Formatio's season rollover flags returning players automatically and prompts a quick re-confirmation of the details that matter — so pre-season admin takes an evening, not a fortnight. See how it works at formatio.club.