Organize parent drivers for your kids’ sports team in 4 simple steps
Does your team have out-of-town meets or games? You can help families save time and money by sharing rides to these events. Considering parents spend more on travel than any other aspect of youth sports, this is a big deal.
As the team manager or travel coordinator, you can organize a team carpool easily with Gomates. Athletes and parent drivers can see essential trip information and quickly sign up to share rides. You’ll enjoy the streamlined communication when everyone is on the same page.
Here are four steps to coordinate ridesharing for your next youth sporting event.
Step 1. Enter the times and places for your trip in Gomates
The carpool details you put in Gomates will tell parents and players what to expect. You will need to add the game location and when the athletes should arrive. You’ll also choose a time and meeting place for families to start the trip.
Tips for first timers
- Choose a meeting spot with plenty of space to park while everyone loads into cars. School parking lots work well for weekend trips since they are familiar and generally empty.
- When deciding on a start time, use Gomates or another map to estimate the travel time. Then add an extra 10-15 minutes to ensure no one is late for the game. When several cars travel together, a little more leeway can be helpful.
Step 2. Share the carpool link with your team
Tell parents that the team will be carpooling and share the link to your Gomates page. Now sit back and relax because this part of coordinating the carpool is a breeze. Families see everything they need to know and can sign up to share rides without involving you.
As drivers and athletes join the trip, you can all see who is going. You’ll want enough seats for every athlete, but don’t worry if extra parents offer to drive. They can serve as backup if a rare problem arises. Life is unpredictable so why not be prepared?
Step 3. Communicate with families as needed
Encourage parents to check the carpool page first, but tell them how to contact you if they have questions. Try to answer quickly and completely. You can easily provide new information to everyone by adding a note to the carpool or sending a message through Gomates.
As game day nears, don’t hesitate to ask for more parent drivers if needed. Families usually step up when they realize some players still need a ride. After all, a youth sports team is only as strong as the families that make it up!
Step 4. Meet the carpoolers to start driving
As your team members and drivers arrive at the rideshare meeting spot, divide athletes into cars.
Refer to the list of who’s going to make sure all the kids are accounted for. If an athlete doesn’t show, give them a call, then ask a volunteer to wait a few minutes for the latecomer. Everyone else can start driving to your event.
Remind drivers they can see the destination and route map in Gomates, so you can all get there with confidence.
That’s it! As the team’s travel coordinator, you can manage carpools for the entire team and provide information to families with ease. Now you can focus on cheering on your child athlete. Get started today!