Pre-Season Checklist: Everything Your Club Needs

The season starts in six weeks. The committee hasn't met yet. The treasurer isn't sure if insurance has been renewed. The registration form from last year has the wrong fees on it. Someone thinks the ground booking is confirmed, but nobody can find the email.

This happens every year. It doesn't have to.

Here's a week-by-week checklist for the 8 weeks before your first game, training session, or event. Print it. Stick it on the clubroom wall. Assign names next to each item. If a task doesn't have a name next to it, it won't get done.

8 weeks out: governance and insurance

Confirm your committee roles. Who is president, secretary, treasurer? Are they all still willing to serve? If someone stepped down over summer, you need to know now, not two weeks before the AGM. Get written confirmation from each committee member that they're continuing.

Renew your insurance. Public liability, volunteer cover, property — whatever your sport requires. Check with your state sporting body for minimum requirements. If your policy lapsed over the off-season, you are personally exposed. Not the club. You. The committee members. Don't let this sit.

Update bank signatories. If anyone left the committee, they're still on the bank account. Most banks need all existing signatories to approve changes, and it takes 2-4 weeks. Start this today.

Check your incorporation status. Is your annual return filed? Is your registered address current? In most states, this is a legal requirement with actual penalties for non-compliance.

6 weeks out: venues and equipment

Confirm ground and venue bookings. Call the council. Get it in writing. Last year's booking does not automatically carry over in most local government areas. If you share with another club, confirm the allocation split now, not after the draw comes out.

Audit your equipment. Balls, goals, nets, first aid kits, defibrillator pads (check the expiry date — yes, they expire). Make a list of what needs replacing. Get the purchase approved by the committee before someone spends their own money and submits a receipt in August.

Order uniforms. If you're ordering new kit, 6 weeks is already tight. Most suppliers need 4 weeks for printing. If you're using last year's stock, check what sizes you actually have, not what you think you have.

4 weeks out: registrations and money

Open registrations. Your registration form should include: player details, emergency contacts, medical conditions, photo consent, code of conduct acknowledgement, and payment. That's it. Don't add 15 optional fields nobody reads.

Set your fees and publish them. Members need to know what it costs before they commit. Early bird discounts work — a $20 saving for registering 3 weeks early typically lifts early uptake by 30-40%. That means less chasing later.

Confirm your payment methods. Can people pay online? Bank transfer? Cash at the canteen? Every payment method you add reduces the number of people you'll chase later. Every payment method you add also creates a reconciliation task for your treasurer. Pick two. Online and bank transfer. That covers 95% of members.

Chase last season's debts. If someone owes $120 from last season, sort it before they re-register. Having the conversation now is awkward. Having it mid-season is worse.

3 weeks out: volunteers and communication

Build your volunteer roster. You need a canteen coordinator, a ground setup crew, a first aid officer, a team manager per team, and a coaching coordinator. Write down every role. Put a name next to it. The gaps are your problem areas — start asking people directly. "We need volunteers" posted to Facebook has never worked. "Sarah, can you do canteen for the first three home games?" works.

Set up your communication channels. Decide how the club talks to members. One channel for announcements (email or a members' portal), one for each team (WhatsApp or similar group chat), one for the committee (whatever you'll actually use). Write this down and tell everyone. "Where do I find information?" should have one answer, not five.

Update your website and social media. New season dates, registration links, contact details, committee names. If your website still says "Season 2020" on the homepage, fix that before you send anyone there.

2 weeks out: sponsors and compliance

Contact your sponsors. Confirm what you owe them this season. Signage, logo placement, social media mentions, event naming rights — whatever the deal was. If you don't have it in writing, get it in writing now. Sponsors who feel ignored don't renew.

Submit any required documentation to your governing body. Team nominations, coach accreditations, ground compliance certificates. Check what your state body needs and when they need it. Missing a deadline here can mean your teams can't play round one.

Brief your coaches. Especially new ones. Club policies, code of conduct expectations, who to contact for what. A 30-minute meeting with coffee saves a dozen confused phone calls during the season.

1 week out: final checks

Do a walkthrough of your venue. Is the ground marked? Are the facilities clean? Do the lights work? Is there signage for visitors? First impressions matter for new members.

Send a welcome email to all registered members. Season start date, first game or training details, what to bring, who to contact. Keep it to 200 words. Nobody reads a 1,000-word email the week before the season.

Hold a committee meeting. Go through this checklist. What's done, what's outstanding, who's responsible for the gaps. This meeting should take 45 minutes, not 3 hours.

The real point

Most of this is not complicated. It's just a lot of small tasks that compound when they're left until the last minute.

The clubs that start well, finish well. The clubs that scramble through pre-season spend the whole year catching up. The difference is usually one person with a checklist and the authority to assign tasks.

Be that person. Or find that person and buy them a coffee.