Coaches and league members across the country send out newsletters to parents and athletes to keep them informed about youth sports news and schedules. Whether these newsletters go out on a monthly, bi-weekly or weekly basis, one problem that is commonly faced by the person writing the newsletter is what content to include within it.
There are some obvious choices, of course – game schedules, highlights of previous games and other calendar-related pieces of news (picture day, team meetings, etc.). However, this can make for a pretty sparse newsletter. A really strong newsletter doesn’t just recap what people already know. It gives them something extra; something valuable.
Padding out a youth sports newsletter can be tricky, though. The trick to it is filling it up with content that will appeal to the audience it is targeting, and in this case that is parents and/or athletes.
1. Basic Content Suggestions
Think of a youth sports newsletter as something not so different from other subscription emails you get sent. The idea is the same, but the topic is different. Here are some basic ideas for helping to add a little bit more oomph to your own league’s newsletter:
● Sports or youth sports related news pieces that will resonate with athletes and their family.
● Highlights of the accomplishments of past or other youth sports leagues (“This youth sports league did something incredible – so can we!”)
● Player spotlights that shine a light on excellent practice skills or in-game plays made by an athlete.
● Photos of games and practices to showcase the hard work the players are doing.
● Sports and health tips, like the right foods to eat before practice and how to stretch on off-days.
2. Player Interviews
One way to promote player self-esteem and highlight positive examples within a team is to actually publish content that is personal. As a rule of thumb, the content within a team or a league’s newsletter can contain some generic information (health tips, news ads), but there should always be something there that makes the newsletter identifiable as a team’s specific newsletter. Identifying and rewarding players is one way to accomplish just that.
Make sure the reporting is balanced (i.e. not always the same team, or the same kids, age-group or gender…). There are few things as uplifting to a kid than to see themselves “in the news”.
3. Specific Stats
Youth sports players love being able to show off just how well they do in sports, but this is hard to do without tangible evidence. While they can recount the game to friends and family that didn’t attend, give them something a little extra to go along with their tale.
Print updated statistics of who scores how many goals, who has an improved time, how many goals a specific child prevented – something specific that they can look at and say “That’s me. I did that.” This helps boost team morale in two ways. The children who succeed will be proud of the attention they receive for their success, and other players will try their hardest to also get this recognition.
As with interviews, it can be tricky to highlight all kids, but when writing a game highlight, consider that all kids present at a game bring something, be it by cheering on their team – not everyone needs be recognized at once, but should be over several weeks of play.
Editor’s note: League Network members can use our content to use in their own communications. Just credit us (“Credit: leaguenetwork.com”) and let us know!