Team Parent Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

So… Do I have to be a mom?

NOPE! Each team would be excited to have any parent mom or dad volunteer their time and be the team parent!

 What is expected of the team parent?

 At a minimum the team parent would be responsible for food table charts/assignment in addition to creating a team board, coordinating blocks of hotel rooms (when needed, such as for Regionals), coordinating preorder of tournament shirts, learning how to use AES (Advanced Event Systems) (Big South uses Sport Wrench), sharing pertinent information with your team, disseminating information as requested by the coach, coordinating team building activities, and a year end party (to include coaches’ gift).

 What is a food table?

 Some tournaments allow you to bring food for your team. You will be responsible for assigning your players' parents with different food items to bring to the tournaments for the food table. Feel free to download our free food table chart. *some tournaments do not allow food tables, check AES for tournament specifics. 

What is a team board?

Do you remember the science fair? When you set up your food table, you should consider having a team board. Team boards can be as simple or as creative as you would like. Generally you would want your team name, pictures of your players and coaches, and maybe even a team picture. Just set the team board up on your team food table... TaDa! All done! Just use the same board throughout the season.

 Looking for a user-friendly way to disseminate information?

 Try GroupMe. It’s available on both Apple and Android devices for FREE! Make sure to have a player/parent contact list available when setting this up.

 I have ton of pictures and want to share them with my team, suggestions?

 Yes! Shutterfly has sharesites. You can set up a team page for free. Sharesites allows everyone to share all of their pictures there for free! You can also download the free app on your mobile device.  

 I received an email about shirts, do I need to order them?

 No. Tournament shirts are optional. However, some tournaments do allow teams to pre-order them. You would be responsible for coordinating shirt orders to include sizes, colors, and money. Don’t worry if you choose not to order them in advance; they are usually available at the event.

 Do I need to block off hotel rooms?

 Unless your team is asking for you to do this you do not need to. When a tournament is a Stay-&-Play then you are required to use specific hotels. You will be notified in advance if this is the case. Usually there are only 2 tournaments that fall in that category; Regionals & Big South. So, for your normal tournaments you are off the hook, and it’s up to the individual families to make their own arrangements.

What is a friendship tournament?

 A friendship tournament is where teams exchange gifts when they do their handshake before they play their game. The Southern Classic is a friendship tournament. The club may coordinate ordering gifts, however, there will be additional small cost to the parents. Teams will also get together to put their gift bags together.

 Can I prepay for my tournament entries?

 Yes and No… Big South and Regionals allow pre-purchasing of tickets. As a team parent, you will be responsible for compiling a list of tickets needed (adult/child) and the cost per family, and finally collecting that money.

What is and how do I use Advanced Event Systems (AES)?

If you are at an event and trying to find what court you plan on and when? Use Advanced Event Systems - this is the best way to stay up to date on the time, court, pool, and playoff information on game day. Some information can be available as early as a week prior to your event. AES also has a great mobile app "AES Xpress" available for $1.99. 

Navigating AES:

• Click on SCHEDULE (lower middle section) and choose the tournament for that weekend.

• On the next page you can choose to narrow things down by club, age groups, etc.  Click on the appropriate club or age group selection.

• The next page will show you all the teams that are playing that day.  Click on your team.

• This will show you your Play Schedule and your Work (officiating/scorekeeping) Schedule. *All players will need to stay for officiating responsibilities - a team starts and finishes together.

With the Advanced Event Systems (AES) tournament directors are able to input scores which allows parents to see future play times and dates. The systems is continuously updated.

Don’t see your question here… send us an email at [email protected]