- Announce the yearbook project with an e-mail blast
- Request action photos from all team moms
- Request yearbook orders online
What makes a Fantastic Yearbook?
Kids love yearbooks. It’s a fact. They read them at games. In the car. At night before bed. They tear pages. They fold them. They read the rosters. They read the notes. They just like yearbooks.
As parents, we struggle to understand why. And, then, as a yearbook volunteer, we struggle to understand what makes a good yearbook. Is it featuring the board? Is it an update from the president? Is it team photos?
The answer is simpler than we think. It boils down to two things: names and faces.
So, when we counsel parent volunteers about how run a project, we encourage simplicity. Cover two bases, and your league is assured to publish a fantastic yearbook.
Suggested Yearbook Content
- Team Rosters - a list of players on each team, with team name and coaches
- 20 Action Photos per team - useful to spread 4-6 on a team feature page and the rest on a division collage. So, if you have 20 teams, then you would collect (20 X 20 = 400 photos)
- Use team photos from league photographer - most league photographers will make team photos available to the league at no cost. This helps with the task of featuring every kid in the league at least one time.
- List of Board Members - features the folks that make your league possible, without giving up too much space on their behalf. Sprinkle in some action shots to spruce up the page.
- All Star Team rosters & team photos - feature the top performers in your league, who are arguably also the most recognizable faces around the fields. They help build legacy in your program through osmosis. The younger players will strive to be in this crowd.
- Sponsors - feature local businesses that contribute to your league with money or trade. This helps kick back value based on their contributions, and it build a relationship with the audience on behalf of the business.
How to Communicate with Team Moms about Yearbooks
Team moms, and any team volunteers for that matter, are busy. No doubt, this is not a paid position, so you can bet that any team mom you Communicate with has something more pressing and less confusing to deal with.
Make requests in one, legible sentence
Parent participation can happen automatically. It starts by minimizing volunteer decision making responsibilities. Provide simple messages that parent volunteer coordinators can forward to their team parents without confusion.
Here is a stellar example..
Attention Dodgers: We are required to provide team photos for the yearbook.
Upload photos here. If you do not upload any photos, we will not be included in the yearbook!
Thanks!
-Best Parent Volunteer Coordinator Ever
Set a deadline and follow up
Parents, YEARBOOK PHOTOS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY May 1, 2015. No exceptions.
Upload photos here. If you do not upload any photos, we will not be included in the yearbook!
Thanks!
-Best Parent Volunteer Coordinator Ever
