Sports teams all over the world are required to travel from city to city in order to play games. It isn’t like high school where you only play surrounding school teams. In college, or in the big leagues like the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, or things of the like, there are a lot of men, women, and gear to be accounted for. Just how do you make traveling with a large sports team not only accessible, but easy and possibly even as inexpensive as possible? (Even though that’s obviously not the priority of sports leagues around the world.)Sports travel with your team an either be an extremely fun adventure or a complete disaster. Here is how to make it fun for everyone.
The answers are not always easy to find. When you have large quantities of people and gear that need to be transported across states and countries, there is a lot of planning that needs to be done. If you’re just beginning to travel with a sports team or you just need help managing the stress of it all, here are tips and tricks for getting the task done with ease:
Sports Travel – Tips and Tricks For How to Travel With a Team
Let the Airline Know You’re Coming
Obviously, the airline will know you’re coming when you book your tickets, but if you want to make traveling with a sports team easier, you’re going to want to call ahead and let the airline know. If you have a ton of gear to transport that look like shoulder pads and shoes and practice gear, you might have to show up considerably early and you might want to book with an airline that will give you assigned seating. If you’re in a hurry, you can seat your team near the front of the plane so they’re the first ones off.
Encourage R&R
When sports teams travel it’s a time of high excitement and high stress. There is a time to party and there is a time to be very serious. It’s about winning the game, not just playing the game. If you want your travels with a sports team to go smoothly, encourage the team to partake in R&R, or rest and relaxation as much as possible. When on the plane, have earplugs and eye masks so that sleep will actually ensue.
Travel can be hard on the mind and body, so when you’re traveling with a team and you’re in it to win it, take advantage of the rest and relaxation on the plane, because once those wheels hit the ground, it’s go time.
Be Strict
Large groups of men and women who are used to pumping themselves up and getting competitive on the field or court are usually the kinds of people that can cause a ruckus wherever they are. If you want to travel with ease, you’re going to have to be strict and enforce rules. Consider a no drinking policy, think about enforcing a no gossip policy as well. Strict policies off the field will lead to more focus at the time of the game.
The logistics of team travel would be something to learn over time. Taking a team of youngsters to another country to play a sport such as the Little League World Series in the U.S. would be a tough thing to do when you have never had any experience. Those are people that only do this once with no experience.