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National Team Manager Day – November 6, 2024

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What is National Team Manager Day?

National Team Manager Day takes place every year on November 6 and celebrates the unsung heroes and the glue that holds every team together: team managers. Regardless of their sport, league, or size, team managers are often overlooked and undervalued, but today we recognize the countless hours they spend making sure their team’s whole season runs smoothly and successfully, and all the work they put in acting as the liaison between coaches, parents, and players.

FlipGive

Here at National Today, we are thrilled to partner with FlipGive to bring you National Team Manager Day in both the U.S. and Canada on November 6. The free app, launched in 2016, has transformed the way youth sports teams across North America raise money. FlipGive has devised partnerships with hundreds of national brands to provide cash back from purchases made through its platform. That way, teams earn money when they shop with their favorite brands for groceries, gas, clothes, equipment, meals out, travel and more.

“We have only scratched the surface of what is possible in the world of team sport and club fundraising,” says FlipGive co-founder and CEO Mark Bachman. So far over 35,000 teams and clubs have used the app to raise $20 million through everyday purchases at favorite retailers and restaurants. The list include Apple, Under Armour, Walmart, Home Depot, Nike, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

FlipGive Makes the Process Simple with These Three Steps:

Create your team (see $20 bonus offer below)
Invite your teammates
Shop (either in store or online)

You can also earn by using FlipGive to plan team events and even accept donations.

The Search for FlipGive’s “Team Manager of the Year”

Who’s America’s best youth sports team manager? Perhaps she (or he) is managing your team! FlipGive is on a mission to find the three top team managers who (literally) go the extra mile to help their teams succeed on and off the field. Do you know one who’s not only an organizational wizard, but juggles multiple balls in the air at once (no pun intended) and always ensures your team has everything needed to succeed? Submit the nomination form between November 1 and November 30. Create a glowing description of your team manager in 100 words or less. FlipGive will award three winners $1,000 each for their team!

FlipGive Bonus Offer

The app includes a special deal for National Team Manager Day: If you sign up and create a team before November 30, 2019, you’ll receive a $20 bonus. Read on to learn more about all the ways FlipGive can help your team and, most importantly, your kids!

National Team Manager Day Related Holidays

National Coaches Day

Working hand in hand with team managers everywhere, coaches are super influential and important to the development of athletes in every sport. National Coaches Day celebrates all the work, wisdom, and patience these critical team members use everyday.

National Student-Athlete Day

Whether they’re in youth soccer or a major Division 1 school, student-athletes are by and large the largest athletic demographic in the US. And, naturally, team managers and student-athletes work together constantly. While today we may be celebrating how managers help catapult student-athletes to success, National Student-Athlete Day is about all the hard work and dedication these kids show.

American Football Day

American Football Day requires equipment, space, and massive teams of a variety of athletes. Naturally, team managers are critical to their success. American Football Day is a celebration of everything related to the pigskin and the gridiron.

>> Full List of Holidays in November

History of National Team Manager Day

Whether they’re raising funds for their local basketball team, or making sure that all the travel and lodging arrangements for an out-of-town soccer tournament are taken care of, team managers have a long history of being the organizational linchpins that allow head coaches and athletes to shine. Without their efforts there would be no rosters or league schedules, let alone travel budgets, playbook or practice organization, and facility rentals.

In scholastic sports, the role of team manager is often filled by fellow students. The youngsters aid the team with practice, coordinate the care of their uniforms, and fulfill other support roles all in an effort to help the team focus on the play on the field. Coaches rely on these managers to keep their organizations running smoothly.

Similarly, parents often serve as team managers for recreational sport leagues, organizing fundraising, handling practice and game logistics, and sometimes managing travel expenses and booking. They are an important resource for the leagues and often help coaches coordinate all of the team’s off-field needs.

Team managers have always been prominent figures in nearly every sport, whether it’s local youth hockey, select soccer, or high school swimming. Because of that, they play a key role in making sure the needs of athletes, parents, and coaches are taken care of and have everything they need to be successful. On this holiday, it’s time to make sure that those who take care of everyone else on the field, are taken care of themselves.

National Team Manager Day timeline

1888

The creation of the AAU

The Amateur Athletic Union was created in 1888 by James E. Sullivan, establishing itself as one of the most influential amateur sports leagues in the United States.

1923

AAU starts sponsoring championships for women

The inclusion of women into the sporting lexicon has created more opportunities for team managers throughout history to make sure that all youth athletes have the resources they need to succeed.

2016

FlipGive is Launched

FlipGive - a team funding platform, launched as Canada's first B Corporation; a certification that requires companies meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability in their pursuit of maximizing profit and purpose.

August

Little League World Series

Team managers are an integral part to every successful Little League World series, let alone making sure they have a strong showing at the World Series.

September

High School Football Season Starts

High school football season is a very busy time for team managers, who are often still locking down practice times, fundraising, transportation to away games, and much more.

November 6, 2019

National Team Manager Day is Founded .

FlipGive and National Today teamed up to create National Team Manager Day on November 6, to recognize the major role team managers play in helping ensure their teams’ seasons run smoothly and successfully.

National Team Manager Day - Survey Results

Flipgive National Team Manager Day Survey

National Team Manager Day FAQs

What is a team manager in youth sports?

Team managers help league sports teams function smoothly and perform much of the wizardry behind the scenes. The role of the team manager is to help alleviate some of the workload on the coaches by handling, or delegating some of the smaller tasks associated with organizing the team and serving as a line of communication between the club registrar and the parents.

The team manager, in some cases, is a mother or father who assists the coaches with dozens of organizational details central to the team’s smooth functioning. The manager maintains regular communication with fellow parents; collects registration forms and fundraising receipts; organizes road trips; contacts opposing coaches for game confirmations; and performs other duties, large and small.

What does a team manager for a high school sports team do?

Some high school sports team managers’ are as simple as setting up cones and pads for drills and passing out water. At some schools, team managers tape ankles and input data into computers. Regardless of the depth of responsibilities, most student managers put in just as much time as those that actually compete and are crucial to the success of the team.

What is a team manager in professional sports?

For professional teams, sports team managers work with coaches and trainers to be sure each athlete has the training resources he needs to be the best at his position.

National Team Manager Day Activities

Thank a team manager!
National team manager day is a great time to stop and thank a team's manager for all the help and hard work they dedicate to the club and making sure the season runs smoothly - whether it's a year-long sport or just an off-season club.
Volunteer to pitch in!
Team managers take on so much. They might appreciate having a helping hand. Maybe you could organize the next team social or figure out where the team should grab a bite after the next tournament game.
Join a team!
If you're not already on a team, join one! Team managers need to fill rosters so the team always has enough personnel to not have to worry about forfeitures. By joining a team, you not only put yourself in a position to get in great shape and grow as a person, but also help out team managers by filling in empty spots.

Why We Love National Team Manager Day

They're the unsung heroes
Team managers are typically the unsung heroes. They do the dirty work to keep a team going without any of the credit that the coaches get, or (obviously) the glory the athletes earn. Yet, they're just as much a part of the team's fabric and success, making sure that if an athlete needs uniforms, water, equipment, or a place to practice they have it.
They hold the team together
That being said, team managers are the glue that holds the team together. They're that special someone taking care of the small details that propel a team from more than just a coach and an athlete to a full operation with a schedule, itinerary, and a complete roster. They're the glue that binds coaches, parents, and athletes as one unit.
They go above and beyond
Because team managers typically spend most of their time in the background making sure everything goes smoothly, they often go above and beyond the line of duty to make sure the team, its players and personnel, all get what they need and when they need it, often without enough recognition - except for today.