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Parent Coach Playbook

Tools · Season calendar

Twelve months. Pick the shape that fits.

There isn't one calendar. There are about five real shapes. Single-season rec. School-sport season. Year-round club. Discipline practice. Hybrid stack. Pick the one that looks like your kid's year.

Phase 2: stack builder. Pick multiple, see them overlaid, find your conflict windows. Coming.

Basketball · Travel/club · National

AAU basketball 12U — year-round travel

AAU 12U travel basketball. Practice runs October through August. Tournament season is March through July. There is no real off-season unless you make one.

Year-round, with peak Mar–Jul

Volleyball · Travel/club · National

Club volleyball 14s — national qualifier track

USAV Junior Volleyball, 14U. National-bid track. Tryouts in November, season runs January through July, with regional and national qualifiers as the season's anchor.

Nov–Jul, with summer off Aug–Oct

Dance · Travel/club · National

Dance studio year — competition + recital cycle

Competition dance studio with a year-end recital. Class registration in August, choreography sets in fall, competition season runs February through May, recital in June, summer intensives in July.

Aug–Jun, with summer intensives in Jul

Basketball · School · National

HS basketball, winter season — boys

Boys high school basketball in winter. Tryouts in November, regular season December through February, playoffs in February and March. AAU owns April through July.

Nov–Mar, with AAU Apr–Jul

Football — Tackle · School · PNW

HS football, fall season — Pacific Northwest

Washington and Oregon high school football. Aug practice opens, Week 1 is the Friday after Labor Day, playoffs run November. The off-season is where the next year is built.

Aug–Nov, with off-season strength Dec–Jul

Lacrosse — Boys · School · National

HS lacrosse, spring season — boys

Boys high school lacrosse in spring. Practice opens late February or early March, regular season is March through May, playoffs in May and June. Club ball owns the summer.

Mar–May/Jun, with club summer Jun–Aug

Soccer · School · National

HS soccer, fall season — boys

Boys high school soccer in fall. Practice opens mid-August, district games run September through October, playoffs and state through November. The off-season is club ball for most kids.

Aug–Nov, with off-season Dec–Jul

Baseball · Rec · National

Little League rec baseball — spring season

Spring rec baseball through Little League International. Practices start in March, games run April through June, postseason in late June. Optional fall ball for the kids who want more.

Mar–Jun, with optional fall ball Sep–Oct

Soccer · Elite/showcase · National

Year-round club soccer — ECNL track (girls)

ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) girls soccer. Year-round commitment with regional league play, national showcase events, and ECNL Playoffs/National Championship. The standard pre-college pipeline for girls soccer in the US.

Year-round, Aug–Jul

Gymnastics · Travel/club · National

Year-round gymnastics — Levels 3-7

USAG Junior Olympic Program, Levels 3-7. Year-round training. Competition season runs January through April with state and regional championships. Off-season is structural skill development.

Year-round, with peak Jan–Apr