Help Center

Volunteers, snacks and carpools

The jobs somebody has to do on game day, asked for once instead of begged for every week.

Every team has the same three problems: who is bringing snacks, who is driving, and who is working the gate. These guides cover the thinking, which is how to ask for volunteers in a way people can say yes to, and the mechanics of jobs, signups, snack duty and carpools.

There are two different systems. Volunteer jobs need an approved volunteer, because they put an adult in a position of some responsibility. Snack duty and carpools are open to any family on the roster, with no approval at all.

Before you ask

How to get parents to volunteer Why the same four people do everything, and what actually changes it. Read guide

Running it

Create volunteer jobs Post a job on one event or twenty, then watch the slots fill. Read guide How families volunteer The approval step first, then claiming a slot and keeping track of it. Read guide

Game day

Snacks and carpools Who is bringing snacks, who is driving, and how to turn both off. Read guide

Common questions about volunteers

Why can't a parent claim a volunteer job?

Volunteer jobs need an approved volunteer. A parent who is not approved sees Apply to Volunteer, Request Pending or Not Approved in place of a Sign Up button. If you post jobs and nobody signs up, check first whether anybody has been approved yet.

Can I post the same job on every home game?

Yes. Add Job to Multiple Events creates one job on every event you check, with All Games and All Practices buttons to select by type, so you do not add it twelve times by hand.

How do snack duty and carpools work?

Snack duty is one claim per event, with a note of what the family is bringing. For carpools a driver offers a ride with up to ten seats, and other families take a seat for a named child. If a driver cancels the carpool, everybody booked into it is notified.

Can I turn snack duty or carpools off?

Yes. Both are checkboxes on the program and are on by default, and snack coordination can also be turned off for a single event, such as a practice.

How do I get more parents to volunteer?

Ask for a job, not for help: name the date, say how long it takes, and cut big jobs into small ones. Ask early, near registration, send the group message once and then ask the few who have not signed up by name, and make the gap visible. Offer tasks that do not happen at the field to families who cannot stand on a sideline.

All Help Center guides