Post-Season

By Ben, Founder of GoCoach · 19 seasons coaching his three kids’ teams · Updated June 11, 2026

Closing out the season the right way

After your flag football season ends, you need to: return gear to the league, send thank-you notes to parents and league organizers, and optionally send individual feedback to parents whose kids showed growth. During the off-season, forward camp and clinic information to interested families. Take time to reflect on what worked so you're ready for next year.

Every league is different. Gear return deadlines, drop-off locations, and procedures vary. Read and follow your league's specific instructions.

1. Return Your Gear

Your league will send instructions on when and where to return equipment. This typically includes footballs, cones, the whistle, flags, and jerseys. Follow their instructions carefully.

Common steps:

  • Collect jerseys from all players (remind parents in your final message)
  • Count everything to make sure nothing is missing
  • Return gear by the deadline to the specified location

Tip: Collect jerseys at your final game or gathering if possible. Chasing down missing jerseys after the season is tedious. A quick reminder to parents the day before usually helps.

2. Thank-You Note to Parents

Within a few days of the season ending, send a message to all parents. Keep it genuine and brief.

What to include:

  • Thank them for trusting you with their kids
  • Acknowledge anyone who helped you coach (assistant coaches, parent volunteers)
  • Share a highlight or two from the season
  • Remind them to return jerseys if you haven't collected them yet

Sample email:

Email Template Subject: Thank You - What a Season! Hi everyone, I wanted to send a quick note to thank you all for an incredible season. Thank you for trusting me with your kids. Getting to coach this group was a privilege, and watching them grow as players and teammates made every practice worth it. A special thank you to [Assistant Coach Name] for all the help this season. Couldn't have done it without you. If you haven't already, please return your child's jersey to me or drop it off at [location] by [date]. I hope to see many of these kids back on the field next season. Until then, enjoy the break. Thanks again, [Your Name]

3. Thank-You Note to League Organizers

This one gets overlooked. The people who run your league put in significant time and effort to make the season happen. Send them a separate thank-you.

Yes, it's their job. But the opportunity to impact young kids wouldn't exist without them. A short note goes a long way.

Sample email:

Email Template Subject: Thank You for a Great Season Hi [Organizer Name], I wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything you do to make this league run. The schedules, the fields, the refs, the equipment. None of it happens without a lot of work behind the scenes. I had a great experience coaching this season, and the kids had a blast. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. Looking forward to next year. [Your Name]

This matters more than you think. League organizers deal with complaints all season.

4. Individual Player Feedback (Extra Credit)

This is optional but meaningful. If you saw a player make significant progress during the season, send their parents a short note about it.

What makes this valuable:

Parents see their kid at practice and games, but they don't always see the full picture. Specific feedback about growth lets them know their child's effort was noticed.

What to include:

  • Be specific about what improved (not just "they got better")
  • Mention a moment you observed that showed the growth
  • Keep it short. Two or three sentences is enough

Example:

Email Template Subject: Quick Note About [Child's Name] Hi [Parent Name], I wanted to share something I noticed this season. When [Child's Name] started, they were hesitant to go for flag pulls. By the end of the season, they were one of the most aggressive defenders on the team. That playoff game where they had three pulls in a row? That was no accident. They worked for it. Just wanted you to know. [Your Name]

Tip: You don't need to send these to every family. Pick the kids where you saw real growth. Forced or generic feedback is worse than no feedback.

5. Off-Season Resources

Some kids will want to keep developing between seasons. You can help by forwarding information about camps and clinics when you come across them.

What to share:

  • Local flag football camps
  • Skills clinics run by your league or nearby programs
  • General athletic development programs

You don't need to actively search for these. Just forward relevant opportunities when you see them. A quick "Saw this and thought some of you might be interested" is enough.

Keep it optional:

Not every family wants or can afford extra activities. Share information without pressure. Some kids will jump at it, others will take the break. Both are fine.

Next season signup:

Keep an eye out for when the league opens registration for the next season. When you see the announcement, forward it to your parents so families can register.

6. Reflect on Your Season

Take 15 minutes to write down what worked and what you'd do differently. You'll forget by next season if you don't.

Questions to consider:

  • Which drills worked best? Which fell flat?
  • What plays did your team run well? Which never clicked?
  • How did your rotation system work? Would you change it?
  • What would you say differently in your first parent email?
  • What do you wish you'd known at the start of the season?

Keep these notes somewhere you can find them. When you sign up to coach again, review them before your first practice.

Every season makes you better. The fact that you're reflecting means you care about improving. That puts you ahead of most coaches before you even start next year.

7. Find next year’s coach

Somebody is going to sit at the sign-up table next season the way you did, and think they can’t do it. You are now the person who can tell them otherwise.

Two minutes of work: in your thank-you email to parents, add a line asking who’s interested in helping or coaching next season. You’ll be surprised. Then send them this site.

Post-Season Checklist

Everything in one place. Check them off as you go.