The Preseason Checklist Every Basketball Coach Needs

Every fall the same thing happens. Tryouts are a couple weeks away, and suddenly there are a hundred things to do. Physicals. Uniform counts. Gym schedules. Parent emails. A practice plan for day one. And somewhere in there you are also supposed to be thinking about what kind of team you want to be.

I teach full-time, so I have learned the hard way that if I do not get organized early, the season starts running me instead of the other way around. This is the checklist I work through every preseason. Steal it, change it, make it yours.

Paperwork and Logistics

None of this is exciting, but all of it can derail your first week if it is not done.

• Physicals and eligibility. Confirm with your athletic office what every player needs on file before they can step on the floor. Do not let a kid sit out the first practice because a form was missing.
• Emergency contacts and medical info. Know who has asthma, allergies or a past injury. Keep it somewhere you can reach it during practice.
• Gym schedule. Lock down practice times with your AD and the other teams sharing the gym. Surprises here cost you whole practices.
• Game schedule and transportation. Know your dates, bus times and any tournaments before parents start asking.
• Equipment. Count balls, pinnies, cones and uniforms. Pump up every basketball. Order what is missing now, not the week of the first game.

People

Your staff

Meet with your assistants before tryouts. Talk about philosophy, roles, how you want players corrected and how you will communicate as a staff. I cover this in more detail in How to Get Your Coaching Staff on the Same Page Before the Season.

Your athletic director

A short check-in with your AD goes a long way. Ask what they expect, what policies have changed and how they want parent concerns handled. Building that relationship before there is a problem makes the problems easier later.

Your returning players

Talk to your returners before tryouts start, especially your seniors. Let them know what you expect from them as leaders. They set the tone for every new player who walks in.

Parents

Schedule your preseason parent meeting and decide what you will cover. A clear meeting up front heads off a lot of frustration in January. Here is what I would include: What to Cover in Your Preseason Parent Meeting.

Tryouts

• Write down what you are evaluating. Skill, effort, coachability, communication. Use the same sheet for every player.
• Plan every minute. Disorganized tryouts send the wrong message about your program.
• Decide how you will share results. Know the when and how before the first day, and tell players up front.
• Plan for cuts. If you have to cut players, decide now how you will do it with respect. See How to Handle Roster Cuts With Respect.

If you want a deeper dive on running tryouts, Mastering the Basketball Tryout walks through it.

Practice Planning

Do not try to plan the whole season in October. But you should have a few things ready:

• A detailed plan for the first week of practice
• A rough install order for offense and defense through the first game
• Your core drills, and what each one is meant to teach
• A plan for conditioning that fits into practice instead of replacing it

For the first week specifically, I laid out my approach in How to Plan Your First Week of Practice.

Culture and Identity

This is the part that gets skipped because it does not have a deadline. It matters more than anything else on the list.

• Write down your non-negotiables. Three to five, in plain language.
• Decide what you will celebrate. Effort plays, charges, extra passes, whatever defines your team.
• Pick your team language. The handful of words and phrases you will use every day.
• Think about your defensive identity. What do you want opponents to say after they play you?

I am at a program right now that needs direction, and this section has been the most important part of my preseason. Paperwork gets you on the floor. Culture decides what happens once you are there.

Yourself

Last item, and it is easy to skip. Before the season eats your schedule, decide how you are going to protect some time for yourself and your family. Block a day off each week if you can. Figure out when you will grade papers. Coaches who plan for the grind handle it a lot better than coaches who just hope for the best.

Get Organized, Then Get to Work

A preseason checklist will not win you games. But it clears the noise so you can spend your energy on what actually does: teaching, building relationships and developing players. Knock out the logistics early, and you will walk into the first practice focused on basketball instead of missing forms.

If you want ready-made templates for tryout evaluations, parent letters and first-week practice plans, they are all inside Underdog Hoops University.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a basketball coach do before the season starts?

Handle paperwork and logistics, meet with your staff and athletic director, plan tryouts and the first week of practice, schedule a parent meeting and define your team’s non-negotiables and culture.

How far ahead should coaches plan for the season?

Start logistics at least three to four weeks before tryouts. Have the first week of practice planned in detail and a rough install order through the first game, then plan the rest week by week.

What equipment does a basketball team need for the preseason?

At minimum, enough inflated basketballs for every player, pinnies, cones, a whistle, a first aid kit and uniforms counted and sized before the first game.