July Athletic Director Newsletter: What to Communicate

July is the last quiet month before fall athletics takes over. Preseason starts in August for most sports, which means July is when families need to take action: schedule physicals, pick up equipment, and lock in schedules. Your July newsletter is the signal that game time is approaching.

Final Sports Physical Deadline Push

If physicals are due before the first day of fall practice, July is your last chance to reach families who have not submitted documentation yet. State the deadline clearly, repeat the submission process, and if possible include the number of athletes who have already completed this step. Coaches often know their roster gaps. Coordinating with head coaches so they can follow up directly with individual families is worth doing this month.

Fall Sports Schedule Release

July is typically when fall game and match schedules become available. Include a complete schedule or link to where one lives on your website. Organize by sport and include home versus away designations. Families use this to plan work schedules, child care, and travel around games. A schedule posted in July is used all season. One posted in September is used for maybe two weeks before it needs updating.

Preseason Practice Start Dates

Confirm the first day of practice for each fall sport. For football, this is often a mandatory multi-day preseason that starts before school. Cross country and volleyball typically begin within the same window. List the date, time, location, and what athletes should bring. If there is a parent meeting concurrent with or shortly before the first practice, include that date as well.

Equipment Distribution

Football, hockey, lacrosse, and other equipment-heavy sports have distribution processes that need to be communicated clearly. Include dates, times, locations, and what athletes need to bring, typically a signed form, a completed physical, and sometimes a deposit. If equipment will be distributed on a sport-by-sport basis over multiple days, give the full schedule so families do not show up on the wrong day.

Mandatory Parent Meetings

Many programs hold a mandatory parent information meeting before the season starts. Cover what the meeting will include, who needs to attend, and what happens if a family cannot make the scheduled date. Some coaches require a parent or guardian signature on a conduct or commitment form at this meeting. Families need advance notice to make arrangements to attend.

Heat Acclimatization and Safety Protocols

August preseason falls in the hottest part of summer in most of the country. A short note in your July newsletter about your district's heat protocols shows families that you take athlete safety seriously. Cover what happens if the heat index exceeds practice thresholds, how you communicate weather-related schedule changes, and what athletes should bring to stay hydrated. This section can be brief, but its presence matters.

Sample July Newsletter Excerpt

Here is a template section you can adapt:

"Fall preseason begins August 4 for football and August 11 for all other fall sports. Sports physicals must be submitted to the athletic office by July 31. Football equipment distribution is July 28 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM in the field house. A mandatory parent meeting for all fall sport athletes will be held August 3 at 6:30 PM in the main gymnasium."

Keeping It Action-Oriented

The July newsletter should read like a checklist. Families who are engaged with athletics want to know exactly what they need to do and by when. Lead with deadlines, follow with dates, and make sure every action item has a clear next step. Daystage lets you format this as a structured list or date block, which is much easier to act on than a block of prose. The goal of July communication is not to inform. It is to get families ready.