Spring Sports Fundraising Starts Before the Season

Spring Sports Fundraising Starts Before the Season

Helping Middle Tennessee coaches prepare their programs and develop their athletes.

Spring sports preparation begins long before the first game. Coaches are thinking about rosters, practice schedules, equipment, uniforms, and travel. Behind those plans is an important question:

How will we fund what our athletes need?

November is an opportunity to start that conversation. Planning now gives coaches, athletic directors, and booster leaders time to identify priorities, work through approvals, and choose a fundraising approach that fits their program.

Through 44 Sports Network, part of 44 Sports Connect, we connect coaches with resources that support their teams. One of those resources is Fundraising University, where I serve as a Fundraising Coach for Middle Tennessee.

Start With the Need

Before choosing a fundraiser, define what your team is working toward.

Does your program need new equipment? Help with tournament travel? Uniforms? Support for a special project?

A specific purpose gives everyone a clearer direction. “Help us support our team” is a starting point. Explaining what the funds will make possible gives athletes and supporters something concrete to understand.

Ask three questions:

• What does our team need?

• What will it cost?

• When do we need the funds available?

Those answers help shape the goal and the calendar.

Protect Time for Coaching

Coaches already carry responsibilities beyond practices and games. Teaching, planning, communicating with parents, and supporting athletes all require attention.

Fundraising needs a clear place in that schedule.

When considering an approach, look beyond the percentage your team keeps. Ask how much work falls on the coach, what support is included, how long the campaign runs, and what your program could realistically bring in after costs.

The goal is to make a sound decision for your team’s time, needs, and community.

Through Fundraising University, our mission is to help programs raise more in less time with less interference to coaching. As your Fundraising Coach, I work alongside you through the process—from planning and preparation through the campaign’s completion.

Build Leadership Into the Process

Fundraising can give athletes an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than their individual performance.

With intentional coaching, it becomes a place to practice:

Ownership: Understanding what the team needs and accepting a role in helping.

Accountability: Preparing, following through, and completing agreed responsibilities.

Communication: Explaining the team’s purpose clearly, asking respectfully, and thanking supporters.

Teamwork: Working toward a shared goal and encouraging one another along the way.

These lessons take guidance. Coaches can help athletes connect their actions to the equipment they use, the trips they take, and the opportunities they receive.

From a biblical perspective, this is also an opportunity to teach stewardship—caring for what has been entrusted to us and using it responsibly.

Give Your Fundraiser a Place on the Calendar

For spring teams, a useful planning target is to run the fundraiser after tryouts and before the first game, when practical. That allows the roster to participate and helps keep fundraising from competing with the demands of the season.

The conversation and approval process can begin earlier.

Before selecting dates, consider:

• Your school’s fundraising approval process.

• Tryouts and roster decisions.

• School breaks and testing.

• Other team or school campaigns.

• When equipment orders or travel payments are due.

Booster leaders, coaches, and administrators may each have a role. Bringing the right people into the conversation early helps everyone understand the purpose and next steps.

Find the Right Fit for Your Program

Every school and team has a different situation. Some have an established fundraising strategy. Others are looking for a more organized approach.

A conversation can help identify whether Fundraising University could serve as one part of that strategy—for a season’s needs, a particular team, or a special project.

My starting point is to learn about your program: what you are building, what your athletes need, and where fundraising support could be useful.

That reflects the heart of 44 Sports Network: building the right team around the athlete.

Let’s Plan for Your Spring Season

Middle Tennessee coaches, athletic directors, and booster leaders: If you are preparing for spring sports, I would welcome a brief conversation about your fundraising goals.

Let’s explore an approach that supports your program, respects your time, and gives athletes an opportunity to grow through shared responsibility.

Tyler Lennon Fundraising Coach | Middle TennesseeFundraising University tlennon@fundraisingu.net https://fundraisingu.net

44 Sports Connect | 44 Sports Network

Develop the Athlete • Build the Right Team • Pursue the Dream https://www.44sportsconnect.com

Helping Coaches Focus on Coaching—and Athletes Grow Through the Process

Coaches across Middle Tennessee carry a tremendous responsibility. They are not only preparing athletes to compete; they are building culture, teaching discipline, communicating with families, managing schedules, and helping young people grow. On top of all that, many coaches are also expected to raise the money their programs need.

Fundraising is important, but it can take valuable time and energy away from coaching. That is why I am grateful to serve as a Fundraising Coach and representative for Fundraising University in Middle Tennessee.

Through Fundraising University, I help school teams, athletic programs, clubs, and other organizations create a more organized and effective fundraising experience. The goal is straightforward: help programs raise the money they need in less time and with as little disruption as possible, so coaches can spend more time leading their teams.

This work also fits naturally with the mission of 44 Sports Connect: helping athletes grow in their faith and performance on and off the field while building the right team around their dreams.

Fundraising Should Support the Coach, Not Burden the Coach

Many coaches know what their programs need. The challenge is finding enough time to plan a fundraiser, motivate participants, communicate with parents, track progress, and manage all the details.

A well-supported fundraising system can help remove much of that burden. Instead of leaving the coach to figure everything out alone, Fundraising University provides guidance, structure, and hands-on support throughout the process.

Every team and community is different. That is why the first step is not simply choosing a product or launching a campaign. It is listening to the coach, understanding the program’s needs, and determining whether the fundraising approach is a good fit.

The right fundraiser should help a program:

• Meet important financial needs

• Protect the coach’s time and energy

• Create a clear plan for athletes and families

• Build participation and accountability

• Minimize disruption to practices and team activities

• Strengthen the culture surrounding the program

  
  

The money matters—but so does the way it is raised.

Fundraising Can Help Develop the Next Generation of Athletes

When student-athletes are invited to take ownership of a team goal, fundraising can become more than a necessary task. It can become a practical opportunity for growth.

Athletes learn that worthwhile goals require commitment. They practice communicating with others, following through, handling discomfort, and doing their part for the good of the team. These are not only fundraising skills. They are life skills.

A positive fundraising experience can help athletes develop:

• Ownership: Understanding that they have a role in helping the team succeed

• Accountability: Following through on commitments and responsibilities

• Confidence: Learning to communicate clearly and respectfully

• Teamwork: Working toward a shared goal instead of focusing only on themselves

• Perseverance: Continuing when the process feels uncomfortable or challenging

• Leadership: Influencing teammates through attitude, effort, and example

• Gratitude: Recognizing the support of families, schools, and the local community

  
  

Young athletes need opportunities to build these qualities. Sports provide a powerful training ground, and fundraising can support that development when it is approached with purpose.

Why Mindset Matters in Fundraising and Sports

Mindset affects how athletes respond to pressure, adversity, mistakes, and responsibility. The same is true during a fundraiser.

Some athletes may hesitate because they fear hearing “no.” Others may compare themselves with teammates or become discouraged when results do not come quickly. With the right encouragement, these moments can teach athletes to focus on what they can control: their preparation, attitude, effort, communication, and response.

This is the heart of a growth mindset. Instead of viewing a challenge as proof that they cannot do something, athletes learn to see it as an opportunity to improve.

That lesson transfers directly to competition and life. An athlete who learns to respond well during a fundraiser can also learn to respond better after a strikeout, missed shot, difficult practice, disappointing performance, or unexpected setback.

Fundraising does not replace mental performance training, but it can reinforce many of the same habits: preparation, discipline, resilience, confidence, and consistent action.

Serving Schools and Sports Programs Across Middle Tennessee

As the Fundraising University representative for Middle Tennessee, I want to build genuine relationships with coaches and learn about their programs before recommending a solution. My role is to help coaches determine whether Fundraising University is the right fit and then support them through the fundraising process.

I serve programs throughout the Middle Tennessee area, including Spring Hill, Columbia, Franklin, Brentwood, Lewisbug, and surrounding communities. I welcome conversations with high school coaches, middle school programs, colleges, club teams, travel organizations, and other athletic groups.

My desire is not simply to help a team complete another fundraiser. I want to help coaches strengthen their programs, reduce unnecessary stress, and create experiences that positively influence the next generation of athletes.

Let’s Talk About Your Program

If your team or organization in Middle Tennessee has upcoming financial needs, I would be glad to learn more about your goals, your current fundraising challenges, and what would serve your program best.

There is no pressure—just a conversation to see whether we may be a good fit for one another.

Tyler Lennon

Founder, 44 Sports Connect

Fundraising Coach and Middle Tennessee Representative, Fundraising University

www.44sportsconnect.com

www.fundraisingu.net

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