At fifteen and up, you have teenagers with jobs, driving abilities, and nothing to do on Saturday afternoons. Some of them will volunteer to help you run practice if you ask. You’ve probably never asked.
Who they are Not current players. You don’t want that dynamic. Former players who’ve aged out. Older siblings of current players. Teammates who’ve quit but still want to be around the sport. They’re not getting paid. They’re getting fed, a shirt, and the authority to run a drill.
What they do Each volunteer owns one station. Not the whole practice. One drill. One group. Two rotations a practice. They show up thirty minutes early, set up their space, and run the same thing every week. You don’t have to think about it. They do.
The commitment One season. That’s the ask. “We need you Tuesday and Thursday, four-thirty to five-thirty, for twelve weeks.” Some will do it. Not all. Not even most. But some will.
The setup Write it down. Send them the drill. Give them the progression. Monday night they get an email: “This week we’re working footwork. Here’s the sequence.” They show up, they run it. You’re somewhere else teaching technique.
The culture piece This is where former players re-enter the program. This is where you build depth. This is where a fifteen-year-old sees what happens when you stay connected. You’re not selling them. You’re showing them.
What you get Four extra drills every practice you don’t have to run. Time to work with your advanced players. A pipeline of college players who understand your system when you recruit them.
It costs nothing. You just have to ask.