Best Practices to Level Up Your YESS Score

Transportation

  • Name a carpool coordinator in each team chat; default to carpools for away games.

  • Create pickup hubs (school lot/park-and-ride) to reduce solo trips.

  • Schedule smarter: cluster scrimmages to cut cross-town trips.

  • Post a “Who’s driving?” prompt in the lineup message before each game.

  • For local travel, encourage biking/walking if routes are safe and time allows.

  • Once per season, do a travel audit: how many miles could be avoided next month?

Waste Management

  • Make refillable bottles the team norm; include this in season-start reminders.

  • Set up clearly labeled recycling and compost bins at games and practices.

  • Bring portable bins and laminated signage if the venue doesn’t provide them.

  • Do a quick “end-of-day sweep” to ensure fields and benches are left waste-free.

  • Coordinate with facility managers to confirm pickup schedules and reduce contamination.

Energy Efficiency

  • Keep lights off until warm-up and add a “first-in, last-out” energy checklist for coaches.

  • Encourage facilities to install LED bulbs and motion sensors in low-traffic areas.

  • Hold meetings in naturally lit spaces whenever possible.

  • Share a short energy policy line in the season welcome email:
    “Lights on only when needed; doors closed for HVAC efficiency.”

  • Track how often your team trains in daylight to measure energy savings.

Team & Player Actions

  • Hold a 10-minute kickoff conversation about your team’s sustainability goals.

  • Send one weekly reminder or challenge in the team chat (e.g., “Carpool check-in”).

  • Designate eco-roles like Bottle Captain, Bin Buddy, or Shade Scout.

  • Host a zero-waste snack day once per month; celebrate with a photo.

  • Rotate mini-lessons from coach/parents on heat safety, recycling, or travel impact before practice.

Community Engagement

  • Host a volunteer cleanup or restoration day at a park or field.

  • Organize gear donation and reuse drives each season.

  • Partner with local environmental nonprofits or parks departments.

  • Publicly recognize volunteers and share photos to inspire others.

  • Combine community service with team bonding — like cleanup + scrimmage days.

Climate Readiness

  • Adopt and share written guidelines for both heat and air quality.

  • Create a shade plan (tents, trees, or alternate fields).

  • Implement cooling stations with ice towels and extra water.

  • Include AQI and temperature app links in team chats at season start.

  • Adjust schedules proactively when alerts are issued — don’t wait for cancellations.

*A “zero-waste snack policy” would aim to minimize food waste by encouraging the purchase and consumption of snacks with minimal packaging, prioritizing reusable containers, and promoting practices like buying in bulk, choosing unpackaged when possible and composting food scraps whenever applicable; essentially focusing on reducing single-use packaging and maximizing the reuse of containers to divert waste from landfills.