There’s no greater and more satisfying feat than joining a league—especially if your team comes from humble beginnings. While some prefer to remain a grassroots club, others might dream of competing at a higher level. If you’re in the latter camp, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re a group of passionate footballers with worthy skills and a commitment to playing professional footie, searching for these opportunities could be exactly what you need to get the exposure and recognition you deserve.
But once the initial buzz has died down, you might stop and think, ‘Where on earth do we begin?’ Joining a league is not a case of sending an email and claiming that your club has got the composure of Rodri or players that could outpace Mbappé—it’s about doing your due diligence just like you would source sites reviewed by the experts if you were looking for the top UK online casinos.
If you need a quick walkthrough on how to join a league, these six steps are the perfect place to start.
Step 1: Figure out what leagues are available
Depending on where your club is based and how high you’re aiming, you’ll want to research the league that might be a good fit. If you’re thinking locally, research community-level or regional leagues. If you’re shooting for a national league, your search will be much more complicated, as you’ll come across higher performance standards and qualifications. This first step is all about doing your homework and, most importantly, being self-aware. You don’t want to shoot for the stars if you only have the capabilities and commitment for a lower league. Above all, be sure that the leagues you’re thinking of joining match up with your players’ needs and values.
Step 2: Ask yourself, ‘Is the club ready?’
The prospect of joining a league can be exciting, but it’s easy to quickly get carried away. As stated in step one, you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew. Your club needs to be ready, even if you’re joining a local amateur league. Do you have enough players for a full team? What about substitutions? Is everyone at the same skill level, or do certain folks need more training?
Most importantly, is everyone ready to up their commitment to practice, play in matches, and potentially travel? Leagues will also often have associated costs to join, including season registration fees. All things considered, you’ll need to have the right level of readiness to be successful as a league club.
Step 3: Contact the league organisers
Once you’ve officially narrowed down your options and chosen a couple of leagues, it’s time to contact the organisers. Even though you might have your sights set on one in particular, it’s a smarter strategy to reach out to several leagues to get a feel for them and compare them. Not all leagues will accept your club or have the availability to, which means the more you diversify your options (without going overboard, of course), the better your chances of finding an ‘in.’ When contacting any league, always stay professional. You don’t want to copy and paste a generic message to each recipient. Instead, tailor each message to the league to show that you’re serious and take them seriously as well. When a league responds, they’ll usually provide all the relevant information about deadlines, league requirements, and the registration process, along with other rules and regulations.
Step 4: Making the jump and submitting an application
According to the email (or perhaps you’ve conducted in-person contact), you should gather all the documentation you need, fill out any forms provided, and include any important files you think will complement your application. Check and double-check that you’re submitting absolutely everything they require to avoid making a poor impression and a multitude of unnecessary follow-ups. The league will then review everything to determine if your club is eligible. In some cases, especially for more prestigious leagues or those on a national or even international scale, there will be meetings and interviews for further evaluation.
Step 5: Rally up and prep the club
In the best-case scenario, you’ll receive offers to join a few leagues. From there, you’ll select the one that you most align with and that players are most enthusiastic about. And, of course, there is more admin work to be done, including payment instructions, official registration, and information about the upcoming season. To get inducted into the league, your club will likely attend an orientation to meet stakeholders and potentially other teams in person. Internally, this is a good time to truly prepare your club for what’s to come. That means brushing up on tactics, preparing equipment for play, scheduling practice matches, and organising the team like never before.
Step 6: Participate, comply, and network
All that preparation will pay off in the final step—participating in the league as an official team. Other than actively competing in the games themselves, your team should engage with any events, go to training sessions, and showcase respect and compliance with the rules and values of the league. Coming across as competitive, tenacious, and always ready will help you build a strong and dedicated reputation that will go a long way when it comes to your future. Although you’ll develop new rivalries with other clubs, don’t forget to network to expand your team’s general opportunities and visibility in football.
