How to Design: Rosters and Coaches Pages
In this series we have broken down the essential pages in a media guide that you will need to design. We’ve supplied a how-to guide for each page complete with what information you will need, where to place design elements and an example photo. You certainly don’t have to follow our recommendations but if you’re not sure where to start this will give you some inspiration.
Celebrate the people behind your program
Rosters
Rosters are one of the most important aspects of a media guide because they allow readers to know who is who on the field and they give each player a little spotlight. Most rosters have the following player information:
First and Last Name
Number
Position
Graduation Year
Teams may add Height, Weight, Years on Varsity etc. but those are all optional. If you do not have headshots of the players, a single roster page will do. A single roster page has all the players and their info listed in spreadsheet style with column titles up at the top (“number, name, position, etc.) and then listed player information below. Always order by jersey number rather than name, this is so players can be identified easily at games.
If you have headshots your roster will span several pages as the headshots will take up more room on the page. Each player on the team will get a box-sized space with the headshot taking up the left side and their player information on the right side. Make sure these boxes (we call them “Roster Cards”) have plenty of space so text can be seen clearly and you don’t have to cram them onto the page. It’s completely fine to have 4-5 pages for your roster. Parents will enjoy seeing their kid as more than just a listed name on a page. If you want a quick, easy to read, roster in addition to the headshot roster, include a single page no photo roster that we mentioned above. Parents can see photos of their kid while also having easy access to player information.
Coaches List
The coaches dedicate a lot of time and effort into the program and are typically the ones establishing your team’s culture. It’s important to dedicate a few pages to give them recognition. To create an engaging Coaches Page you will need each coach’s full name, headshot, coaching title and short bio (optional but highly encouraged.)
Similar to the headshot roster, you will want to dedicate a rectangle sized section to each coach. On the left side of the rectangle you will put the coach’s headshot and on the right side you will list their name, coaching position and copy and paste their short bio. Allow the bio to span across the page so that you have enough space for text. If you do not have a bio for each coach you may put just their headshots on the page with name and positional title beneath.
