Here's a great way to increase the  community's awareness of your team, club or even your entire varsity sports program: enter a float in local parades.

The Santa Claus Parade and its counterparts held on other national holidays will allow you to display your athletes and programs in a positive, exciting and memorable atmosphere.

Setup
If you can borrow a flatbed truck or trailer you'll have a great base for your float. Many trucking companies are willing to lend their equipment for parades because of the publicity.

Then, set up an action-oriented float that displays your athletes in action. For example, your volleyball players could sit on the float and pass the ball over a small net, basketball players could perform Harlem Globetrotter-like ball-handling and dribbling drills, hockey players could stickhandle on the pavement around the float using in-line skates and full equipment. Runners could jog on borrowed treadmills. Football players could jog beside the float in formation, run passing plays etc.

Be sure you have a large sign highlighting your school and teams and make sure your athletes wear their competition uniforms and equipment.

You could even make your float part of a school-wide parade entry, including the school band, intramural programs and other interested groups.

Recruiting Tool
Another benefit of a float is that the primary audience at parades are young people, who may become inspired to join your program in the future.           

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com, updated, 2010.

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