Early-morning games on Saturdays are an inevitable part of youth football. In many cases, families are awake earlier than on a school day. Here are some tips to make a groggy morning a better one, which will get everyone out the door and started on the right foot.

1. Friday night

We often forget that an early-morning Saturday game basically means that Friday night is like a school night. Whenever possible, maintain the same routine as you would on a normal school night, starting with when you sit down to dinner all the way until bedtime. And yes, sometimes that means saying “no” to an invitation out.

2. Equipment prep

Part of the evening routine should include preparing all wearables and equipment needed for Saturday’s game. Don’t just confirm that everything is clean. Take uniforms out of drawers and get them ready to go, and any equipment and cleats should be in what we call at our house a “Game Day” spot in the garage. There’s nothing more frustrating than looking for one missing flag on the morning of the game. 

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3.  Rousing the troops

Like the evening before, maintain a school-day routine for getting the kids out of bed. Whether they set their own alarm or you holler up the stairs to wake the kids, be consistent with the routine they have come to know. If one kid likes to shower and the other doesn’t, there’s no reason to change that on the morning of the game. Same with wakeup times. Every kid is different.

4.  Breakfast

In our house, we try to have a special “Game Day” breakfast, which we find further motivates the kids to get moving even though there’s not a bus to catch. It still has to be healthy, but often includes a donut or some other sweet treat that isn’t an option Monday through Friday.

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5.  Flat tire

My father always says: Leave 15 minutes early so you have time to change a flat tire. And I add to that: So you have time to come back home to pick up something you forgot.

Sometimes parents get so hung up on the game part of “Game Day,” we forget to focus on the little things that can help make the day get off to a great start.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years, originally as a coach and board member with his now-adult son and most recently "just as a dad" with his 8- and 10-year-old sons. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter

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