Build a Rock-Solid Team Budget in 30 Minutes

(works in TeamBook, Google Sheets, or a paper ledger—pick your weapon)

60-second TL;DR

1. List six base inputs (roster, ice rate, practice hours, game hours, tournament fees, association + Hockey Canada fees).
2. Multiply, sum, and add a 5% contingency—this is your total expense.
3. Subtract committed revenue (sponsors, fundraising you know will land).
4. Divide what's left by roster size → player fee.
5. Stress-test with +10% ice cost and –1 player; if the budget still balances, lock it in.

1 | Gather the only numbers that matter (basic)

Input	Typical Range (U13–U18)	Where to Find It
Roster size	15–18 skaters	Registration list
Ice-hour rate	$200–$350	Arena contract
Weekly practice hours	1–3	Coach plan
Home game hours (league + playoffs)	20–35	League schedule
Tournament entry & travel	$1,000–$2,000 each	Host packages
Assoc. + Hockey Canada fees	$80–$120 / player	Registrar

Skip the player swag and pizza parties for now—these six inputs drive ~80% of spending.

2 | Build the expense backbone (intermediate)

Use a simple two-column table (Category | Amount). Round up; costs never break downward.

Category	Formula
Practice ice	weekly_hours × weeks × ice_rate(use 26 weeks for Sept–Mar)
Game ice	home_games × ice_rate
Officials	home_games × ref_cost
Tournaments	#tournaments × (entry_fee + coach_travel + extra_ice)
Uniforms/Apparel	jerseys + socks + name bars (reuse if possible)
Development	skills clinics, video software, dry-land rentals
Contingency	0.05 × subtotal_expenses (5% buffer)

Add a running Expense Total at the bottom.

3 | Map realistic revenue (intermediate)

Revenue Source	Sanity Check
Player fees	Primary lever—aim to finish instalments by Feb 1st.
Fundraising	Bottle drives rarely net > $1,000; 50/50s can reach $2k—use last season's actuals.
Sponsorships	Get commitment letters before spending.
Carry-over surplus	Use only if verified by bank statement.

Add these in a Revenue table and sum to Revenue Total.

4 | Find the player fee and cash-flow schedule (advanced)

1. Shortfall / Surplus = Revenue Total – Expense Total

   • Negative → you need more income or fewer costs.

2. Required player fee = shortfall ÷ roster_size (round to nearest $5).

3. Instalment plan:

   • Split into 3–4 dates (e.g., Sep 1 / Oct 15 / Dec 1 / Feb 1).
   • Front-load 60% by midway to cover early ice invoices.

4. Cash buffer rule: keep one month of ice costs (~10% of budget) in the bank at all times.

5 | Stress-test in five minutes (advanced)

• +10% ice cost → Does the player fee explode?
• Roster drops by one player → Check new per-player fee.
• Fundraiser flops (–$2,000) → Is contingency enough?

If any test fails, iterate: cut a tournament, combine sock orders, or nudge fees early before parents register.

6 | Lock, monitor, communicate

1. Freeze the sheet/document. Protect formulas; only the treasurer edits actuals.
2. Publish a read-only PDF in the team app or email; transparency kills rumors before they start.
3. Monthly variance check: actual vs. budget line items—flag anything ±10%.
4. End-of-season rollover: zero surplus into next year only after all invoices clear and books reconcile.

Quick-fire FAQ

Do we include team-meal money? No—treat floats as pass-through; track offline.

Can we run a deficit then backfill with year-end sponsors? Risky. Collect sponsor cheques before you commit spending.

What about goalie equipment/clinic subsidies? Show them as an expense line offset by a specific fundraising line so the subsidy impact is transparent.

Take-away checklist (copy-paste into any tool)

• Enter six base inputs
• Calculate practice and home game ice exactly
• Add 5% contingency
• List guaranteed revenue only
• Divide gap by roster → player fee
• Stress-test (+10% ice, –1 player, fundraiser loss)
• Share read-only budget
• Review variance monthly

Master those eight boxes and your budget will survive real life—no special software required.

Need help?

TeamBook allows you to build and share your budget with ease. Try TeamBook with your team or association today.