Equipment/Uniform Day

Its necessary but that doesn't mean I have to like it. If any day requires the most patience and understanding, its the day you hand out equipment.
Handing out equipment efficiently actually begins at the equipment turn in day from the previous season. Hopefully, you had your players turn in complete sets of knee, thigh, and girdle pads athletic taped together. Now you can simply hand, or have a player pick up, a complete set.
Remember, half of these kids have not put on pads before; they do not know what a helmet feels like on their heads. As far as the coaches can tell the helmet could be a good fit, but the player feels uncomfortable. We try another helmet, still uncomfortable. Try another...and another. Inevitably he ends up with the original helmet - patience and understanding.
Shoulder pads need to be inspected for size too, which takes a coach's time. Meanwhile, confused players fumble around guessing where all these new pads go. Have you seen the kid with the tail bone pad in the front? Then you know what I mean. Of marginal help for this situation is to have the experienced players help the first timers. However, they're also preoccupied with making sure everything they received fits.
Before you even get started demonstrate where every pad goes (realize though that they are so excited to get pads that you might as well be talking to the wall). So, how does this process work. One coach hands out and fits kids for helmets. Simultaneously, another coach is fitting kids for shoulder pads. The rest of the team is moving through stations picking up a pair of practice pants (lay them out and label stacks by size); a belt; a complete set of thigh, knee, and girdle pads; a practice jersey (again, lay them out and label stacks by size); and a mouth guard. While waiting for a helmet or shoulder pads, players are to put their pads in their pants. This is when knee pads end up in thigh pad pockets and the infamous tail bone pad ends up in front.
With everybody in possession of a pile of equipment, coaches move through the group offering assistance and answering questions with responses such as, "no, I don't know where your thigh pad went" or "it doesn't matter what your practice number is." I wish our practice jerseys weren't old game jerseys.
The session is wrapped up with the whole team, wearing their complete ensemble, touching each piece of equipment as you call it out. The next day's exchange will go like this:
Player: "I didn't get a belt."
You: "why not, you were supposed to take one or say something after we went through all the equipment yesterday."
Player: "I didn't think I needed one."
PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING

*I truly do enjoy middle school kids. The energy and excitement they bring can be contagious. They also bring a smile to your face if you look at them with patience and understanding.