How to Plan a High-School Homecoming Dance When the Game Is Saturday Night

Speak with a school athletic director or event coordinator to reschedule.

Although certain schools have their homecoming game Friday night and the accompanying dance on Saturday, other schools host the homecoming dance on the same day as the big game. Don't fret, though, if the big game is scheduled for the same Saturday as the homecoming dance. Depending on when the schedule conflict occurs, speaking with an athletic director or special events coordinator at your school may provide options for rescheduling if the Saturday night game conflicts. If rescheduling isn't an option, advance planning is required.

Instructions

1. Contact as many decision-makers as you can if rescheduling is your main objective, including the student body president, athletic director or special events coordinator at your high school. Ask if there's any way to change one of the events so they don't fall on the same day.

2. Prepare the homecoming venue as soon as possible. Preparation is the key to executing a successful homecoming dance, even in the worst of time crunches. Recruit student body officials on the student council to set up for the event a few days before the game. Reserve the space by calling in advance if the venue is at a location outside of the high school. Put up decorations such as streamers, signs and balloons. Arrange tables for food and drinks; put tablecloths on them. Set up the audio system for the music, whether it's for a DJ or a live band, and ensure that all the electrical cords for the system are safe and won't be a fire hazard.

3. Recruit help from alumni of the school who are coming up for the event. Go to the school office and find out the appropriate person to speak with about getting a list of alumni or, more specifically, a list of alumni who plan to attend the homecoming event, if such a list is available. Because homecoming often welcomes back alumni, these individuals may be willing to help you in some capacity, even if it's advice on how they executed the big weekend when they were in your place. Call alumni from the list and ask what they would do or have done in the past with scheduling conflicts.

4. Honor the tradition of the weekend for your community. If the big game is on Saturday right before the dance and this has worked in the past, understand that tradition is the main part of homecoming weekend. Do the best you can to make your schedule flexible for both events. Although homecoming weekend centers around a big football game, the crowning of homecoming king and queen is also an essential part of the tradition --- school officials should take this into account and accommodate both events accordingly.

References

• The Northern Star; Homecoming Week; Olivia Deighton; October 2010
• Qwhatis.com: What Is Homecoming?