Don’t Just Have a Picture Day — Have a Media Day

Sep 20, 2026 | Season Planning & Events

High school sports media day checklist of athlete poses and content to capture
Coaches say it every season: don’t just have a picture day — have a media day. Picture day usually means one formal team shot. A sports media day is a short, planned photo and content session that gives you athlete poses, group shots, and clips you can use for social, schedules, senior night, and a real media guide all season long.

Put your media day photos to work

Our Sports Media Guide template is already laid out, so you just drop your photos and roster into Canva. Then print it, share it as a PDF or post it online for families and sponsors.

See the Media Guide Template

High school sports media day checklist of athlete poses and content to capture

Media Day Checklist

Before anyone lines up for photos, list what you’ll create this season:

  • Game-day and final-score graphics
  • Player spotlights and rosters
  • Senior night graphics and programs
  • Schedules and coach intros
  • Media guide / program pages
  • Recruiting or commitment graphics (if your program uses them)

Then capture, for each athlete: straight-on, arms-crossed, looking aside, equipment pose, and one staged action pose — plus full-body and waist-up crops, team/coach groups, and a few vertical video clips.

Turn Media-Day Photos Into a Media Guide

Turn media-day photos into a program piece — and post all winter.

High School Sports Media Guide

Sports Media Guide Canva Template — $59.99

Basketball Social Media Templates — 78

social media templates category

Sports Media Guide Canva template mockup for high school teams

How to Customize the Media Guide in Canva

  1. Purchase and open the Canva link from your download PDF.
  2. Duplicate the template into your account.
  3. Swap colors, logo, and media-day photos into roster and profile pages.
  4. Delete pages you don’t need; duplicate ones you do.
  5. Export PDF for print or digital share.

When to Schedule Sports Media Day

  • Fall sports: late July–August once uniforms arrive.
  • Winter (basketball, wrestling, winter cheer): October–November — ideal window now (Sep/Oct).
  • Spring: before tryouts finalize the roster.

Related Templates

Sports Media Day FAQ

What is media day in high school sports?
A scheduled photo and content session (usually preseason) where teams capture athlete poses, group shots, and short clips for social, programs, senior night, and promotions — not just one team picture.

What’s the difference between media day and picture day?
Picture day is often one formal photo. Media day builds a reusable library — coaches call it the difference between a picture day and a real media day.

What should we do with media-day photos next?
Organize by athlete/pose, then drop the best shots into social templates and a media guide so the same session feeds posts and a polished program.