Travel is a huge part of the game for professional sports. Whether playing in another city or state or going on a road trip, teams have to be prepared for the many different ways they can travel.
Most professional sports teams have their own planes. This allows them to travel quickly and comfortably between games. They can also bring their equipment and staff, making the process much easier. In addition to planes, some teams also use buses or trains for shorter trips.
However, there are some cases where flying simply isn’t an option.
For example, if a team is playing in a location that’s far away from any major airports and in the same time close to their city, they might have to take a bus or train.
No matter how a team travels, one thing is for sure: they always have to be ready for the next game.
Professional sports is a demanding and fast-paced industry, so teams have to be able to adapt on the fly. That’s why it’s so important for them to know how to travel efficiently and effectively.
Without further ado, let’s see how teams from major USA sports usually travel.
How Do Pro Sports Team Travel – Overview
Professional sports teams fly and, on occasion, take buses. The majority of teams fly on chartered planes. They occasionally fly on public airlines. Buses are used for shorter trips, such as trips within or just outside the city. That is true for cities that are close to one another.
Because half or more regular-season games are played on the road, most major sports teams now purchase planes and buses for trips.
Most teams hire a traveling manager to take care of their lodging reservations and transportation from the airports to the hotels and gyms or courts where the games are played because they travel for different games.
For the movement of their gear while on the road, a transportation team led by the equipment manager would be required.
Thanks to planes, nowadays, teams can start a new series the next day in a different city, even if they are traveling to the opposite side of the country. The majority of games are traditionally scheduled in the afternoon.
Sports teams in the United States are also known for flying on chartered planes with major airlines.
They charter their flight and have the crew dress up in their colors (for example, purple and yellow for LA Lakers). Sometimes teams charter planes to avoid airport delays.
Every team has a traveling secretary who is in charge of lodging, payments, food, and transportation from the airport to the hotel and the hotel to the facility.
The hotel keys are collected by the secretary and given to the players. He or she is in charge of the meals and other necessities on a daily basis.
Why is NFL Special Regarding Travel?
NFL teams usually travel on private planes. This allows them to avoid the hassles and delays associated with commercial air travel, and also provides more privacy for players and coaches. Some teams own their own planes, while others lease them.
This also depends on the distance of the game. For short distances, teams often fly to the game. However, for longer distances, teams will often drive or take a bus. Some teams have even been known to take boats or trains to get to their destination.
NFL teams sometimes bring along their large team buses. These buses are used to transport players, coaches, and staff between the airport, hotel, and stadium.
The buses are also used as a place for players to rest and relax before and after games. Many players have even said that the bus is their favorite place to be during road trips.
NFL teams are in charge of booking all accommodations and are responsible for all travel expenses.
The New York Giants’ travel plans were highlighted by the Huffington Post as an example of an NFL front office’s responsibilities:
NFL is special because the team consists of approximately 140 people, including players, coaches, executives, trainers, managers, video staff, and medical personnel.
The team makes hotel reservations as far in advance as possible, then follows up three weeks before a game to finalize arrangements.
Players need to avoid the bar area and are not permitted to order room service once they arrive at the hotel. The hotel staff usually prepares a protein-focused diet for them.
When it comes to arriving, exiting for the stadium, and leaving to go home, NFL players are on a tight schedule. The team organizes everything, informing them of when and where they need to be ahead of time so that no one misses a flight or bus.
While players are responsible for packing their own bags, including personal items and pads, the rest of the equipment is carried by the team.
The total weight of a team’s baggage, according to Giants executive Jim Phelan, can be around 15,000 pounds.
The weather influences how teams pack. They’ll need winter gear, for example, if the forecast calls for snow or a cold spell. They must also bring additional equipment. With the equipment they bring, Phelan claims they could “replace half the team.”
In case of an emergency, the training staff also brings medical equipment and supplies.
A lot of moving parts must come together to pack and move an NFL team. On game day, it necessitates meticulous planning, coordination, and execution.
While the majority of teams have it down to a science, the sheer amount of work that goes into each team’s trip will never cease to amaze. It’s even more fascinating when you consider that teams do it eight times a year.
Which Sports Requires the Most Traveling?
Ironically, the NBA is the most traveled league (no pun intended). Each NBA team plays over 40 games away from home during the season, in addition to training and playing home games every day.
We all know that the United States is a large country with multiple time zones that players must cross when traveling to different locations to play games on the road.
The NBA travels more than any other league in the world. People don’t give it much thought, but a large number of trips has an impact on players. Players gain a lot of experience over time, so traveling every few days has become a habit for them.
On the other hand, for young players or players from other continents, this can be a problem until they get used to it.
Jet lag is undoubtedly one of the issues that NBA players face when they travel to as many as 41 games outside of their city during the season. You travel a lot in other popular American sports, such as the NFL or MLB, but not as much as you do in the NBA.
Teams stay for a few days in these sports as well, and the number of games is not as high as in the NBA. The NBA season lasts a long time, and the teams that make it to the playoffs play nearly 100 games each year. Because the matches are played so quickly, there isn’t much time for a break.
You’ve only just finished the previous game, and a new one is on the way. Many fans believe that the NBA season begins only in the playoffs due to poor performance due to constant travel.
Do Players’ Wives Travel with Them?
Regarding players’ wives traveling with them, different sports teams have different rules.
Some teams allow wives and children to join their husbands on one or two road trips during the season.
Others only allow family members on flights home after the final game of the road trip.
Several teams allow their players and coaches to vote on whether or not their spouses can accompany them on trips.
Actually, wives and girlfriends frequently accompany their husbands on their travels – but on their own terms. They make separate reservations for flights and lodging.