Feature Friday: Plan Better With Member Availability
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Let’s keep it simple here, don’t you want to know who’s available this season? At the very foundation of youth sports, knowing how many players you have and who is free is key. Unfortunately, sometimes this simple yes or no question gets lost in translation. With TeamSnap, we have a Member Availability feature which helps teams of all sizes plan better.
Here are 5 ways that the Member Availability feature will help you this season or seasons in the future.
1. Time to plan ahead
As a coach having an idea as to who is coming to practice and who isn’t allows you time to prepare your session. Most coaches don’t want to have to improvise sessions, so this gives them ample preparation time to run the best practice they can. Also, coaches aside, knowing who is coming to practice helps the entire team plan carpool trips, pick-up and any post-practice activities. With the Member Availability feature, there’s a transparency which helps everyone plan ahead.
2. Keep track
As a coach if you are noticing certain patterns, like specific players missing several practices you can refer to previous practice dates and see if the player has missed dates. This is a helpful tool to see what players are making the effort to be at every practice and which players may be missing a few too many. This is also a good reference point to speak to parents if you start noticing any patterns.
3. No guessing games
Coaches don’t have to guess what kind of numbers they will have for games. This allows them to actually build out lineups before the game and work through playing scenarios. At the end of the day this ends up benefiting the entire team because the coach doesn’t have to improvise come game time.
“I use this [TeamSnap] for organizing a non-competitive ball league. I pay for the first tier subscription and it is very worth it. Allows availability tracking of players for each game and makes it very simple. Everyone else on the team loves it,” Alex R.
4. Extra information goes a long way
In the Member Availability feature, players can add extra notes about specific reasons they may or may not be available. This helps the coach read the situation better and actually adds context to any absence. This only helps the entire team’s dynamic because no one is left in the dark.
[Read more: A Balancing Act: Life of a Student-Athlete]
5. Communication is key
Member Availability helps teams of all sizes prioritize good communication. This also encourages parents and players to take accountability for their absences. What this also can do is help families check-in with themselves as well, for instance if they are checking off “unavailable” a little too much this could be a good start at figuring out what the conflicts are. Overall, this feature helps coaches, players, parents and volunteers all stay accountable.
Save Time With Our #1 Team Management App: We make life easier for coaches, managers, group leaders and organizers. We do it by bringing everything into one connected solution. From setting up rosters, lineups and invoicing, to notifying your team about last-minute changes, we get you up and running fast and save you tons of time organizing.
If you’re interested in learning more about TeamSnap’s features, check out some of these Feature Friday articles below: