Managing multiple sports teams across different grades is always challenging, especially when it involves the constant back-and-forth of player availability and team selections. As someone who was part of a club with several grades, I know firsthand how frustrating and exhausting this process can be. Let me illustrate how complicated things used to be and how drastically a club's efficiency can improve once we adopting Teamlists.
The Old Way: Endless Messages and Calls
Picture this scenario, it’s Thursday night, just two days before game day, and one of our 1st-grade players sends a late-night message saying they can't play this weekend. My immediate thought is, I must scramble to find a suitable replacement. First, I call the 2nd-grade coach to tell them the player I want move up, to fill the spot in 1st-grade, and once that is agreed, I have to call that player to let them know we need them to play in 1st-grade this weekend.
Great, we have solved our unavailable player in 1st grade, but this solves only half of the issue because now the 2nd-grade team is short a player. This triggers another series of phone calls and messages cascading down through all of the grades, meaning many back and forth calls.
This repetitive cycle of messages and calls was not just tedious—it often led to confusion, errors, and frustration among players and coaches alike. By game day, the team list sent earlier in the week would inevitably be outdated, creating more confusion and stress.
The Teamlists Solution: Real-Time Updates
When clubs switch to Teamlists, everything changes. Here’s how Teamlists can revolutionise your team management:
- Immediate Player Availability Updates: Players now simply mark themselves unavailable directly in via Teamlists. The moment they do, all relevant coaches instantly see this update and can see it over the current team selections.
- Seamless Team Adjustments: Coaches can quickly make changes, promoting or shifting players between grades with just a few clicks. No phone calls, no confusion, just clarity.
- Targeted messaging: Once teams are updated, you can send a message or SMS directly to individual players, the current teams or all players. You send an email to the currently selected 1st grade players letting them know that James is out (due to injury) and Tom is stepping up from 2nd grade, or you could just message Tom with a personal note.
- Real-Time Team Lists: Once selections are made and published, every player gets access to a live, updated team lists at any time via the website. This means no surprises, no outdated rosters, and every player knows exactly what's happening.
Personal Impact and Improvements
From the perspective of many coaches that use the platform, the transformation has been extraordinary. Not only has Teamlists dramatically reduced communication overhead, but it has also significantly improved morale and communication across our club. Players appreciate the clarity, and coaches can now spend less time managing admin tasks and more time preparing our teams for the game ahead.
Conclusion
Teamlists has fundamentally transformed the way we handle team selections and player availability. By eliminating the endless cycle of messages and calls, it has streamlined our club operations, freed up valuable time, and significantly reduced stress. Now, game weekends are enjoyable and focused on the sport itself, exactly how they should be.
