Parents which is best app for communication?

[Gymmastmom9]

Looking into advice on best app for communication with parents. We have a facebook group and its just not working to reach all the parents with the information. Between payments due, upcoming meet schedules, practices schedules and sometimes changes. Emails get sent out, but seems like they are getting lost in everyones personal emails. We need a better way to communicate.
What are the pros and cons of the app?
Can parents communicate with coaches without coaches giving personal numbers?

Trying to find the perfect app for the crazy world of gymnastics hahaha

 

[Ty’s Dad]

Group Me

 

[Lurker]

Looking into advice on best app for communication with parents. We have a facebook group and its just not working to reach all the parents with the information. Between payments due, upcoming meet schedules, practices schedules and sometimes changes. Emails get sent out, but seems like they are getting lost in everyones personal emails. We need a better way to communicate.
What are the pros and cons of the app?
Can parents communicate with coaches without coaches giving personal numbers?

Trying to find the perfect app for the crazy world of gymnastics hahaha

I've used team snap for other sports, but if the problem is adults not being able to keep track of emails, I'm not sure an app can fix that.

 

[JBS]

Trying to find the perfect app for the crazy world of gymnastics hahaha

There isn't one as long as there are people that don't pay attention to the messages.

We don't expect people to look at our emails and such (this is because we have data on who opens emails and we know 25% of the parents don't even look at most of the emails). Instead we provide a place where they can always find the latest information. It is in our team handbook that team parents will keep up to date with information on our team website and check for new posts on a weekly basis.

We use a combination of iClassPro and a team website for communication. We send out emails through iClassPro and sometimes send text reminders through it. All information is doubled up on the team website. Sometimes the email / text will just be a link to information on the team website.

Tuition = Log in to iClassPro account to see actual charges with a general tuition chart on the team website. Everyone must be on auto-pay so we have no issues with tuition.

Team fees = Log in to iClassPro account to see actual charges with a general tuition chart on the team website. Everyone must be on auto-pay or pay in full at the beginning of the season so we have no issues with team fees.

Seasonal information = Seasonal info such as tuition... fees... team handbook... workout schedules... meet schedules... competition readiness (who's getting scratched on what for the next meet) are all posted on the website.

News = Any news style data is posted blog style on the website. This would include meet schedules... pizza parties... workout changes over the holidays... etc.

Travel meets = For travel meets we will setup a group text... we may use something like Discord or GroupMe in the future... but we have not had a need for it. We make it very clear that parents are not allowed to text coaches except during the travel meet and only in the group text. It is also a violation for our coaches to text parents... so the coaching staff will always just text them back and tell them to setup a meeting with the Head Coaches (my wife and I) if there is an issue.

We use a private server on Discord for our staff and it is great. You will need someone to setup the permissions and manage it if you want it private though (which you probably will want it private). It's very easy... if you have any video gamer coaches... just ask them to help with it.

 

[JBS]

I forgot... we also setup a "shared album" through Apple to share photos for travel meets. 100% of our L8-10's that have phones have iPhones as well as most of the parents. We have told parents that if they want access to the photos... then they must have an Apple device / account. We have had grandparents purchase an iPad just to have access to our shared photos to see their grandkids. We will not be changing to a method that includes Androids as long iPhones stay as popular as they are with our gymnasts. If we do change... we would probably use Google Photos.

Everyone uploads photos to the shared album and it usually ends up with hundreds and sometimes thousands of photos. People love it.

 

[jrthegymnasticscoach]

I created an app for the last gym that I worked at that listed basic info from the website as well as including a parent portal for rec parents. Team parents had a section where they could upload pics from meets and share as well as a function that messaged parents with info like a text message, a push notification. Each coach had their own log in so they could contact their team groups. The bonus was that management had access to all notifications sent as well as receiving notifications as they were sent.

 

[JBS]

(this is because we have data on who opens emails and we know 25% of the parents don't even look at most of the emails)

I want to add... these are almost always the same parents that send aggravated emails and call the front desk looking for information. The same parents that bring their kids when we have no practice... show up late to meets... etc.

As soon as these athletes have a phone or computer (are old enough)... we always tell them that all team communication is always posted on our website. Our team website is not just for parents... it is for the athletes as well. Parents have much to do in life... the athletes have a responsibility to help their parents with the information when they are old enough.

We also announce information in team line up and tell the athletes to have their parents check the website when new info is posted.

Sorry... lots of rambling here... but communication has been a process for us.

 

[skschlag]

I forgot... we also setup a "shared album" through Apple to share photos for travel meets. 100% of our L8-10's that have phones have iPhones as well as most of the parents. We have told parents that if they want access to the photos... then they must have an Apple device / account. We have had grandparents purchase an iPad just to have access to our shared photos to see their grandkids. We will not be changing to a method that includes Androids as long iPhones stay as popular as they are with our gymnasts. If we do change... we would probably use Google Photos.

Everyone uploads photos to the shared album and it usually ends up with hundreds and sometimes thousands of photos. People love it.

I would say that google photos works really well! We use it a lot as we have a combo of iphones/androids in our family. We have used it for school as well. It allows everyone to participate and works really well (just in case you were thinking about it )

 

[JBS]

I would say that google photos works really well! We use it a lot as we have a combo of iphones/androids in our family. We have used it for school as well. It allows everyone to participate and works really well (just in case you were thinking about it )

I use Google Photos personally... but the gymnasts don't like it. They want the pictures right in their Apple Photos app.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

My gym uses an app called team stack to share meet photos and meet info. Rest is usually sent through email.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I think group photo sharing sounds fun. We don't do anything like that unfortunately. We also don't have a recruiting instagram that is gym run, which is something that I really wish they would have.

As far as communication, our gym relies on emails and texts. One of our head coaches has a group text with all the parents in each of her groups. She texts any timely info out (like change of practice times, meet info, etc). Almost everything she texts, there is also an email about it, but I think the gym realized texts are read much more frequently. Honestly, it works out just fine. There are rarely a lot of responses and so we aren't getting flooded with texts. But it's the best way of making sure we actually get the latest info and don't "miss an email".

 

[skschlag]

I use Google Photos personally... but the gymnasts don't like it. They want the pictures right in their Apple Photos app.

That is good, I guess. We have several that do not use apple (gymnasts and parents), so apple photos is harder

 

[JBS]

That is good, I guess. We have several that do not use apple (gymnasts and parents), so apple photos is harder

I'm sure we will have a Google one at some point. However... what most parents don't understand is that most of the gymnasts just won't share any of the photos that they take then. They won't go through the process of downloading an app and setting it up.

But yes... Apple just doesn't work at all if someone isn't in the Apple ecosystem. However... if someone is fully in the Apple ecosystem... then photos and videos share easier than anything else. I switched over many years ago now and love it. I have an iPhone... MacBook... iPad... Apple TV's... Apple Watch... everything.

We are in a fairly (very) affluent area... so most have an Apple device even if they don't run on iPhones.

It's a little strange... and I'm not sure how we ended up this way... but we are very Apple heavy for our team program. We have iPads all over the team area that they record their skills with... then they just AirDrop their videos to their phones.

In real life I use Apple + Google... I'm going way off topic though.

 

[Gym_momma]

We use what's app and it seems to work well for file/photo/info sharing.

 

[superNova08]

Remind works well for all my school teams so I'd think it would work well.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

Oh yeah, we use Remind at school too. Also groupMe

 

[marym]

Looking into advice on best app for communication with parents. We have a facebook group and its just not working to reach all the parents with the information. Between payments due, upcoming meet schedules, practices schedules and sometimes changes. Emails get sent out, but seems like they are getting lost in everyones personal emails. We need a better way to communicate.
What are the pros and cons of the app?
Can parents communicate with coaches without coaches giving personal numbers?

Trying to find the perfect app for the crazy world of gymnastics hahaha

We use Team Snap for one of my kids soccer teams and it's worked really well.