Friday, 15 November 2019

Published Friday, November 15, 2019 with 0 comment

Managing Volunteer Sign Ups – Team Assigned




In youth sports, volunteer signups play a major role. Some clubs/teams enable parents to pick up their own volunteer jobs during the game. This is a good strategy because parents pick up jobs that they are comfortable with, but at the same time because of work commitments and time issues, parents just don’t signup. In such a scenario, team assigned jobs are a good option, since they work. Again, with team assigned jobs, the coach/admin do consider the parent’s time availability and comfort level with the assigned job.

Team coordinators/admins can also consider having a fine mix of both parent-assigned signups and team-assigned signups. While assigning volunteer jobs to parents, the coordinator can keep one or two jobs open for parents to sign-up.

If your team is still deciding a strategy for volunteer signups, here are ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ of team assigned signups to help you make decide better.

Ups

·         When the admin or coordinator assigns jobs, there is surety that the job is covered and all jobs are allocated.
·         The admin/coach can then concentrate on the game since they know the best person is on the job. Plus, there is no discrepancy amongst parents since the admin will try their best to rotate jobs.

Downs

·         When parents pickup their own jobs, they are willing to do them. when they are assigned the job, they may not be as willing.
·         Parents may not be available for the job due to last minute commitments or work emergencies.
·         Last minute changes can be very difficult to adjust as parents may not have the time cushion to accommodate a change, especially if they are often.

Here are a few tips how teams can manage parent signups using InstaTeam –

·         InstaTeam makes volunteer signup extremely easy. Just within a few taps a parent can sign-up for a job.
·         If there are open sign-ups and parents haven’t signed up, admin can send targeted emails or notifications on the InstaTeam App reminding parents to sign up.
·         If a parent has a last-minute change they want to accommodate, encourage them to find their own replacement. InstaTeam’s personal chat feature allows parents to get in touch without compromising the security of their number.

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Published Friday, November 15, 2019 with 0 comment

Managing Volunteer Signups – Self Assigned


 
There can be various ways to manage volunteer signups. The two broad categories being self-assigned jobs and team assigned jobs. This article takes you through the process to make signups easy and smooth.

From photography to food, there’s a whole bunch of activities to be managed during a game, and volunteering by parents becomes a must. In the InstaTeam app, the coach or administrator can create a sign-up event in which parents can pick up jobs for the game. These signups can either be limited to a game or can be for the entire season, depending on what suits the volunteers and the administrators the best. For instance, if a parent is good at photography, she can choose to do photography for the entire season. At the same time, the parent can choose a particular job for the entire week or specifically for a game.

Signups during registration

Some clubs or teams prefer volunteer signups for the entire season. While taking the registration at the beginning of the season, parents can choose the job they want to take up for the season. The coaches and admins need to list out all the jobs required for the season, and parents can choose their pick. The details and frequency of each job must be clearly listed such that parents can make an informed choice.

Ups:

·         Even before the season begins, everyone has a clear understanding of what they are doing and what others are doing. There’s no room for confusion, misunderstanding or miscommunication.
·         Volunteers can be better equipped and can plan to be available since the activity is clearly marked in the calendar. They also have a fair idea of the frequency and gap to help better plan.

Downs:

·         People can have meetings, sudden commitments or emergencies that were not accounted for while the plan was being made. In absence of plan B, this can be a fiasco.
·         If parents are picking up their own jobs, the early bird would get the best, or easiest of jobs. For parents who turn up late on the scene, may not get as much choice.


Weekly Signups

While it may be tough for most working parents to commit themselves for the whole season in advance, a weekly plan looks more doable. A week’s planning is not such an impossible task.

Ups

·         A week’s planning can be dome and required arrangements can be made. It is more practical and workable.
·         Everybody gets to do a little bit of everything. One person being struck with a particular job can be monotonous and depressing in some cases.

Downs

·         People would have to sign-up every week and pick jobs. Some might forget, some might miss out.
·         A lot of management would go into taking jobs since every week the volunteer roster changes.


Signup on per game basis

The InstaTeam app allows coaches/admins to create sign-up events while they are creating an event on the app. Parents can pick up jobs for the game.

Ups

·         Everybody gets to do everything.
·         It’s flexible. Since there is no prior commitment, people can easily pick up what suits them for that particular day.

Downs

·         Since there’s no commitment, chances are jobs may not be taken at all.
·         Again, it’s a repetitive task, so choosing every time can become a hassle.



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Published Friday, November 15, 2019 with 0 comment

Our Thanksgiving for The Awesome ‘Thank You’ Moments





Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Gratitude is in the air, and we are constantly thinking of people who make our journey so special.

A lot of our users write to us at InstaTeam and thank us for solving a part of their tasks, routines and life in general. We take this opportunity to thank them for the support. We also want to thank people who wrote to us giving us feedback, a little nasty at times but we appreciate it, it helped us better InstaTeam to make it easier, fast and more convenient.

Here are some of our customer emails that encouraged us to become better. Thank you indeed!

“There is no way all of this convenience would come for such a nominal fee. It’s like a personal assistant and an admin team working for you at the cost of a phone rental. It’s simply awesome.”

tess.mjonas84, Team-Ad Free Subscription Holder


“Fantastic app. Such an efficient and streamlined way to organize team work. It makes team life so much easier.”

Nicole.sandy, Coach


“Easy to use. Fast and efficient. Perfect for keeping it organised. Happy to use.”

stephenG, Sports Parent


“There is so much to team management – game schedules, managing practice games, attendance, volunteer signups, fees and so much more. InstaTeam digitalises all of the above and makes it convenient for the parents and team admins. It’s incredible.”

Nate Bunger, Team Admin


“Communication is my biggest take. I love how all important team messages are conveyed instantly, and responses can be made real time.”

Bruce Lavett, Sports Parent


“Instead of drowning in endless trail of emails, important messages just get through. There’s clarity and communication, not confusion.”

J. Sheffeild, Sports Parent


 “I used to keep writing on stickies and putting them on the fridge, such that I didn’t miss a game or practice for both my sons, but invariably I would end up missing out on something, it was a juggle together. Thanks InstaTeam, I have never missed anything ever since, and am a lot relaxed.”

Sara Brown, Sports Parent


There are so many more testimonial we’d like to share. Thank you all for taking out time to write to us, means a lot. Thank you for all the kind words. We hope to keep hearing from you.

Wish you a warm and joyous Thanksgiving. Happy holidays!





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Wednesday, 6 November 2019

Published Wednesday, November 06, 2019 with 0 comment

Collaborative Coaching


 
In the era of internet and connectivity, collaborative coaching only makes sense. There is always a possibility that that something new comes out of collaboration, from taking to other coaches, seeking parents’ feedback, exploring online resources and getting ideas from players themselves. So, if you’ve been feeling that you’ve exhausted your tricks to motivate the team, it’s probably time for collaborative coaching.

Collaborate with other coaches

Here’s a great way to get in touch with other coaches. The InstaTeam App shows teams in the vicinity. You could get in touch with the coaches of these teams and discuss ways to bring the zing back in tour team. You could also form a group that gets together monthly or weekly to discuss ideas. You could also collaborate with other teams and plan seminars, health camps or bring in some national level athlete for motivational talk. If you have a big group, you can plan big events together.

Collaborate with parents and players

While we strictly advise parents to leave the coaching to the coaches, every once in a while, it’s good to ask for suggestions. This is indeed a great way to include parents, encourage cooperation, and get some ideas too.

Internet to your rescue

There is a sea of resources on the internet that can seek inspiration from. From learning pro tips to getting the secret of the best clubs in the world, you can get plenty ideas for bringing in a new life in your training. You can also get tips to better technique, ideas for team motivation and activities to keep team spirited and pepped up through the season.

TV time together still works

Take some time off practice and make the team sit together for some TV time. Play inspirational videos of pro teams, make them learn about the strengths of their favorite players. Allow them to have a visual taste to success, help them mentally prepare for the grind and help them understand the commitment and hard work that goes into the game to get success. You can also show the players a recording of their own game. They will see and understand what they are doing wrong, what needs to be worked upon and how they can build upon their personal and the team’s strength. This is a great way to help players understand the strategy for the game.


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Saturday, 2 November 2019

Published Saturday, November 02, 2019 with 0 comment

Common Youth Sports Injuries and First Aid



Youth sports have become very popular. According to a rough estimate, around 40-45 million American kids actively participate in youth sports every year. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control), over 2 million of these kids wind up in emergency rooms each year.

Most sports injuries are very common and can be helped with simple measures. However, since there can be several types of complications, it is always advisable to take the child to a medicalpractitioner.

Ligament Injury

A fall, stretch or jerk can injure the ligament. While a serious ligament injury can be very painful and may take time to heal, most common form of ligament injury is sprain, like an ankle sprain.

When a sprain occurs, the part where the ligament is injured may become stiff and swollen. The child may have extreme pain moving it. As the sprain occurs, wrap an ice pack or cold compress in a towel and place it on the affected area immediately. Do not apply ice directly, as the child may get frost bite. Rush the child to a medical practitioner immediately to get the sprain checked and get further investigations done if required.

Heat Exhaustion

Since most of the sports are played outside, during summers, children are susceptible to heat sickness. When playing outside, it is highly recommended that children be kept fully hydrated. But sometimes, the heat just gets too overwhelming. The common symptoms of heat exhaustion are dizziness, headache, nausea, dilated pupils, decreased pulse count and fainting.

If a player gets a bout of heat exhaustion, lay the child down and elevate feet lightly. Remove heavy or tight clothing to make the body light. Have the child drink water, preferably mixed with sugar and salt, or any other non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated beverage. Spray or sponge the child’s body with cold water and fan her to keep her cool. Take the child to a medical practitioner to ascertain the child is well and the stroke is not too severe. Heat sickness can be life threatening, ensure the child gets proper medical care.

Tendon Injury

Sometimes, due to over exposure, tendons or the muscle tissue that attaches a muscle to the bone, may get inflamed or injured. This can be very painful. Apply ice pack as the injury occurs, and seek medical help immediately. This type of injury may require a break from physical activity, duration of which a doctor may advise.

Head Trauma

Any injury that occurs on the head should be taken seriously. It can be a concussion. A concussion can result in:
·         Loss of memory
·         Disturbed vision, blurry or stars
·         Slow reflexes or response
It can be a serious condition. In case of any injury to the head, apply ice pack and rush the child immediately to a hospital to seek medical advice.

One cannot avoid sports injury, it’s a part of the package. But parents can ensure proper preventive measures are in place.
1.    Ensure kids are wearing safety gear like helmets, knee pads etc. at all times on the field, while playing.
2.    Ensure kids have done their warm-ups properly before they start their game. If the body is warm and flexible, chances of injury are reduced.
3.    Ensure the child has access to plenty of fluids so that the body stays hydrated. Fluids would include water, lemonade and sports drinks. Avoid soda and caffeinated drinks.


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