Sports clubs
don’t prepare or plan for situations like the Coronavirus pandemic
and social distancing. Nobody does. But we are stuck in this
situation, not for good. People are scared, it’s a social quandary
out there. The last thing you need in a situation like this is
miscommunication.
The problem is
that with social media, there is no tab on communication and
miscommunication. Misleading messages, quack recipes of antidotes,
and what not. As the athletic director, or the coach of the team who
wants the best for their team, you wouldn’t want your team to fall
in trap of spurious information, or get caught in an emotionally
stifling state.
At InstaTeam, we
understand the value of right communication and team connection. If
you’ve been deliberating about a communication strategy for your
team, here’s some help.
Choose leaders
The first step is
to choose people who will take control of the communication within a
team. For each team choose a captain, preferably a player. If the
team consists of players less than 14 years of age, you can choose
one of the parents. There will be loads of coordinating required. For
instance if you have decided on virtual physical training alongside
some game-strategy classes that you want to hold, you’ll need the
team captain to communicate and coordinate with the team for the
same.
Make ground
rules
The team players,
captains or parents, no one should be allowed to send out any
information on the pandemic until that comes from the coach or
athletic director of the club. Period.
Be proactive
Think of all the
issues worrying parents and players, send messages answering those
specific concerns before you are asked about them. For instance,
parents would want to know how does the fees work, while there is no
field practice, or players might want to know if just a few games are
cancelled or the whole season is? Make official communication about
these things at the earliest, since uncertainty creates unrest.
Create your
FAQs
There would be so
many things people might want to ask. It would be best to prepare a
list of FAQs and put it up on the club/school website. Share the link
with the team.
Offer help or
link to resources that help
It is a difficult
time. People are going to need help. Offer talk sessions for the team
where everyone can talk about how they are feeling. If you find
someone in distress, offer help. There are councillors who are
dedicatedly handling cases of mental and emotional distress caused by
the pandemic. There are helpline numbers for each state, ask team
members to reach out.
Trust
InstaTeam
InstaTeam’s
notifications feature is the perfect way to communicate, especially
during this kind of a situation. With a two way messenger, people
fall in the trap of unnecessary arbitrary discussions that lead to
nothing and the real message is lost. With InstaTeam, you can live
stream coach messages, important information from the authorities
etc.
If you are
looking for any assistance with your communication plan, do contact
us, we’d be happy to help. Email us – support@instateam.net.
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