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How do I get my coaches to use the platform when they are already busy?

As an athletic director or school administrator, one of the most common questions you may have is: How do I get my coaches to use FinalForms?

Coach Clay, the CEO and co-founder of FinalForms, knows firsthand the challenges coaches face. With limited time and so many responsibilities, it can be tough to get coaches to fully adopt a new system. But FinalForms is designed to make the process as easy as possible.

Here’s how you can get your coaches on board and make their lives easier while ensuring the safety and success of your student-athletes.

1: Keep It Simple: Green Means Go, Red Means No

The key to getting coaches to embrace FinalForms is simplicity. Coaches are busy, so we’ve built FinalForms to make it as easy as possible to stay on top of what matters.

• Green means go: If a student-athlete is marked green, it means they are cleared and ready to participate.
• Red means no: If they are red, it means something is missing—whether it's medical information, clearance, or other required documents.

For coaches, the minimum commitment should be checking FinalForms once a day to see who is cleared (green) and who is not (red). This helps coaches make informed decisions about who can practice or play, ensuring they’re never caught off guard by missing information.

2: The Importance of Clearing Red Students

It’s crucial to note that when a student is marked red, the coach may not have important information such as medical conditions (allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc.) on file. In the event of an emergency, this could be a risk.

• Green means go, which means you have everything you need for that student to participate safely.
• Red means no, and it’s up to the coach to take action to ensure that red students are cleared before they can participate.

Coaches should take a few minutes each day to review their team's status, which can prevent any potential safety issues during practice or games.

3: Benefits Beyond the Basics: Advanced Features for Tech-Savvy Coaches

For coaches who are more comfortable with technology, FinalForms offers a range of advanced features that make managing student-athletes even easier.

Some of the benefits include:

• Taking attendance: Coaches can take attendance quickly and efficiently in FinalForms.
• Communicating with parents: Send messages to parents directly through the platform.
• Managing inventory: Keep track of equipment, uniforms, and other gear.
• Managing awards: Easily track and manage awards for student-athletes.

These features can save time, reduce risk, and improve communication among coaches, athletic departments, parents, and students.

4: Start Simple, Then Build: Get Coaches on Board Gradually

We understand that coaches may be hesitant at first, but once they start using FinalForms, the benefits will become clear. The key is to start simple. Encourage your coaches to check their dashboard daily for student-athlete status—green means go, red means no.

Once they get the hang of that, introduce them to more advanced features like attendance tracking, messaging, and inventory management. Encourage them to share their positive experiences with colleagues after their first season, and soon you’ll see every coach in your department using FinalForms efficiently.

5: Save Time, Reduce Risk, and Improve Communication

While it might take a little time to adjust, FinalForms ultimately saves coaches a lot of time and effort. It reduces risk by ensuring all medical forms and emergency information are up to date, and it helps improve communication between coaches, athletic departments, parents, and student-athletes.

Simple, Effective, and Essential

Coaches are the backbone of any athletic program, and FinalForms is built to make their jobs easier while keeping students safe and organized. By encouraging your coaches to take just a few minutes a day to check the status of their student-athletes and gradually introduce them to more advanced features, you'll help them save time, reduce liability, and improve communication.

Thanks for using FinalForms, and remember—green means go, red means no!