Ways to Use A Group Chat with Your Team

The value of having a group chat for your team goes beyond mere convenience. It fosters collaboration, camaraderie, and effective communication, contributing significantly to the success of the team’s goals and endeavors.

Whether you have a text chain or use a group messaging app (GroupMe, All-In, Remind, etc.), being able to communicate with your team through mass messaging is a valuable tool.

Having a group chat bonds the people in your group, allows new friendships and relationships to blossom, and creates a safe space for communication.

It’s also a massive time saver/organizer and an opportunity to further promote your culture as a coach.

I’d recommend having two group chats:

• one with all the members in the program
• one with just your coaching staff
• (and maybe one with your coaching staff and parents)

So, why have a group chat?

1. Instant communication between players and coaches: schedule changes, updates to plans, cancellations, communication about school events, sign ups, etc. — the options are endless
2. Efficiency in communication: let’s say there’s a snow day or practice gets moved from 3pm to 330pm because volleyball needs the gym — all it takes is one message and every knows (instead of making 30 phone calls
3. More opportunities to promote your culture: Send your team quotes, promote positive behavior that represents your standards, share thoughts on leadership, etc.
4. Keep basketball on their minds, even in the off-season or if you don’t see them too often
5. It’s a running record: players don’t have to individually ask you questions…they can just check the group chat
6. It promotes belonging and “team”: You’ll be amazed at how often your players refer to the group chat, the amount of inside jokes that develop, and how almost everyone on the team will participate in some capacity

Here are a few other ways you can use your group chat:

• share video clips of other teams or players as examples for your team
• share video clips of YOUR team — you could almost do a film session via group chat
• share video clips of teams you are scouting, their tendencies, their personnel, and more so your teams are prepared
• send the practice plan so players know what to expect
• send motivational messages to your group
• send daily workouts or workout goals to your players
• ask your players using poll features about areas where they have a voice
• discuss things going on in the basketball world (NBA or college games, March Madness, etc.)
• remind your team about important dates on the school calendar

You can make your group chat as simple and basic as you want…or you can use it as an intentional tool in your program.

Maybe you just want to have a group chat with your coaches. There are tons of benefit there as well.

Do whatever is best for you.

Regardless of HOW you use the tool, there are plenty of positives in starting a group chat.

How else have you guys used your group chats?