Why does every youth sports league insist that I download some crappy app for messaging?

[Anonymous]

It would be fine if DC were just involved in an athletic team and there was only one app. But each *type* of activity has their own apps. So if your kid is in music, sports, scouts, and/or some other thing at school, that's multiple siloed forms of communication. I only have one kid, and I don't think DC is involved in a lot, but we have separate apps for the school-year team, the summer team, another school activity, and scouts. That's 4 apps just for one kid. At least I can opt for email for a couple of them.

[Anonymous]

I'd say the majority of people on here are dissatisfied with the apps. I certainly am. I hate them, and I've tried to talk to coaches and league administrators, but I always get stonewalled. How do we fix it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the majority of people on here are dissatisfied with the apps. I certainly am. I hate them, and I've tried to talk to coaches and league administrators, but I always get stonewalled. How do we fix it?

As a league admin, I’ll tell you when our old site’s app got shut down (we were on League Athletics, RIP), people complained.

We offer app integration but don’t require anyone to use it. You can do everything via our website and email. Most people use the app.

And yes, it costs us. A lot actually.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't mind it if there was just one app that everyone used.

[Anonymous]

Its easier for the coaches rather than typing in all the email addresses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the majority of people on here are dissatisfied with the apps. I certainly am. I hate them, and I've tried to talk to coaches and league administrators, but I always get stonewalled. How do we fix it?

Because, the sad truth is parents don't actually want the information and complain no matter how we attempt to deliver it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its easier for the coaches rather than typing in all the email addresses.

weird complaint. coaches inevitably do that at least once at the beginning of the season. and they could just turn that into a group list. after that, they'd only have to type in the group name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the majority of people on here are dissatisfied with the apps. I certainly am. I hate them, and I've tried to talk to coaches and league administrators, but I always get stonewalled. How do we fix it?

Because, the sad truth is parents don't actually want the information and complain no matter how we attempt to deliver it.

Parents don't want to know when and where to be? As a parent, nothing aggravates me more than showing up at the designated place and time only to find out that it was rescheduled at the last minute and the only notice of that change was 1 chat message from the coach in the app amid 10 other messages that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its easier for the coaches rather than typing in all the email addresses.

weird complaint. coaches inevitably do that at least once at the beginning of the season. and they could just turn that into a group list. after that, they'd only have to type in the group name.

The rec league auto loads the teams into the app.
The coaches never have to type out email addresses or send emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its easier for the coaches rather than typing in all the email addresses.

weird complaint. coaches inevitably do that at least once at the beginning of the season. and they could just turn that into a group list. after that, they'd only have to type in the group name.

The rec league auto loads the teams into the app.
The coaches never have to type out email addresses or send emails.

You misunderstood my comment. Every team my kids have ever been on has begun with an EMAIL to all the parents, even if communications were eventually moved over to an app. To send that email, the coach must type in all the email addresses. Since that's happening regardless of whether there's an app, and since that can easily be converted to a group email list, the earlier complaint that coaches prefer the apps so that they don't have to type parent emails doesn't hold up as a legitimate reason for force us to use the apps.

[Anonymous]

So volunteer to coach yourself and communicte solely via email.

[Anonymous]

The apps have so many more features that make it easier for the coaches and the parents. You can see the entire schedule in one place all the time, see any changes quickly, and indicate whether your kid is attending right in the app. You can see scores, results. Some of the apps can integrate people signing up for volunteer jobs. Email doesn't have the same functionality at all. What annoys me is when they don't just use the app and also email me.

[Anonymous]

My kids do a ton of activities each and some are still just email based and some are on apps. An app with a lot of functionality where that's the sole mode of communication and there is no feature for parent "chatting" or texting back and forth within the app is the best option, imo.

Swimtopia is awesome, for example. So much better than when everything was email based and we were having to then be funneled to google forms and sign up genius.

The most annoying option is emailing AND using app and having conflicting information provided. Pick a lane.

[Anonymous]

My kids are older now, but I liked using the apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its easier for the coaches rather than typing in all the email addresses.

weird complaint. coaches inevitably do that at least once at the beginning of the season. and they could just turn that into a group list. after that, they'd only have to type in the group name.

The rec league auto loads the teams into the app.
The coaches never have to type out email addresses or send emails.

You misunderstood my comment. Every team my kids have ever been on has begun with an EMAIL to all the parents, even if communications were eventually moved over to an app. To send that email, the coach must type in all the email addresses. Since that's happening regardless of whether there's an app, and since that can easily be converted to a group email list, the earlier complaint that coaches prefer the apps so that they don't have to type parent emails doesn't hold up as a legitimate reason for force us to use the apps.

Not everyone wants e-mail. When we're at a tournament and times and locations are changing last minute, I prefer team snap because it syncs with my calendar and automatically updates. I also like that I can add it on my kids' phone so I don't constantly get asked what color uniform or what time the game is