All-Star Summer Sandbox

[dawgshow]

@Sparkscheerma - maybe that's the problem. You do too much.
People want a small checklist, the shorter the better. They have too much in their super-busy lives to do to read a newsletter, fb page and emails and texts and, and, and...
I love Little/Sacha's team mom but I don't even read her "inbox assaults" until I have a good long time to browse.

Guilty of this. When I get an email that is long enough to be turned in for a grade I tend to skim it for the important words. Also, if you leave me a voicemail that's longer than 15-20 seconds, I'll stop listening and call you back because you obviously want a conversation.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Commuications was my speciality when I assisted coached too. I found that specific wording in the email title helped. "CHANGE of venue", "NEW date for game". "UPDATED directions".

I also made them acknowledge some emails. "To ensure that everyone knows that we are meeting at North at 6:30 for the bus"" reply Gotcha to me asap.

This.

I literally sent out an email last night called, "THIS email has all recital details in one place for you" and the first half of it is bullet points (address, call times). Then I put in bold yellow highlighted "Below you will find all the details you'll need for each day this weekend. Please print or save this email. Any questions you have are probably answered below."

Other emails have been named "Reply ASAP - schedule change!"

If I just call it "dress rehearsal schedule" or something, I'll get 67 emails and phone calls asking who/what/when/where/why/how is dress rehearsal. Now I'll only get about 37.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[cheerisloving]

This.

I literally sent out an email last night called, "THIS email has all recital details in one place for you" and the first half of it is bullet points (address, call times). Then I put in bold yellow highlighted "Below you will find all the details you'll need for each day this weekend. Please print or save this email. Any questions you have are probably answered below."

Other emails have been named "Reply ASAP - schedule change!"

If I just call it "dress rehearsal schedule" or something, I'll get 67 emails and phone calls asking who/what/when/where/why/how is dress rehearsal. Now I'll only get about 37.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

My college coach normal says OPEN IMMEDIATELY in the subject line, and then the email is just whatever important info.

My HS coach was KNOWN for multiple emails throughout the school day, about what practice would look like, what uniform to wear for a game, last minute changes, or her concerns. She was not afraid of red, bolded and caps lock. And when she was mad, there was definitely some shade. Granted, my teammates didn't understand the importance of checking email, but once we drilled into their heads, they did. I think getting important emails at an early age is a good life skill to have.

 

[cheerKT]

Oh it never changes. I work for the county Bar and we have over 5,000 members. These are EDUCATED people with JDs who practice law. I work in communications and events, so as you would expect I'm usually the first one to get the questions - usually of stuff I've already communicated.

The worst ones are the new admittees. The ones who recently passed the Bar and are being sworn in to practice. My colleague and I are in charge of scheduling those ceremonies and registering the new attorneys. We have allllll the info on our website, in an automated response email when they register and send it out again a few days before the session. With some of the questions I get....I swear. It's like their brain is fried from law school and the minute they get that passage letter it all goes out the window.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

My college coach normal says OPEN IMMEDIATELY in the subject line, and then the email is just whatever important info.

My HS coach was KNOWN for multiple emails throughout the school day, about what practice would look like, what uniform to wear for a game, last minute changes, or her concerns. She was not afraid of red, bolded and caps lock. And when she was mad, there was definitely some shade. Granted, my teammates didn't understand the importance of checking email, but once we drilled into their heads, they did. I think getting important emails at an early age is a good life skill to have.

See... Both of these would not work with anyone I know. Multiple emails in one day? No. People have other things to do besides read email - like maybe DO whatever the email is saying (and shade and red, bolded caps lock is NEVER professional or acceptable in business emails, no matter who you're sending it to.)

And if it says "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" that's useless to me. One, if every email says that, you'd start to just roll your eyes and keep scrolling, and two, she's forgetting the number one rule of email. Make the subject line relevant and searchable. If I'm later looking for one particular email, searching "open immediately" is not what I'm going to do. I'm going to search, "Practice schedule" or whatever.

Titling your emails "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" guarantees you'll get a bazillion questions later, because the info is unsearchable and therefore unfindable. Ditto for 57 emails a day - I'm not looking thru 57 emails to see what to wear.

Send me ONE email with what I need to know, title it something useful, and I'll read it. Make it too difficult and I'm calling you, asking you for the info.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[cheerisloving]

See... Both of these would not work with anyone I know. Multiple emails in one day? No. People have other things to do besides read email - like maybe DO whatever the email is saying (and shade and red, bolded caps lock is NEVER professional or acceptable in business emails, no matter who you're sending it to.)

And if it says "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" that's useless to me. One, if every email says that, you'd start to just roll your eyes and keep scrolling, and two, she's forgetting the number one rule of email. Make the subject line relevant and searchable. If I'm later looking for one particular email, searching "open immediately" is not what I'm going to do. I'm going to search, "Practice schedule" or whatever.

Titling your emails "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" guarantees you'll get a bazillion questions later, because the info is unsearchable and therefore unfindable. Ditto for 57 emails a day - I'm not looking thru 57 emails to see what to wear.

Send me ONE email with what I need to know, title it something useful, and I'll read it. Make it too difficult and I'm calling you, asking you for the info.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

I had to go back and check, and the OPEN IMMEDIATELY was usually accompanied with the purpose of the email i.e. what to do for NCAA tournaments, last minute travel arrangements ect. So it saved for things that were more important. Other emails were pretty simple.

My HS coach did used the all caps, red ink, bold in more of her issue/concern emails. Never in her emails with parents copied on it. Her relationship with us, was always like 'cool mom' because she knew almost all of us on a personal level so emails weren't super serious. Multiple emails a day was RARE, but did happen.

I can say that I've been out of school for a year, but a few days ago I wanted to hear our music from my sophmore year (2011) and I could pull it up from an email.

 

[mamabear]

I would be afraid that OPEN IMMEDIATELY would be tagged as spam.

 

[cheerKT]

See... Both of these would not work with anyone I know. Multiple emails in one day? No. People have other things to do besides read email - like maybe DO whatever the email is saying (and shade and red, bolded caps lock is NEVER professional or acceptable in business emails, no matter who you're sending it to.)

And if it says "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" that's useless to me. One, if every email says that, you'd start to just roll your eyes and keep scrolling, and two, she's forgetting the number one rule of email. Make the subject line relevant and searchable. If I'm later looking for one particular email, searching "open immediately" is not what I'm going to do. I'm going to search, "Practice schedule" or whatever.

Titling your emails "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" guarantees you'll get a bazillion questions later, because the info is unsearchable and therefore unfindable. Ditto for 57 emails a day - I'm not looking thru 57 emails to see what to wear.

Send me ONE email with what I need to know, title it something useful, and I'll read it. Make it too difficult and I'm calling you, asking you for the info.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Communications 101: Information overload WILL lead to your voice getting tuned out by recipients. Even the important stuff. Streamline communication into limited, but important, messages and you will get a much better response.

SEE MOM, I did learn stuff in journalism school. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to make a student loan payment to pay off this incredibly expensive piece of paper I have displayed at my desk.

 

[CharlotteASMom]

Having managed complicated travel soccer teams for 10ish years now I'd say I've done all the stuff above. I've learned the following some of which has already been suggested:

- send one email each week with all the info for the week included. Subject line is always "Team Updates - Week of June ....." Make sure it's always sent at relatively the same time each week. I always liked Monday mornings.
- only send additional emails if there's a change. Add CHANGE to the subject line already in place.
- the more you send your team in emails, texts, etc the lazier they get. Skip the extra texts reminders or social media updates. Stay with the one email.
- no matter what you do someone will ask you for information already provided. My response is ALWAYS - "Do I not have your correct email address? That info was sent on Monday." I literally make them go find the email to get the information unless there is a valid reason that they can't get to it.

I had several years where I "babied" the parents with lots of options for communication and those were the same years that I got the most questions.

Good luck!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Thanks for all of the input!

I DO tend to stick to ONE email per week UNLESS there is a last-minute change I need people to know about. My weekly email is set up kind of like a weekly agenda with important things (e.g. things that have deadlines or are just really important) in bold or red.

Example:

Tuesday 6/9

• Practice: NOON- 2 in West Gym (blue tank/gold shorts/white bow)
• Tumbling at Westside: 6-7:30 (OPTIONAL DAY)
• DUE: YOUTH CLINIC GROUP LEADER APPLICATIONS (5:00 PM)

I think this format works well just because no one has time to read full sentences. Based on that, you really have no reason to text and ask "What do we wear Monday?" Isn't that clear enough?

In terms of emails I send when there are CHANGES, the subject will read (example) TIME CHANGE - FITTINGS (yes, all caps) and will just say "Fittings will now take place in the East Gym at 9 AM." Change is in bold. Simple enough, right?

I generally don't request a response, but I think that is something I will start based on your suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Sparkscheerma]

@Sparkscheerma - maybe that's the problem. You do too much.
People want a small checklist, the shorter the better. They have too much in their super-busy lives to do to read a newsletter, fb page and emails and texts and, and, and...
I love Little/Sacha's team mom but I don't even read her "inbox assaults" until I have a good long time to browse.

Your right! I probably do too much sometimes. Less is more. ;) I try to remember that when I put out the information.

Actually, I just started a blog that automatically updates our website, which is cool. I don't have to login all the time to update the site. So now, in our emails, I started to only put a short description of what I need to talk about and then I'll include a blog link. If the parents or players want more information they can click on the link whenever they want. This way people won't get bogged down with a wordy email. Helps with getting the info out about all our fundraising events. Now, everyone can quickly skim over the information in the email and then further pursue the details at their leisure. We will see if this helps. The fact that the blog helps me kill two birds with one stone and saves me time is a win win in my book. :D

 

[dawgshow]

Thanks for all of the input!

I DO tend to stick to ONE email per week UNLESS there is a last-minute change need people to know about. My weekly email is set up kind of like a weekly agenda with important things (e.g. things that have deadlines or are just really important) in bold or red.

Example:

Tuesday 6/9

• Practice: NOON- 2 in West Gym (blue tank/gold shorts/white bow)
• Tumbling at Westside: 6-7:30 (OPTIONAL DAY)
• DUE: YOUTH CLINIC GROUP LEADER APPLICATIONS (5:00 PM)

I think this format works well just because no one has time to read full sentences. Based on that, you really have no reason to text and ask "What do we wear Monday?" Isn't that clear enough?

In terms of emails I send when there are CHANGES, the subject will read (example) TIME CHANGE - FITTINGS (yes, all caps) and will just say "Fittings will now take place in the East Gym at 9 AM." Change is in bold. Simple enough, right?

I generally don't request a response, but I think that is something I will start based on your suggestions. Thanks!

That's actually a perfect format for me. Short and to the point.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Your right! I probably do too much sometimes. Less is more. ;) I try to remember that when I put out the information.

Actually, I just started a blog that automatically updates our website, which is cool. I don't have to login all the time to update the site. So now, in our emails, I started to only put a short description of what I need to talk about and then I'll include a blog link. If the parents or players want more information they can click on the link whenever they want. This way people won't get bogged down with a wordy email. Helps with getting the info out about all our fundraising events. Now, everyone can quickly skim over the information in the email and then further pursue the details at their leisure. We will see if this helps. The fact that the blog helps me kill two birds with one stone and saves me time is a win win in my book. :D

Ok, hang on.
You have a blog, a Facebook page a newsletter, a group chat and emails? When someone asks you a question regarding something that was addressed in one (or all) of these places, do you answer the question or refer the questioner back to the blog/FB/group chat/email? Don't enable laziness. If you have communicated the info once/twice/three/four times and places, there's no reason for you to repeat yourself a fifth time. Remind them the info was provided on the blog, FB, email, group chat and they can find it there.
The fact that they're even asking shows you're putting an awful lot of work into something that people aren't paying attention to.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

My Coach typically does a weekly Monday email with everything we need to know for the week. It's nice because we know when to expect info about our schedule for the week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SheCheers]

I'm going be honest here and say that I'm that person that doesn't read emails and probably asks someone questions I have the answers to somewhere in my plethora of nonsense that has become my inbox. I promise you, though, that i do try to find it on my own first. I have 4 kids, who were at 4 different schools this past school year. That means one email newsletter per school per week. then a classroom newsletter for the two youngest per week. then a CLASS newsletter for most of each of my oldest two kids' core classes per week. even my 6th graders PE teacher sent out a weekly email. On top of school stuff, there is a weekly dance newsletter and a weekly Lacrosse update. The only emails i read are the ones I'm NOT used to seeing all. the. time. If there is something I specifically have to be a part of, I'm not going to catch it in one of those weekly newsletters that i delete without reading. I'm sure there is a mom with one child who reads that preschool newsletter from cover to cover every week. and I'm sure she loves it. but it's not for everyone.

I think GroupMe is the most useful thing in the world for giving information. i love that I wake up on cheer practice morning with a quick "happy :::insert day::: today the girls wear X practice wear! see you at 7:30!" This is the epitome of "best way to communicate" for me. short, useful, pleasant and to the point.