Coach Season Management Guide — GoClubPro

Training Module 39 | Complete Season Workflow for Coaches & Selectors

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What This Guide Covers

Everything a coach needs to manage their team from pre-season to grand final, using GoClubPro as the operational backbone. This goes deeper than the Squad Builder tutorial — it covers the full season arc.

Primary audience: Coaches, Selectors Secondary audience: Club Admins who support coaches

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PRE-SEASON: GETTING READY

Step 1: Verify Your Access

Before the season starts, confirm you have the right role.

1. Log in → check your name in the top corner
2. Look for Selection Board in your navigation — if it's not there, you don't have Coach role
3. Contact your Club Admin to assign you the Coach role for your specific team

What the Coach role gives you:

• Squad Builder access for your assigned team's fixtures
• View of all player availability signals (RSVP, blockout, injury)
• Ability to confirm and update squads
• Attendance recording after matches

What it does NOT give you:

• Access to other teams' squad builders (unless assigned to multiple teams)
• Financial data (that's Treasurer access)
• Ability to change member roles or invite new members

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Step 2: Know Your Roster

Before your first fixture, familiarise yourself with your player pool.

1. Admin Panel → Teams → click your team name
2. Review the members list — these are the players available in your Squad Builder

Check for:

• Missing players (if someone isn't listed, contact the Admin — they need to be assigned to the team)
• Player profile photos (helps you identify new or unfamiliar players)
• Players who appear in multiple teams (they may have dual commitments)

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Step 3: Pre-Season Communication

Send a pre-season message to your team using the Noticeboard (if enabled) or ask your Admin to broadcast:

Suggested pre-season message to share:

"Hi [Team Name],

Welcome to the [Season] season. A few things to do in GoClubPro before Round 1:

1. Check your profile is complete (name, photo, emergency contact)
2. Set blockout dates for any unavailable periods (holidays, work travel, etc.)
3. RSVP to fixtures as they approach — I'll send reminders
4. Pay your registration fee so you're eligible for selection

I'll be selecting squads via the app — you'll get a notification when you're named. Questions? Message me directly or post on the Noticeboard."

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WEEKLY WORKFLOW DURING THE SEASON

Tuesday: Check RSVP Status

1. Open Selection Board
2. Click the upcoming weekend fixture
3. Look at the player pool — note the RSVP status icons next to each name:

• ✅ Green tick = RSVPed Going
• ❌ Red cross = RSVPed Not Going
• ⏸ Grey = No RSVP yet
• 🔴 Injury badge = Active injury flag
• 📅 Calendar badge = Blockout covering this date

4. If fewer than 70% have RSVPed, send a reminder (ask Admin to broadcast, or post to Noticeboard)

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Wednesday: Early Squad Planning

1. Open Squad Builder for the weekend fixture
2. Without confirming yet, drag players into your provisional squad
3. This is your planning view — you can see who's available at a glance
4. Note any players who are borderline (injury, not RSVPed yet)
5. Save as Draft (don't confirm yet — gives players time to update RSVP)

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Thursday/Friday: Finalise and Confirm

1. Reopen Squad Builder
2. Review any RSVP changes since Wednesday
3. Check injury badge — has anyone flagged as injured since Tuesday?
4. Finalise your 11/18/22 (or however many your sport requires)
5. Click Confirm Squad
6. All selected players receive a push notification and email immediately

Notification players receive:

"[Team Name] vs [Opponent] — [Date] You've been selected. Check the Schedule for match details."

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Saturday/Sunday: Match Day

Before the match:

• Use the Squad Builder to view your confirmed squad list (handy reference on your phone)
• Check if any late withdrawals have texted you — if so, use Update Squad immediately

After the match:

1. Admin Panel → Schedule → click the completed fixture
2. Enter the match result (if not auto-synced from your league platform)
3. Record attendance — which players from the squad actually showed up
4. This data feeds player stats and the attendance% shown in the Squad Builder

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Sunday Evening: Reflect on Data

Review these questions:

1. Any player who's been selected 3+ times but attends less than 50%? Address it.
2. Any player who RSVPs Going every week but you haven't selected? Are they being communicated with?
3. Any injury flags not cleared that should be cleared? Remind the player to update.

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USING AVAILABILITY SIGNALS EFFECTIVELY

Reading the Signals

The Squad Builder shows four signals per player. Understanding the hierarchy:

Priority (highest to lowest):
1. Injury flag — shown but doesn't block selection; your call
2. Blockout — strong unavailability signal; overrides RSVP
3. RSVP (Not Going)— player has said no
4. No RSVP — unknown; player hasn't responded
5. RSVP (Going) — player expects to play

The green zone: RSVP Going + No Blockout + No Injury = reliably available
The amber zone: RSVP Going + No Blockout + Injury = available but check
The red zone: Blockout (regardless of RSVP) = treat as unavailable

What to Do When RSVP and Blockout Conflict

If a player has RSVPed Going but has a blockout for the same date:

• Blockout takes priority — the player set the blockout before (or after) RSVPing
• Contact the player directly to clarify which is correct
• Until clarified, treat them as unavailable

Flagging Unresponsive Players

If a player never RSVPs:

1. The app sends RSVP reminders to players with upcoming fixtures
2. You can also post a specific reminder on the Noticeboard
3. Persistent non-responders: address in a team meeting; the app can't force responses
4. Selection consequence: tell players that missing RSVP may result in non-selection — this usually fixes the problem

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MANAGING SQUAD CHANGES

Late Withdrawal

If a confirmed player pulls out after squad confirmation:

1. Selection Board → click the fixture → Open Squad Builder
2. Click the withdrawing player in the right panel → remove them
3. Click the replacement player from the left panel → add them
4. Click Update Squad
5. Notifications sent: the withdrawn player is notified of removal; replacement is notified of selection

Best practice: Call the replacement directly in addition to the app notification, especially for late changes.

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Player Injured During the Match

If a player is injured during the match and needs to flag this:

1. They go to their own Profile → Health & Injury → Report Injury
2. Coaches can see the injury badge from the next time Squad Builder loads
3. You cannot flag an injury on behalf of a player in GoClubPro — the player must self-report

Coach communication: Immediately after a match injury, contact the player directly. Follow up to ensure they update their injury status in the app — if they don't, they'll show as available in Squad Builder when they're not.

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Player Recovery — Clearance Workflow

When an injured player recovers:

1. Player goes to: Profile → Health & Injury → Mark as Recovered
2. Their injury badge disappears from the Squad Builder
3. They are now visible in the "available" pool again

No medical certificate required in the app — the recovery flag is self-managed. For your club's duty of care, establish a separate protocol (e.g., verbal clearance from the player or parent for juniors).

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MULTI-TEAM COACHING

If you coach more than one team (e.g., Seniors and Reserves, or two age groups):

1. Your Squad Builder shows a team selector at the top when you have multiple team assignments
2. Select the team, then select the fixture
3. Each team has its own Squad Builder and player pool — they don't share players unless a player is assigned to both teams

Player in two teams: Some clubs allow a player to play in both Seniors and Reserves in the same weekend (split round). Assign them to both teams. They can receive two selection notifications for the same weekend. Communicate clearly with the player about which game takes priority.

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SEASON STATISTICS FOR SELECTION

The Squad Builder shows each player's attendance percentage — this is the number of times they showed up vs. the number of times they were selected.

Using this in selection:

• Low attendance% (under 50%) means a player is often selected but doesn't appear
• High attendance with consistent Going RSVPs = reliable player
• Use this for end-of-season awards and to have honest conversations about commitment

Note: Attendance% only counts from when they were selected. A player who RSVPs Going but isn't selected doesn't affect their attendance%.

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END-OF-SEASON COACH CHECKLIST

• Record all outstanding match results (Admin Panel → Schedule → enter results)
• Record attendance for all remaining fixtures
• Clear stale injury flags: remind injured players who've recovered to update their profile
• Note top performers' attendance and match stats for awards
• Provide admin with any notes about team membership for next season (who's returning, who's leaving)
• Review your squad selection patterns — who was consistently reliable? Who had attendance issues?

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VISUAL: Weekly Coaching Rhythm

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
────────── ────────── ────────── ────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
Record last Check RSVP Plan squad Check for Confirm MATCH DAY Record
week's status for in Builder RSVP squad → ────────── result +
attendance this week's (Draft) updates + notification Reference attendance
+ result fixture ───────── late injury sent to squad on
 ───────── Make note reports players your phone
 Nudge of who's ───────── ─────────
 unresponsive borderline Finalise Call any
 players squad callups
 lineup directly

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TOOLTIPS & HINTS

• Confirm on Thursday, not Friday — gives players time to arrange transport/childcare after notification
• Update Squad, don't re-confirm — if you need to change a squad after confirmation, use "Update Squad" not "Confirm Squad" again; re-confirming sends a second round of notifications to all players
• Attendance recording matters — the data you enter after each game feeds the Squad Builder stats; coaches who don't record attendance eventually have useless player cards
• Injury badge ≠ unavailable — you can still select an injured player; the badge is information, not a block
• No RSVP ≠ not playing — some players never RSVP but always show up; use judgment alongside the data

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FAQ

Q: A player says they were selected but got no notification. What happened? A: Check their profile — push notifications require the app to be installed and notifications enabled. Email notifications require their email to be verified. If both are set up, check if the confirmation was sent before they installed the app.

Q: Can I see which players are in other teams' squads for the same fixture? A: No — Squad Builders are team-specific. If a player is in multiple teams and you want to know if another coach has already selected them, contact that coach directly.

Q: I accidentally confirmed the wrong player. Can I undo it? A: Yes — open Squad Builder → Update Squad → remove the player and add the correct one. The incorrectly selected player receives a "removed from squad" notification.

Q: A player has had an injury badge for 6 weeks but is clearly playing fine. What do I do? A: Ask the player to update their injury status: Profile → Health & Injury → Mark as Recovered. You can't clear it on their behalf.

Q: The minimum squad size check is preventing me from confirming. What does that mean? A: GoClubPro requires a minimum number of players to be selected before confirmation is allowed. This is configured per competition. If you're short, the Confirm button stays greyed out — you need to add more players.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT

"As a coach in GoClubPro, your weekly routine is: Tuesday — check who's RSVPed for the weekend. Wednesday — plan your squad in Draft mode. Thursday or Friday — confirm it. Saturday — reference it on your phone. Sunday — record the result and attendance. The Squad Builder shows you three signals per player: RSVP status, blockout dates, and injury flags. Blockout trumps RSVP — if a player has a calendar badge, treat them as unavailable even if they RSVPed Going. When you confirm, every selected player is notified instantly. That's the core loop."

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MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS

• Check RSVPs Tuesday; confirm squad Thursday or Friday — not Sunday night
• Blockout > RSVP in priority — calendar badge = treat as unavailable
• After each match: record result and attendance (Sunday evening habit)
• Late withdrawal after confirmation? Update Squad → replace → notifications auto-sent
• Injury badge doesn't block selection — it's information, not a lock
• Player never RSVPs? Tell them missed RSVPs = non-selection next week

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TROUBLESHOOTING

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Training Module 39 | See also: 05 Selection Board · 08 Player Profile · 03 Schedule