The WhatsApp bot for basketball coaches: practice RSVPs and attendance

Practice, then game day

Practice and game day need different messages, and the bot takes either. A practice message carries the time, the court, how long the session runs and what the coach is working on, so a parent can tell a ball-handling and shooting night from a game. A game message carries the tip-off time, the venue and anything a player needs to bring. The team gets the one that applies to them.

Building the roster before you leave

The reply list is the roster for that session. A coach can see who is in, who is out and who has not answered yet, and can nudge the last few before leaving for the court.

• The team and age group, so the right families get the message.
• The day, the time and the court.
• How long the session runs, or the tip-off time for a game.
• A kit or drink note, when there is one.
• Who is coming, who is out, and who still needs a nudge.

Attendance is not the same as a reply

Parents reply about a player, and players do not always arrive. The bot collects the replies, and the coach marks the actual attendance after the session, so the record shows who trained rather than who said they would.

Nothing new for families to install

Players and parents keep using WhatsApp. A coach sets up the team by messaging the bot, and families reply on the phone they already carry. The bot never adds anyone to a group chat.