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Post by wingt2009 on Jun 9, 2011 20:52:30 GMT -6
I'm thinking of starting a Facebook page for our team/program. I took over as head coach last year and controlling the flow of information is a constant challenge (especially in the summer). I want to use it to keep parents and players properly informed of meeting times, camp information, lifting schedule, summer passing dates, practice times, team dinners, etc. I figured that since players/parents are already on Facebook all the time anyway it might be a nice way to keep everyone up-to-date.
Does anyone do this? And what do you guys see as some potential hazards to doing this?
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Post by buckets007 on Jun 10, 2011 1:07:50 GMT -6
We have a public page for the public to view and catch up on the latest news but we also have a players group which is locked and you can only join via invitation, there news and important information can be sent out to players without rival clubs looking in.
Things have run smoothly i think, with no mishaps, the only thing we get told is to not update status' saying we are sore or have a slight injury or niggle somewhere as depending on privacy settings, opposition can look you up and find you're weaknesses and play on them. I don't know how much of that happens but the fact is it does.
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Post by shields on Jun 10, 2011 4:36:35 GMT -6
My Touchdown Club just started one last month. It has been an excellent way of communicating with parents schedules, meeting times, projects, and fundraisers. It has also started linking us with past graduates to begin the process of creating an alumni association. We have received rave reviews from the community thus far.
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Post by dwbish67 on Jun 10, 2011 7:54:31 GMT -6
Dont use Facebook, too many potential problems. I like the use of a team website. We put our calendars on there to get out information.
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Post by thehoodie on Jun 10, 2011 10:11:28 GMT -6
A few threads up, someone posted about using Twitter. The benefit of twitter is that players and parents can subscribe and get the tweets directly to their phone, and you as the admin can get their tweets back to you directly to your phone.
Better than facebook IMO, because you don't have to add them as friends which gets into the whole situation of allowing them to see what else you have on your own facebook page, and the communication is more instantaneous with twitter.
Team website is good, the problem is that kids and parents rarely check websites anymore.
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Post by jgordon1 on Jun 10, 2011 12:10:06 GMT -6
we have a Facebook page but not that many of our players LIKE the page..they have to check their....we are moving to a twitter or similar system. every kid has a phone
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Post by topdog111 on Jun 10, 2011 15:01:12 GMT -6
We have a facebook page along with an athletic web page both have been very good for our team. During the summer it is a very good way to reach your kids in a very rural community.
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Post by coachbb on Jun 10, 2011 15:14:18 GMT -6
Just started a Facebook page for my program a few days ago.
The potential hazards are the typical internet problems: trolling, flaming, and spamming. I set the profanity filter on strict and plan on checking the site daily to eliminate any negative posts.
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tackle
Sophomore Member
Posts: 129
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Post by tackle on Jun 10, 2011 22:29:38 GMT -6
I think you can set the twitter account to avoid "trolling, flaming, and spamming". You can also turn off the fan comment part so you do not need to get into that potential problem. It becomes a way to increase visibility and communication for the football program.
Does any one know if their is cross platform capability. Can someones twitter feed update on your facebook page?
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Post by wingt2009 on Jun 11, 2011 10:31:20 GMT -6
Thanks everyone for the comments. Gives me some things to think about. Have a good summer everybody
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Post by kboyd on Jun 11, 2011 20:47:54 GMT -6
We have an invite only page for the team and it has been a very effective way for us to communicate with the kids.
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onelooneyzeta
Sophomore Member
It doesn't take talent to give effort!
Posts: 236
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Post by onelooneyzeta on Jun 12, 2011 18:45:31 GMT -6
You can can cross communicate with facebook and twitter
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Post by wybulldogs on Jan 19, 2012 23:02:55 GMT -6
Started a page for my Middle School program this past season. It worked perfectly. I posted all schedule updates on the page, as well as the results of all of our games. Included the link/information in the team info handouts that were given to all of my players/parents at our parents meeting the Sunday night before fall camp kicked off. I kept the restrictions on the page set so that I had approval over all posted content on the page, this included comments from fans of the page.
That page saved me countless emails, phone calls, and voice mails that I had been bombarded with daily the previous season.
The page received great feedback, as it kept everyone up to date, and saved me from having to send out mass emails on schedule updates.
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Post by JVD on Jan 19, 2012 23:17:49 GMT -6
DO IT!!! Facebook is by far the most powerful communication tool in the world. I don't see any down side. Absolutely must have for disseminating information. Text is good. Twitter is good. Websites are good. Facebook is a no-brainer. Must have. www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LAnse-Purple-Hornet-Football/227536237636 |
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Post by bluedevil4 on Jan 20, 2012 0:24:41 GMT -6
Another reason why FB is becoming more popular in this profession, is exactly what jvd said. It's great for communication.
Players don't want to go google a website, or find a site through the school's own page. They want the page now, and they want it in a presentation/layout they can easily follow, understand, and have fun with. Facebook is a great option in this case, because it takes no more than one click to get to the page. It's also just like viewing a friend's page for them. They also love getting notifications in their message or update boxes. I know I do lol.
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Post by joshnorton on Jan 20, 2012 7:29:44 GMT -6
Using an open facebook group works very well. Players see alerts whenever a new message is posted in the group they belong to. You can control who posts in the group and restrict it to coaches or admins only if your worried about content.
Sincerely,
Joshua Norton
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tekart
Junior Member
Posts: 298
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Post by tekart on Jan 20, 2012 8:15:35 GMT -6
We use twitter. Kids and parents can text to follow from their phones and don't even have to sign up for twitter.
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Post by Chris Clement on Jan 20, 2012 8:26:34 GMT -6
For the youth kids, I use a locked, secret page with the kids and the parents. I do use it to disseminate information about our scheme and stuff (Obviously not the only method, but I try to hit them with as many media as I can, it's the spaghetti approach to coaching). There's nothing on there I would worry about "getting out," but the kids seem to check it more because it's a big "secret."
It's also good for coordinating practices, which sometimes need to be moved due to blizzards or for getting a parent to sign on for camera duty, and to coordinate carpooling.
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Post by mholst40 on Jan 20, 2012 11:19:13 GMT -6
We have both a team website and a Facebook page. We probably get more hits on our Facebook page though. People want to interact more than they want to just go to a website we have found out. We mainly use the Facebook page to communicate information to parents and fans. We use Hudl text messaging to get in touch with our players now.
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Post by Coach JR on Jan 20, 2012 11:38:05 GMT -6
Dont use Facebook, too many potential problems. I like the use of a team website. We put our calendars on there to get out information. There were some old former coaches down here that were selling something facebook like for football teams. It was private, but set up like facebook for communication. They showed me a couple of the major colleges sites that were using it or something like it. I wouldn't use facebook, I'd want something where the access was controlled, wasn't visible to the public, and you could monitor who logged on. |
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Post by wybulldogs on Jan 20, 2012 11:47:17 GMT -6
I wouldn't use facebook, I'd want something where the access was controlled, wasn't visible to the public, and you could monitor who logged on. As admin of the facebook group page, you can do all of those things. |
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Post by Coach JR on Jan 20, 2012 12:15:22 GMT -6
I wouldn't use facebook, I'd want something where the access was controlled, wasn't visible to the public, and you could monitor who logged on. As admin of the facebook group page, you can do all of those things. I had no idea about that, so in that case, I guess it would be a good thing. I'm not big in to the bookfaces. I have a page, mainly to monitor my daughter's activity on there. All our communication is done via text. Seems to work ok. |
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Post by wybulldogs on Jan 20, 2012 12:20:27 GMT -6
I got tired of constant texts and phone calls from mostly parents. I had an annoying mother who had no problem calling prior to 5am or after 11pm, even after telling her multiple times not to call past certain times. She was the must rude person I have ever dealt with.
The facebook page solved all those issues this past season.
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coachmitts
Sophomore Member
Always compete
Posts: 186 
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Post by coachmitts on Jan 20, 2012 18:53:19 GMT -6
I had a facebook page when I coached youth football to keep in contact with the parents. Most parents signed up but then never checked, posted or anything.
We have a website that is updated daily and has all of our forms on it.
I personally like the twitter idea over facebook. It keeps a level of professionalism that facebook doesnt have. Throw your update up there and then you dont have to worry about a thread starting with parents or athletes complaining about it.
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Post by mattyg2787 on Jan 20, 2012 19:28:40 GMT -6
When your talking facebook, every high school kid will have one that they check at least 3-4 times a day. No seriously. (it's like the coachhuey for kids)
As far as kids seeing what else is on your page, you don't have to friend them to invite them. It is the best form of communication around these days. Most kids can check it on their phones in between classes so if something changes, they know.
Plus its extremely user friendly and free!
I'd have 2 pages, one for the team itself (players and coaches only) and a public one. This is also a great way to advertise for sponsors and is quickly becoming the fastest way to get more money in. We Actually had a sponsor give us $5000 just for getting 1000 likes (and advertising them on the page obviously)
5k is cheap advertising really (plus it's a tax right off for them)
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Post by JVD on Jan 20, 2012 20:00:10 GMT -6
Facebook is a must.
Not only do the players "like" the page.
So do parents.
Community members.
Alumni who live far away.
Everyone.
IMHO you are missing the boat if you DON'T have a fb for yoru team!!!!
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Post by holmesbend on Jan 21, 2012 8:46:14 GMT -6
We do it as well. We have a Facebook page and a twitter account. It's been great.
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Post by coachjmcs on Jan 21, 2012 22:00:28 GMT -6
Guys I have a facebook, but I don't use it a ton. I know you can create a group on facebook. Is that how you create your teampage? or do you start a whole new account.
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Post by wybulldogs on Jan 21, 2012 22:49:22 GMT -6
Guys I have a facebook, but I don't use it a ton. I know you can create a group on facebook. Is that how you create your teampage? or do you start a whole new account. Just create a group, you are the admin and can control everything posted on the page. |
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Post by mattyg2787 on Jan 22, 2012 12:31:54 GMT -6
i also suggest adding all assitants as admins.
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