How to use Whatsapp to boost your team
Create engagement, curiosity and peer-to-peer learning in your team's chats. Here's how:
If you only see your players once or twice a week (like most teams), a communication channel is an important way for players to feel connected to each other and to the coaches.
There are two beliefs I have about using team chats (such as Whatsapp or Spond):
Your team’s channel of communication is about more than collecting numbers for training or matches.
The ability to create connection and opportunities to learn does not stop once training ends.
Before I detail some ways to use your team’s chat, an important safeguarding consideration. These are methods I have used for adult women’s teams, when all members were over 18 and all were happy to join a team communication channel.
For any tasks away from training for junior players, I have used a parent’s communication channel where the only people in the chat were designated parents and guardians. (It also helped the parents to engage with the team culture)
Please refer to your own National Governing Body and club safeguarding policies, including your club’s guidelines on social media use.
First steps
You’ve set up a team communication channel, (such as Whatsapp or Spond). The first step is to make sure the players know the purpose of the channel.
This could include communication around training and fixtures as well as staying connected as a team.
Agree some guidelines around the use of the channel. These could be your team’s values alongside a link to the club’s social media policy. It’s important these are agreed, posted and kept on the chat. They can be pinned somewhere or kept in the description of the group chat.
They function as agreed principles, exactly the same as when the players are on the pitch.
Creating curiosity about training
Your team’s communication channel can be used to get players excited about training before they step foot on the pitch.
Here are a few ways:
Post clues on the chat that hint at the training theme or the focus of the next training block - These could be written clues, pictures or gifts. I aimed to try and send the clues out at a similar time each week. There was often a competition to see who could guess the theme the quickest, and I always had fun posting the clues!
Give players some insight into the training plans - This one seems obvious but by sharing some of the activities players will know what to expect when they arrive at training. This could be important for some of your players and may help to reduce any anxiety about training. It can help reduce some mental load for players who are struggling with life outside of rugby; knowing a brief summary of training means it’s one less surprise they are dealing with that week. It also helps generate some excitement, especially if there’s a new activity or a player’s favourite game that’s being included in the plan.
Create engagement beyond the pitch
There are opportunities for players to learn after training has finished.
Here are a few ways you can help achieve this:
Post photos and videos of training - Similar to posting clues before training, sending photos and videos you took at training is a good way to engage players who didn’t (for whatever reason) attend training. It’s not about punishing lack of attendance, it’s about keeping them engaged and connected when they can’t attend. posting photos and videos prompts players to share stories about funny or cool moments in training. It allows everyone to share in the moment.
Share footage of skills - Alongside posting photos of fun moments, share videos of teammates improving their skills. This needs to happen with the player’s permission. This allows everyone to celebrate that player. You can also use the footage as a learning moment to share what was done well (even better if you ask the players to share their thoughts so that peer-to-peer virtual learning can happen).
Share examples from other teams - Post videos that link with your current session theme or something players want to learn. This could be a video of the Red Roses team executing a skill or South Africa’s lineout skills. You can then ask players what they see. You can also give players a task to go and find some videos that resonate with them and share them in the group. This creates more opportunities for players to see particular skills, meaning you’re not just relying on 1.5 hours at training. However, make sure you’re not giving too many tasks out or sharing too many videos at once. These tasks should feel optional and not compulsory homework. It shouldn’t feel like a penality for those that simply don’t have time outside of training.
Create competition
Get players engaging with each other outside of training by creating opportunities for virtual competitions.
Create a team fantasy league - Use professional competitions’ fantasy leagues to create one for your team. The Women’s Six Nations will soon be here and they will have an official fantasy league. This gets players watching out for particular players as well as watching more matches. It’s important to frame it as a learning opportunity as well as a competion so you don’t put off any players who are still very new to the sport.
Host a virtual game night - In person socials are important, virtual game nights won’t replace those. However, they are a fun way for teammates to have 30 mins or an hour of games without leaving the house. This is an important factor for anyone struggling with work or childcare. There’s online quizzes and pictionary games that can be fun options. You could also give out prizes for the winner at the next training session. These virtual game nights are opportunities for teammates to connect with each other.
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