Announcements - Broadcasting to Your Team

Send professional team-wide announcements that appear as emails, push notifications, and in the athlete portal. Perfect for schedules, updates, and important news.

Where to find this: Dashboard → Inbox → Create New → Announcement

What are announcements?

Announcements are your broadcast system for team-wide communication. Think of them as your digital bulletin board - one message that reaches everyone through multiple channels simultaneously.

How athletes receive announcements

Email

Professionally formatted email sent to their inbox

Push Notification

Instant alert on their mobile device

Channels

Permanent record in the app’s Announcements channel

Why use announcements?

Perfect for information that:

• Affects the entire team or large groups
• Doesn’t require individual responses
• Should be documented and easily referenced
• Needs professional email formatting

Common uses:

• Weekly training schedules
• Tournament information
• Registration deadlines
• Team achievements
• Policy updates
• Seasonal information

Creating an announcement

1. Open announcement composer

   Navigate to Inbox → Create New → Select Announcement

   
2. Select your recipients

   In the “Send to” field, you can:

   • Type “Everyone” to broadcast to all athletes
   • Use tags to target specific groups (e.g., “Varsity Team”, “New Athletes”)
   • Select specific individuals if needed

   Recipient limit: 400 contacts per announcement by default. Contact support if you need to increase this limit.

3. Add announcement heading

   Enter a clear, descriptive heading. This becomes:

   • The email subject line
   • The push notification title
   • The announcement title in the app

   Good examples:

   • “Week of March 15 - Training Schedule”
   • “Spring Tournament Registration Now Open”
   • “Important: Facility Closure March 20”
4. Compose your message

   Write your announcement content. This appears as the email body and full announcement text.

   Format tips:

   • Use line breaks for readability
   • Include all essential information
   • Add dates, times, and locations clearly
   • Keep paragraphs short for mobile reading

   Example:
   Team,
   This week’s schedule has been updated to accommodate the tournament prep:
   Monday & Wednesday: Regular practice 4-6pm
   Tuesday: Film review 5-6pm (classroom)
   Thursday: Extended practice 4-7pm
   Friday: Rest day before tournament
   Tournament bus departs Saturday at 7am SHARP from the main lot.
   Please bring:

   Both uniforms
   Water bottles
   Snacks for the bus
   Signed permission slips

   See you at practice! Coach Johnson

5. Add attachments (optional)

   Click + Attach to include:

   • Forms: Tournament signups, permission slips
   • Media: Schedule graphics, facility maps
   • Products: Camp registrations, merchandise
   • Scheduler: Special training sessions

   

   These appear as actionable buttons in the email and app.

6. Configure reply settings

   By default, email replies go to your configured reply-to address (Settings → Organization → Reply-to Email).

   Set your reply-to email to one you check regularly - replies don’t appear in CoachIQ’s Inbox.

7. Send announcement

   Click Send to broadcast immediately to all selected recipients.

   Delivered! Your announcement is sent via email and push notification.

How announcements appear to athletes

Email version

• Professional HTML-formatted email
• Clear heading and formatted text
• Attachment buttons for easy action
• Reply option (goes to your reply-to email)

Push notification

• Instant alert on their phone
• Shows announcement heading
• Tap to open full announcement in app

Channels section

• Permanent record in Announcements channel
• Chronological list of all announcements
• Athletes can reference anytime
• Never expires or disappears

Managing announcements

Viewing sent announcements

• All sent announcements appear in your Inbox
• Filter by “Announcements” tab to see only broadcasts
• Click any announcement to see details and recipients

Deleting announcements

Unlike messages, announcements CAN be deleted:

• Removes from your Inbox view
• Does NOT remove from athletes’ Channels or emails already sent

Tracking engagement

• No read receipts available
• Consider adding “Reply to confirm” for important updates

Best practices

Writing effective announcements

Structure for scanning:

• Lead with most important information
• Use clear headings for sections
• Bullet points for lists
• Bold for dates and times

Be complete:

• Who, what, when, where, why
• Include all necessary details
• Add backup contact info
• Specify response requirements

Timing your announcements

Best send times:

• Weekday evenings (6-8pm) for next-day info
• Sunday evenings for weekly schedules
• 48-72 hours notice for schedule changes

Avoid:

• Late night sends (unless emergency)
• During school/work hours
• Multiple announcements in one day

Using attachments effectively

• Forms: “Complete this form by Friday”
• Schedulers: “Book your player evaluation”
• Products: “Register for summer camp”
• Media: Visual schedules, facility maps, instruction videos

Always explain what the attachment is and what action to take.

Announcement vs other message types

Feature	Announcements	In-App Messages	SMS
Best for	Team updates	Individual communication	Urgent alerts
Cost	Free	Free	$0.0079/message
Replies in CoachIQ	No (email only)	Yes	Yes
Permanent record	Yes (Channels)	Yes (conversation)	Yes (conversation)
Email sent	Yes (formatted)	Yes (notification only)	No
Character limit	None	None	155/1400

Common questions

Can athletes reply to announcements?

Athletes can reply via email, which goes to your configured reply-to address. These replies do NOT appear in your CoachIQ Inbox.

How do I increase the 400 recipient limit?

Contact CoachIQ support to increase your announcement recipient limit for larger organizations.

Can I schedule announcements for later?

Currently, announcements send immediately. For scheduled sends, prepare your content and send manually at the desired time.

Do announcements work if athletes don't have the app?

Yes! Announcements always send as email, so athletes without the app still receive them in their email inbox.

Can I edit an announcement after sending?

No, sent announcements cannot be edited. You can send a follow-up announcement with corrections if needed.

Pro tips

Weekly rhythm: Send a consistent weekly announcement every Sunday night with the upcoming week’s schedule. Athletes and parents will learn to expect and check for it.

Template strategy: Create announcement templates for recurring communications like weekly schedules, tournament info, and weather cancellations.

Attachment combo: Pair announcements with forms - “Spring season starts March 1. Complete the attached medical form by February 20.”

Emergency protocol: For urgent cancellations, send an announcement first (for documentation), then follow with SMS to ensure immediate awareness.

Related articles

• In-App Messages - Direct Athlete Communication
• SMS Messages - Setup and Best Practices
• Using Tags for Group Messages
• Attaching Forms, Sessions, and Products