The smoothest transitions are in clubs where coaches are not presented with a done deal but are part of the decision. When a coach understands why the club chose EOS and what it will bring them, they accept the change far more willingly.
What works:
Involve the coaches in the decision before the purchase. It is enough that they know most people agree with the transition.
Hold a short internal seminar. Clubs that showed coaches live the specific features they will use report significantly better adoption. A hands-on workshop where coaches try things out straight away is ideal.
Divide the roles. Clearly define who manages attendance, who payments, who nominations. Everyone should know what is expected of them.
We projected the tasks they would be using onto a large screen for all the coaches, and then we had another one-hour workshop.
There are two proven approaches – choose the one that fits your club’s culture:
A clear start from a given date. The club sets a date from which EOS works as the main channel, and from then on communicates consistently right there. It works best where the management has a strong role. The principle is simple: important information is in one place, no parallel channels.
A gradual transition with a test phase. The softer option – the club runs alongside the existing channels for a while and after the test period switches fully to EOS. It is important to set a clear deadline for when testing ends, so that the transition does not remain “halfway”.
Do not be discouraged by the first signs, give the coaches more time, aim for a gradual transfer of tasks, do not throw everything at them at once.
The most common challenge is not technical but habitual. If WhatsApp groups for official information run alongside EOS, coaches and parents will naturally slip back to what they are used to.
What helps:
Move all important information (training sessions, matches, nominations, payments) into EOS.
For official communication, refer consistently to EOS – “where to find it in the app”.
WhatsApp can remain at most for informal communication. The key is that EOS is the only source of official information.
It is realistic to expect that a small proportion of people will stick to their habits longer. That is fine – what matters is that the important things happen in one place.
Adoption is fastest where the coach themselves feels that EOS saves them work. It pays to emphasize the specific benefits:
An overview of attendance in advance – the coach sees how many players will come to training.
The end of paper notebooks – attendance is handled right after training on the phone.
Automatic nominations and event import from the association.
Coaches appreciated seeing the number of players at training sessions in advance, not having to record attendance in a notebook, and handling it right after training.
In the first weeks it helps if someone in the club is in charge of gentle reminding – for example checking that attendance is filled in and giving a friendly nudge on the coaches’ wall. It is not about control, but about a habit that settles in within a few weeks.
An assistant checks that attendance is filled in and immediately writes a reminder on the coaches’ wall. Within a few weeks even the forgetful ones were trained.
Some clubs went even further and linked club processes directly to EOS – for example they keep records of worked events for coaches’ rewards exclusively via closed events in the platform. This naturally motivates everything to happen in one place. This approach is more forceful, but it has proven itself for some clubs.
A coach is afraid to use the system fully → a personal seminar and gradually adding features.
WhatsApp still runs alongside → move official information into EOS, refer to it consistently.
Every coach uses it differently → unify the rules across categories.
Older coaches are less confident on a phone → simple guides and personal help at the start.
Before launch:
Involve the coaches in the decision
Prepare an internal seminar/workshop
Define the roles (attendance, payments, communication)
Prepare guides (or share the official EOS guides)
Set the date from which EOS runs as the main channel
At launch:
Move official information from WhatsApp into EOS
Handle information about training sessions, matches and tournaments via EOS
Let the coaches try the features hands-on
Appoint a person who helps with the start
The first months:
Gently remind people to fill in attendance
Share among coaches what EOS has made easier for them
Remind people of new features
Keep consistency across categories
