Messages inbox in the mobile app

What it is

Messages is the one place in the app where your conversations with people you know are listed. For an athlete that means your coaches and your parents. For a parent it means your athlete and each coach who works with your athlete. Messages from college coaches and from private (outside) coaches have their own entries at the top of the list, and their own cards.

How to use it

1. Athlete: open Messages from the Messages row on Home. Parent: open the Messages tab.
2. Athlete: you see College coaches at the top when there is anything there, then Family (your parents), then Coaches (one row for each coach conversation, with the team, a preview of the last message and how long ago it was).
3. Parent: you see College coaches (when there are any), Outside coaches, then one row for your athlete and one for each coach on your athlete's roster. A coach row shows "about" and your athlete's name.
4. A dot or a number on a row means unread messages. Pull down to refresh.
5. Tap a row to open the conversation. New messages appear on their own every few seconds while it is open. Type and send. Your message shows right away and, if it fails, tap it to try again.
6. In a coach conversation, tap the paperclip to send a video (see the video clips card). Anything you started typing is kept if you leave.
7. An athlete's linked parents always have a row, even before anyone has written, with "No messages yet" so you can say hello first. A parent's athlete and the coaches on the athlete's roster always have a row too. An athlete's coach rows appear once a conversation with that coach exists.

Rules and limits

• Athlete to parent: an athlete can message each parent linked to their account. A parent can message the athlete they are linked to.
• Parent to coach: a parent can message a coach only when that coach can reach their athlete, through a shared team or a direct link. For a younger player that includes the coach being approved by the parent. Coach conversations that a parent starts are separate from the athlete's own chat with that coach.
• Coach to athlete: this chat exists once the coach, or the athlete, has opened it. The athlete can always read it. The athlete can write while the coach is still connected. If the connection ends or the conversation is closed, you see "This conversation is closed. You can still read it." and cannot reply.
• A parent does not see the athlete's chat with a team coach in this list. For a private (outside) coach a linked parent can read along, from the Outside coaches entry. See the outside coaches card.
• A message can be up to 4,000 characters. Family chats are text only. Coach chats can also carry a video up to 60 seconds and 100 MB (MP4, MOV or WebM).
• With a private (outside) coach, links, emails, phone numbers and social handles cannot be sent. If your message is refused, the app puts your words back in the box and tells you why.
• An athlete can report a private coach from the chat. They are removed right away and the chat closes.
• Family conversations follow the link. If a parent is no longer linked to the athlete, or a coach can no longer reach the athlete, that conversation leaves the list and cannot be opened.

Edge cases

• If an athlete has no coaches yet, the screen says: No messages yet. When a coach writes to you, it shows up here. If a parent is linked, the Family section shows instead.
• A parent whose athlete is not connected to a coach sees only their athlete: No one to message yet. Once your athlete is connected to a coach, they show up here.
• The unread number on the Home tab adds up unread coach, family and college coach messages, plus pending requests to meet from college coaches.
• A coach or parent's conversation is opened the first time you tap their row. If that fails, you are told it could not be opened and can try again.
• Push notifications for a new message are not shown while you are reading that conversation.