Outside coaches

What it is

An outside coach is a private specialist, such as a pitching or hitting coach, who is not on any of your athlete's teams. A family can bring one in. They can assign lessons and workouts, message your athlete, and review the videos your athlete sends them. Coach accounts are always free.

How to use it

Invite a coach (parent, or an athlete who is 18 or older)

1. Parents open the Outside coaches page (on the web, or Profile in the mobile app). Athletes who are 18 or older find it under My coaches on the web or Profile in the mobile app.
2. Choose what they coach, such as pitching or hitting.
3. Either type the coach's email and send the invite, or leave the email blank to get a link you send yourself.
4. If you used an email, the coach is connected as soon as they accept with that address. If you used a link, you see who accepted and tap to confirm. Only confirm someone you know.
5. Open invites can be cancelled at any time. A connected coach can be removed in one tap.

Accept an invite (coach)

1. Open the link. If you do not have an account, create a free coach account. Use the email address the invite was sent to.
2. Tick the box confirming you are 18 or older and will keep all contact inside Next Athletix.
3. Accept. You can then message the athlete and assign them work.

Watch the conversations (parent)

Under Outside coaches, the Conversations list shows your athlete's chats with outside coaches. Open one to read it. You see every message and video.

Rules and limits

• An athlete under 18 can never invite a coach alone. A parent has to do it, and sending the invite counts as the parent's consent.
• A parent can only invite for their own athlete. An athlete who is 18 or older invites for themself.
• Only the athlete (if 18 or older) or a linked parent can remove an outside coach. A minor cannot remove their own coach.
• Parents are told when an outside coach messages their athlete, and can read the conversation, which is not true of a team coach's chats.
• An invite works once and expires after 14 days. Up to 10 invites can be open at a time. Sending to the same email again replaces the earlier invite.
• Inviting is limited to 20 invites an hour.
• The coach's pledge (18 or older, keep contact in the app) is a self-statement that is recorded. It is not a background check.

Edge cases

• A link invite needs a coach with a verified email. A coach who has not verified yet is asked to check their email first. Using an emailed invite with the matching address counts as verifying it.
• If the email on the coach's account does not match the invite address, the invite is refused. They need to sign in with the right account.
• Only a coach account can accept. Someone with a parent or athlete account needs to create a separate coach account.
• Removing a coach ends their access straight away. The parent can still read old conversations afterwards, marked as no longer connected.
• An invite link that is used, expired or cancelled gives the same general message.