Coacha

Coacha is a refreshingly simple club management system designed specifically for sports clubs and coaching businesses in the UK. Unlike some of the US-heavy giants in the industry, Coacha is built with GDPR and UK safeguarding regulations at its core. It is intended to be easy enough for any volunteer or part-time coach to use without needing a degree in IT, yet powerful enough to manage memberships, attendance, and finances securely.

The platform shines in its ability to handle administrative burdens that typically bog down smaller clubs. It offers a clean interface for managing member data, ensuring that critical medical information and emergency contacts are always accessible to coaches via the mobile app—even when offline. This focus on safety and simplicity makes it a favourite for youth sports clubs and independent fitness academies.

For our clients, we often recommend Coacha when simplicity and compliance are the top priorities. We set up the system to ensure that you are collecting payments on time (via Stripe or GoCardless) and that your member data is meticulously organised. By integrating Coacha, we help you move away from messy spreadsheets and paper registers to a fully digital, GDPR-compliant operation that reassures parents and members alike.

Features

• Member Management: A centralised database for all member details, including medical notes and next-of-kin contacts.

• Safeguarding First: Built-in features that ensure compliance with CPSU (Child Protection in Sport Unit) guidelines, such as preventing one-to-one direct messaging with minors.

• Attendance Registers: Digital registers that allow coaches to sign members in quickly via the app, with data syncing instantly to the admin dashboard.

• Subscription Management: Automated collection of monthly fees and one-off payments for kit or trips.

• Member Portal: A dedicated area for members (or parents) to log in, view their schedule, and update their own personal details.

• Broadcast Communication: Tools to send SMS and email updates to specific groups, such as “Tuesday Night Squad” or “All Parents”.

• Club Store: A simple e-commerce feature allowing you to sell club merchandise and uniforms directly through the app.

Benefits

• UK Compliance: Designed specifically for the UK market, ensuring you are fully compliant with GDPR and safeguarding laws.

• Reduced Admin Time: Automates the chasing of payments and updating of registers, freeing up volunteers and staff to focus on coaching.

• Enhanced Safety: Critical medical and emergency info is available in seconds, which is vital for physical contact sports.

• Financial Stability: Consistently collecting fees via Direct Debit reduces missed payments and improves club cash flow.

• Ease of Use: The interface is incredibly intuitive, meaning new staff or volunteers can pick it up in minutes.

How we integrate

• Database Import: We take your existing spreadsheet of members, clean the data, and import it into Coacha to populate your account instantly.

• Payment Gateway Setup: We connect your Stripe or GoCardless accounts to handle monthly subscriptions and verify the flow of funds.

• Portal Configuration: We customise the member portal settings to ensure parents can easily access the information they need without seeing sensitive club data.

• Website Embedding: We embed the Coacha sign-up forms and timetables directly into your agency-built website for a seamless user journey.

• Safeguarding Audit: We help configure the communication settings to ensure your messaging protocols align with your club’s child protection policies.

Technical Details

• Cloud-Based: Fully hosted in the cloud, meaning data is backed up securely and accessible from any device.

• GDPR Tools: Built-in features to handle “Right to be Forgotten” requests and data export.

• Payment Security: Integrates with PCI-DSS compliant payment processors; Coacha itself does not store card details.

• Offline Mode: The mobile app allows registers to be taken without an internet connection, syncing once a signal is restored.

• Export Options: Data can be easily exported to CSV/Excel for external reporting or accountancy needs.

Use Cases

• Youth Football Academies: Managing hundreds of children across different age groups, ensuring parents pay subs on time and medical info is up to date.

• Gymnastics Clubs: Tracking attendance for safety ratios and managing waiting lists for popular class times.

• Martial Arts Dojos: Monitoring belt grading progress and automating the monthly billing for student memberships.

FAQs

Is it suitable for adult clubs? Yes. While it has excellent safeguarding for children, it is equally effective for adult sports clubs, running clubs, or social fitness groups.

Does it handle Direct Debit? Yes, through its integration with GoCardless. This is the gold standard for collecting recurring monthly club fees in the UK.

Can parents manage multiple children? Yes. The parent portal allows a single login to manage profiles for multiple siblings, making life much easier for families.

Is my data safe? Coacha uses bank-grade encryption and is hosted on secure servers. They place a huge emphasis on data security given the nature of the data (children’s info).

Can we sell club kit? Yes. The built-in store feature allows you to list items like hoodies or shin pads, and members can purchase them through the app.