Every team in Sprocket has a Team Chat channel automatically created for use in the mobile app. Staff can also access team chats on the web platform, and more detailed web and moderation workflows are covered in the separate article Managing Team Chats.
Team Chats are designed to be your first line of communication with families. They work like the messaging apps people use every day, so it is easy to send quick updates and keep conversations tied to the right team.
What you’ll find in this article
What Team Chats are and when to use them
What users can do in a Team Chat
How roster visibility affects parent and player participation
What changes when roster visibility is turned off
What Team Chats are used for
Team Chats are best for day-to-day communication that a whole team needs to see, like:
Schedule reminders and last-minute updates
Practice notes and game day details
Quick questions and clarifications
Ongoing team communication in one thread
Because every team has a chat channel by default, families always know where to look for team updates.
What you can do in a Team Chat
Team Chats are designed to feel familiar. Users can:
Send and reply to messages
Quote messages when responding
React to messages with emojis
Roster visibility controls parent and player participation
Roster visibility is a team-level setting managed on the web platform. It controls whether parents and players can interact with the Team Chat and start direct messages.
When roster visibility is turned on:
Parents can respond in the Team Chat
Parents can start direct message threads from the team roster
Players can participate based on their access and permissions
When roster visibility is turned off:
The Team Chat becomes a one-way thread for families
Staff can post updates and announcements
Parents and players cannot respond in the Team Chat
Parents cannot initiate direct message threads
This is useful when a club wants staff to share information through the team channel without allowing replies.
Tips and best practices
Use Team Chats for team-wide updates instead of repeating the same message in multiple places.
If families say they cannot reply, check whether roster visibility is turned off for that team.
If you want two-way communication, confirm roster visibility is turned on before the season starts.
Troubleshooting
Issue: Parents can see the Team Chat but cannot reply.
Why it happens: Roster visibility is turned off for the team, so the team chat becomes view-only for families.
How to fix it: Turn roster visibility on in the web platform for that team, then have the parent try again.
Issue: A parent cannot start a direct message from the team.
Why it happens: Roster visibility is turned off, which prevents direct message initiation from the roster.
How to fix it: Turn roster visibility on in the web platform for that team.
FAQs
Does every team automatically have a Team Chat?
Yes. Every team has a Team Chat channel automatically created for use in the mobile app.
Why can’t parents reply in the Team Chat?
If roster visibility is turned off for the team, the Team Chat becomes view-only for families.
Can players participate in Team Chats?
Players can participate based on their access and permissions, and whether roster visibility is turned on.
Where do staff manage advanced chat settings or moderation?
More detailed web and moderation workflows are covered in the separate article Managing Team Chats.