Write messages from a youth sports coach or team manager to parents: the season welcome, weekly logistics, selection and playing-time explanations, a sideline behaviour reminder, a reply to a complaint, and injury or weather notices. Use when asked to write to the parents, draft the team group message, explain selection to a parent, a parent is unhappy about playing time, or remind parents about touchline behaviour. Produces the message in the right length for the channel, a calmer alternative for difficult replies, and a note on what should be a conversation instead of a message. Distinct fro
A source-grounded starter task has not been verified for this skill yet.
SKILL.md
name: sports-parent-commsdescription: "Write messages from a youth sports coach or team manager to parents: the season welcome, weekly logistics, selection and playing-time explanations, a sideline behaviour reminder, a reply to a complaint, and injury or weather notices. Use when asked to write to the parents, draft the team group message, explain selection to a parent, a parent is unhappy about playing time, or remind parents about touchline behaviour. Produces the message in the right length for the channel, a calmer alternative for difficult replies, and a note on what should be a conversation instead of a message. Distinct from parent-communication, which is for teachers."version: 1.0.0
Sports Parent Comms
Most friction in youth sport is about communication, not coaching: unclear arrangements, surprises about selection, and a tense reply sent late at night. This skill writes messages that are short, consistent with the team's stated approach, and safe to forward. It also says when a message is the wrong tool.
What This Skill Produces
The message, sized for the channel (group chat, email, club app)
For difficult topics: a first reply that acknowledges and proposes a conversation, and a fuller follow-up
A consistency check against the team's playing-time and selection policy
A safeguarding and privacy check
A note on anything that should be said in person
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
Type of message: welcome, logistics, selection, behaviour, complaint reply, injury, cancellation
Team, age group and the club's or school's policies on playing time, selection and conduct
The facts: dates, times, venue, kit, who is affected
For a complaint: what the parent said, what actually happened, and what the coach is willing to offer
Channel and whether the message goes to one family or the whole group
The club's safeguarding rules on contacting players and sharing photos
Framework
One purpose per message. Logistics and a behaviour reminder do not share a message.
Logistics in a fixed order. What, when, where, bring, reply by.
Selection and playing time are explained by policy, not by comparison. Never discuss another child. State the approach, what the player is working on, and when it will be reviewed.
Group for information, individual for anything personal. Nothing about one child goes to the group.
Complaints: acknowledge, do not argue in text, offer a time to talk. Reply once, briefly, within a day. Not on match day.
Behaviour reminders address everyone and describe the behaviour wanted.
Safeguarding. Messages go to parents or carers, not privately to children. No injury details or photos without consent. Concerns about a child's welfare go to the club's safeguarding officer, not into a message.
Output Format
[Message type] for [audience], [channel]
Message
[Text ready to send.]
If this is a difficult topic
Short first reply: [two or three sentences]
Fuller follow-up after the conversation: [text]
Checks
Policy consistency: [matches the stated policy / differs because ...]
Privacy and safeguarding: [nothing about an individual child in a group message, addressed to parents]
Better said in person: [yes or no, and why]
Assumptions and gaps
[Policy or facts assumed]
[What to confirm before sending]
Quality Checks
The message has one purpose
Logistics include time, place, what to bring and a reply-by date
No other child is named or compared
Complaint replies acknowledge the concern and offer a conversation
The message would be fine if forwarded to the club chair
Anti-Patterns
Do not justify selection by criticising a child.
Do not reply to a complaint in the group chat.
Do not send a behaviour reminder that singles out one family in public.
Do not message a child directly where club rules require contact through parents.
Do not promise playing time you cannot deliver.
Example Trigger Phrases
"Write the welcome message for the new season for under-10 parents."
"A dad is angry his daughter only played ten minutes. Draft my reply."
"Remind parents about shouting from the touchline without sounding preachy."
"Saturday's match is off because of the pitch. Tell the group."