Divorced parents, need to add 2 parents to team

[Darkinsideme]

I have two players with divorced parents, meaning if I want to message out to the team information, only one of the parents is signed up.  Do I need to have Player A with Parent 1 and Player A with Parent 2 to do this (in other words have double the player so that I can have both parents.  

 

This is a common fact of the current world, having divorced parents or even guardians (ie player lives with a guardian & parent).   In my own account, my two sons have myself and my wife listed as backup, but in modern world, two parents together is not always the case.  

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Hi Dark,

 

You can email both parents at once without having to create another instance of that child. Since, as you said, this is a common scenario, I wrote a Pro Tips article about how this works a few weeks back.

 

Basically, I showed how multiple Sport Ngin accounts can be linked to a player's subprofile. This requires the first parent linked to the child's account linking another account to that child.

 

- Loren

[mcmoyer]

This solution isn't optimal as I've had parents who didn't speak to each other and had to sit on different ends of the field.  The last thing they want to do is set up anything for their ex.  

[nicolesturgeon]

This also seems to be causing issues for one parent not being able to see the team page if the setting is private on the page... 

[SportsEngine Staffer]

@nicolesturgeon you can add any profile to a team page to be able to view it. 

 

http://help.sportngin.com/customer/portal/articles/619469-how-do-i-give-or-remove-permissions-to-a-member-or-group-#page access

 

@mcmoyer that does create difficulties, but the linked accounts is the way it's set up to work now. We wouldn't want coaches/managers to give access to individuals/parents who request it but shouldn't have it. Ultimately, a parent/guardian doesn't need to speak to the other (outside of sharing an email address) to link the accounts.

[peterlucas]

Jim,

 

The overall SportsEngine messaging system is somewhat flawed, and this issue with estranged parents only makes that more apparent.

 

Team Admins have very little flexibility in terms of how they can manage their user's access to the messaging system, and it's apparent that this is because of SportsEngine's desire to maintain cross-site access for SportsEngine members.

 

Even for parents who aren't estranged, it's very difficult for them to follow all the steps necessary to get a spouse to receive emails. Even though it seems like most people should understand how to set up accounts like this in our age of smart phones and computers embedded in just about everything, you'd be surprised how challenged a lot of people are with things like "linking accounts".

 

We actually had to have a team meeting at my house and have all the parents (one-by-one) log in to their account on my laptop so I could walk them through the process of linking their spouse's account to the primary account. It shouldn't be that hard.

 

Regarding the estranged parents, a simple workaround would be to set up a custom group at the team page for additional contacts that could include an estranged parent as long as the parent had a SportsEngine account, but that's pretty much useless because custom groups are not visible in the SportsEngine app and the Team Manager interface.

 

I've been told by our account rep that Development is aware of the shortcomings of the messaging system, and hopefully changes are coming.

 

But I'm still mystified that something Shutterfly and TeamSnap handles so easily is so difficult for SportsEngine. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that SportsEngine's real strength is creating a modular web framework that's pretty easy to use.

 

 

Thanks.

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Appreciate your reply Peter and I couldn't agree more. That process needs to be simplified and much easier to use. I'll say stay tuned on that. We definitely have features coming up that will help improve messaging.

 

One thing, the parent who registered can add any number of email addresses to the kids profile that would include emails sent to the kid to anyone else. (another parent, nanny, etc). This is relatively new and I included a screenshot of where it's located below.

 

The advantage to Linking the accounts is that you don't have to worry about updating phone numbers or emails and the Linked account can get text notifications.

 

 

[peterlucas]

Jim,

 

Any updates on improvements to the messaging system? We just started the 2017 season, and I already had two parents ask me how they can get the team emails. It's always the other parent who didn't register the player that needs this. Unfortunately, the primary parent is usually too busy or can't figure out how to do it, so it never gets done.

 

Really, the Team Admin needs to be able to do this. Again, common features in Shutterfly and TeamSnap.

 

I've thought of having a team meeting with a laptop just to get everyone on the contact list for the team, but that seems really absurd.

 

Thanks.

 

Peter Lucas

[bersh]

Not only the team admin, but site admins should be able to add and edit as well.  As a site admin, the fact that I can't can't edit a user's email is absurd.  We have parents that change jobs, get a new email, etc. and trying to walk them through this is tough.  More often than not, they give up and create a new account.  The following year they forget which account is active, so they create another account.  So far my site record is 9 accounts.  This is all very basic functionality that should be built in.

[SportsEngine Staffer]

You are probably already aware of this, but here's a short, easy-to-understand three-step Help Center article that shows how to change the primary email on an account: http://help.sportsengine.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2770855-change-my-login-email?b_id=15976

 

- Loren

[crashkobra]

Any update on this? I am our Team Manager but my wife is the one that registered our son and because of this I cannot access anything on his profile. This is really frustrating! 

[dkirk18214]

Even when one parent has added both parents emails to their child's registration when I send messages it only goes to the first registered email, and not any of the other emails on the players registration. How can this be corrected? I have multiple people missing emails, and asking questions. Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Even the Sports Engine site says 

 

                                        Account information notifications, receipts, and messages are sent to your primary email.

 

What is the point of adding a secondary email if nothing gets sent to it.......If the secondary email has been added by parents that means they would like notifications, receipts, and messages sent to it also. How can we make that happen?

[Proulx06]

So glad to find this thread. 

 

I am an admin of three SportsEngine sites for three organizations (one hockey, one football, one lacrosse). I LOVE the platform...most of the time. But as a site admin, I am MAJORLY limited in how I can help with user account issues. I find myself saying frequently, especially at the start of a new season, that "asking users to manage all aspects of their account settings is both a blessing and a curse". In these days of Apple and Google simplifying everything, what I've found is that a process must be INCREDIBLY simple and take less than 10 seconds, otherwise people just won't do it. Or they'll look at you like you are crazy when you tell them the steps. Or they'll screw it up. And short of meeting the parents at a field and having them log into my laptop to do it with them, sometimes they just can't figure it out. Sad but true. What I would LOVE to see from SE is the ability for a site admin to get into people's profiles to make some of these changes for them. Add emails. Change emails. Link accounts. The functionality is there...you just need to open it up to site admins. Because I will tell you, as much as I appreciate that the onus is on the user to keep their info up to date, sometimes these conversations are so painful that I would LOVE to be able to reply "No worries, I'll do that for you". But unless they give me their credentials, I am unable to. SE, please fix this. Give site admins super powers to help our helpless parents perform these account tasks. It'd save many of us lots of headaches and help us fight to keep SE as our preferred platform for our organizations. Because every parent that complains that they don't get an email is another knock on SE, whether it's SEs fault or not. 

[pautscher33]

We have the email issue understood and actually works great.  However I have a question that takes this a step farther.  We use DIBS for our volunteering and our requirements are determined by the highest level player.  We assign the DIBS item to the skater, Not mom or Dad.  That family is responsible for that skater, we don't who does what, just that his requirement is fulfilled. 

 

How can have the multiple households (Parent Accounts) family be able to "share" the ownership profile of the player so they all have access to view and sign up for DIBS.  Also we have families that take turns registering the players each year and we want to make sure that we only have 1 player.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[akmillers]

Well said! Totally agree with this post. 99% of the parent look at you with a blank stare if you ask them to do anything with their profile. 

 

 

 

So glad to find this thread. 

 

I am an admin of three SportsEngine sites for three organizations (one hockey, one football, one lacrosse). I LOVE the platform...most of the time. But as a site admin, I am MAJORLY limited in how I can help with user account issues. I find myself saying frequently, especially at the start of a new season, that "asking users to manage all aspects of their account settings is both a blessing and a curse". In these days of Apple and Google simplifying everything, what I've found is that a process must be INCREDIBLY simple and take less than 10 seconds, otherwise people just won't do it. Or they'll look at you like you are crazy when you tell them the steps. Or they'll screw it up. And short of meeting the parents at a field and having them log into my laptop to do it with them, sometimes they just can't figure it out. Sad but true. What I would LOVE to see from SE is the ability for a site admin to get into people's profiles to make some of these changes for them. Add emails. Change emails. Link accounts. The functionality is there...you just need to open it up to site admins. Because I will tell you, as much as I appreciate that the onus is on the user to keep their info up to date, sometimes these conversations are so painful that I would LOVE to be able to reply "No worries, I'll do that for you". But unless they give me their credentials, I am unable to. SE, please fix this. Give site admins super powers to help our helpless parents perform these account tasks. It'd save many of us lots of headaches and help us fight to keep SE as our preferred platform for our organizations. Because every parent that complains that they don't get an email is another knock on SE, whether it's SEs fault or not. 

[jwfmartin]

This feature should be of the highest priority. Not having the ability for both parents in a split family to see all information about a game (Uniform information, arrival time, etc), or roster information in the SportsEngine App, puts team managers and kids in a really tough position.

 

Please fix this ASAP.

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Hello,

 

My name is Brandon and my job at SportsEngine is to help build and improve our products.  I want to provide an update to the community on this topic.

 

We have made this a top priority for our team to fix and get solid solutions in the market as soon as possible.  We have a group of developers, architects, designers and product managers working through the technical details to improve this part of our platform now.  And this group is dedicated to this. 

 

We don't have a definitive timeline of when new features will be released (yet), but you can expect improvements to rollout in early 2018.  Thanks for your patience and for all your insight on how we can improve our experience.    

 

-Brandon

 

 

[Proulx06]

Hello,

 

My name is Brandon and my job at SportsEngine is to help build and improve our products.  I want to provide an update to the community on this topic.

 

We have made this a top priority for our team to fix and get solid solutions in the market as soon as possible.  We have a group of developers, architects, designers and product managers working through the technical details to improve this part of our platform now.  And this group is dedicated to this. 

 

We don't have a definitive timeline of when new features will be released (yet), but you can expect improvements to rollout in early 2018.  Thanks for your patience and for all your insight on how we can improve our experience.    

 

-Brandon

 

 

 

Brandon - on behalf of all of us, thanks to you and all of SE for hearing loud and clear what our issues are. SE is a great platform, but as technology continues to evolve, so too will our needs. It's nice (and refreshing) to find a company willing to listen to those needs and react to them. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you need help brainstorming or testing!

 

Joe

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Hello All,

I wanted to let this community forum know first that we have released the first phase of the work to allow multiple people to manage an athlete's profile - including the ability to RSVP to games/events, send/receive messages, view the team schedule, participate in our new Team Chat feature.  All of this occurs in our mobile app and became available a few hours ago.    

We look forward to your feedback. 

The next phases of the project will be kicking off soon and will be focused on allowing multiple people to be attached to a child's profile in our new user profile pages and then during the registration process. 

Again, on behalf of SportsEngine's team, thank you for all your patience and sticking with us!

Best,

Brandon   

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Here's an article that outlines the latest release which includes the Guardians feature.  

 

http://community.sportsengine.com/news_article/show/884862 

 

 

 

[wiggler714]

Its a good feature.

 

I find it very awkward though that the functionality isn't mimicked in the dashboard. 

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Wiggler714 - Thanks for your feedback.  Our next phase is to allow Guardians in the new, updated user dashboard that our team is working on now.  The overall dashboard experience is getting a big facelift.  Please stay tuned.

[wiggler714]

This is happening soon?  

[SportsEngine Staffer]

The team is working on final designs now and then we will begin coding.  The guardians feature is one of many improvements being made in that area - so we will be excited to get these out to you all in the next few months.  Appreciate you using the app and providing your feedback.  

[rockylacrosse]

Read through this entire thread and agree wholeheartedly with everything and glad to see SE is making headway here.   I am a new Sportsengine Admin our first season is underway and I am divorced with a dad who sits at the opposite end of the field from me.  

 

Dad has the original SE account with our son's athlete profile.  Dad was able to muster up the courage to add me as a Guardian though.  Yay Dad! 

 

As of today:  I get RSVPs, and my son gets RSVPs  - Pushes and Emails which is awesome!  Either of us can RSVP.  If I send out a Message we both get it as well.  

 

BUT my son and I were also getting text notifications and those have STOPPED.  Last one was 2/11. As Admin I have sent out many messages since then the exact same way through Groups and Newsletters.  Is text being worked on?

 

Question - SE doesn't send texts for RSVP Game/Event reminders only Messages sent is that correct? Because when I did get texts I only got them for Messages.  

 

 

ALSO ditto on us Admins being granted super Admin access to edit the SE Profiles!   I have had to walk people through how to edit their profile time and again and it makes them feel stupid. That is not how you want your customers to feel. So let us Admins provide a positive experience by allowing us to modify the profiles on our families behalf!

 

 

 

[SportsEngine Staffer]

Texts go out for messages, you're correct. 

 

That also assumes the account holder has both added a cell phone number and opted in to receive text messages.