Separate saved, released, and understood
A workout can exist in a planner without being available to athletes. It can be available without an athlete receiving a device alert. And an alert can arrive without the athlete reading or understanding the assignment. Treat those as separate checks.
Use one place for the current workout. A team message can point people to it, but avoid maintaining different rep lists in the planner, a screenshot, and a chat thread. Give the session a recognizable title and date so an assistant can find the correct version quickly.
Before a handoff, decide who owns the plan, who can release it, and who will confirm that the assigned athletes can see it. A visible timestamp or success message helps with a saved change; it is not a read receipt.
Release a plan that is ready to use
Check the assigned athlete list, date, workout parts, targets, recovery instructions, and any athlete-facing notes. Reused workouts deserve the same review as new ones. An old title or roster selection can survive a copy even when the rep list looks right.
In PaceCommand, Save to planner keeps the workout coach-only while you prepare it. Save & notify athletes releases it to the assigned athletes. First release also attempts device alerts for athletes with a registered, opted-in device. Permission, registration, and delivery still matter; the workout itself is the record to check.
For a routine verification, have an athlete open their own account and find the assignment. Do not ask an athlete to share credentials with a coach. If the assignment is missing, check release status, the selected roster record, and account linking before sending repeated reminders.
Write a briefing the assistant can act on
Use this worksheet alongside the rep list. It covers the decisions that a workout title and target times will not explain.
Scroll the table horizontally if needed.
| Briefing item | Write down |
|---|---|
| Session owner | Who answers questions and approves changes |
| Coverage | Named athletes or groups, coach, and meeting point |
| Setup | Equipment, start and finish locations, and timing method |
| Coaching priority | The specific execution detail to observe |
| Exceptions | Which athlete has a different assignment and where it is recorded |
| Recording | Who captures results, checks sync, and reports unresolved entries |
Keep the briefing factual. “Coach Lee records the finish while Coach Morgan runs the start” assigns a job. “Make sure everything goes smoothly” does not. Ask the assistant to identify the group and recording responsibility before practice starts.
In PaceCommand's Coach handoff, session briefing, equipment, and athlete modifications are coach-only. A modification note does not automatically change prescribed reps. Put any required structural change into the appropriate workout before practice and communicate the athlete-facing instruction.
Check access with the assistant's account
A coach's view can look complete while an assistant's scope excludes part of the roster. Verify the assistant's group and roster coverage, plus the permissions needed for their role. Keep access aligned with their responsibility rather than sharing a head coach login.
PaceCommand's workout and handoff views restrict assistants to their authorized athletes. Editing or releasing a whole workout requires access to its entire assigned roster and the relevant permission. If a workout combines several coaches' groups, have the authorized plan owner make the whole-workout change.
Open the session and handoff while connected on the device the assistant will use. Have them find a named athlete and the briefing. This checks practical access more reliably than assuming an invitation or permission change has taken effect.
Make changes explicit during practice
Agree on a simple change record: athlete or group, what changed, who approved it, and who will enter the outcome. If a coach gives a verbal adjustment, tell the person capturing results so the actual work does not appear as unexplained missing reps later.
Keep coach-only context out of broad athlete announcements. Handoff notes and athlete instructions serve different audiences. Parent and guardian views also have their own limits; do not assume every account sees the same screen.
When offline, record only through supported practice controls. PaceCommand queues practice capture and certain workout updates, but editing coaching notes needs a connection. Keep an unsaved note visible until it is confirmed, and use the offline and sync checklist before leaving the venue.
Close the handoff with the records
After practice, the recording coach checks captured times, incomplete assignments, and pending changes. The plan owner reviews any exceptions that need a correction or follow-up. Set a clear handoff point so neither person assumes the other has finished the records.
- Are all captured finishes assigned to the intended athletes and reps?
- Are changed assignments explained by an actual report or coaching note?
- Has each recording device finished syncing, with no unresolved warning?
- Does the next coach know what still needs checking?
Carry unresolved items into a named follow-up. The athlete progress review guide provides a worksheet for discussing the records once those gaps are understood.
Where PaceCommand fits
PaceCommand joins the workout, individual targets, practice capture, and coach handoff. It is useful when assistants need access to assigned groups and the staff wants results attached to the session. It does not replace every communication tool a program uses.
Keep schedule announcements in your program's chosen communication channel and point to the current workout. Test one complete handoff, from saving the plan to reviewing synced results, before moving an entire week into a new process.