Communications is a technique for expressing ideas effectively. It is a two way street, through which one can put their point across as well as understand the other’s perspective. It has been most effective through the spoken word, especially in the field of sports. We live in an era where communication is an extremely important aspect. In football like in any organization, the strength of a team depends on how well they co-ordinate and work together and for this to happen, there has to be effective communication. It was through this medium that the sport gained popularity and became the most played sport in the world in a matter of a few decades. It took various communication tools to get people to actively engage in the sport.
Communication in the aspect of football can be seen in various forms – Communication between League and clubs, Clubs and their staff/players, clubs and their fans, players and their fans, the League and its fans.
Here are a few ways through which communication can take place within a club:
Traditional methods
Today, almost everyone possesses a cell phone or a landline, which has made the traditional method of calling easier than ever before.It is very efficient to convey messages clearly. This method is one of the most reliable modes of communication.
SMS or short message service is a simple way of exchanging text messages between two cell phones. This is vital in nature as when calling is not a viable option; one can simply drop an SMS and convey the message to the receiver. However, one may not be able to give the complete information.
Let us assume that we need to inform the entire squad about a change in practice session schedule due to bad weather conditions, to do so using the above methods, it may become quite cumbersome as it takes quite a lot of manual effort to add each member’s contact information and send the message. If one is to take care of the same task via phone calls, one may face the same issues as sending bulk messages along with the problem of added costs.
These methods are standard and are efficient but are costlier than others and shall be resorted to only once all other options have been exhausted.
Age old Techniques
Mails and letters have been use since a long time but are an efficient way of putting one’s message across. No matter how big or small the club may be, emails are used by all. It may be old but it is a widely recognised official way of communication.
All formal communications like sending contracts, scheduling practice sessions, change of rules in the league and other activities can be taken care of by Emails. These not only ensure that there is a digital record of the communication but these can be taken care of with the help of basic net connectivity.
However, Emails lack the personal touch and the sender can’t be sure if the mail has been read or not due to which it is suggested that this method shall not be used in cases where immediate contact is required.
New age methods
Technology has advanced achieved great heights in the last few years; most forms of communication (texting/calling/video calling) can all take place over the internet. Whatsapp, Hike, Telegram, WeChat can all be used for the same. Communication via these can take place from anywhere with basic internet connectivity and a device which supports the applications, which most people possess in today’s date. Making groups on Whatsapp makes it easier to communicate with people at one time.
Applications like Skype, Ovoo, Viber allow users to make calls as well as video chat online. They require minimal set up and are free of cost, one can hold interactive sessions from different locations giving the users flexibility of location and time.
Let us assume that the members of a club are working from different locations with time difference issues. Communicating as a group would be difficult over calls and messages, in these cases, applications like Skype help in group discussions as multiple users can connect to the same call.
The dependency of these applications on internet connection makes them a little unreliable as it’s the basis on which they function. Constant notifications in the cases of applications like Whatsapp, Hike, WeChat can be considered as a distraction by some.
Unique methods
There are portals which are dedicated for making communication efficient. One needs to note that not just communication but organising and planning over the internet has become easier.
Sites like konkuri.com, myfootballclub.com, thefootballmind.com, footballgeni.com help in online organization. TheFootballMind.com is an online portal which offers us a platform on which one can schedule practice sessions as well as inform the players and the members stay updated with the fixtures. Any form of news updates from the Football Association or any internal interaction which needs to take place can be done with a simple share. Players, Coaches, Academies can all register to experience a simple yet efficient form of communication. This portal also helps fans and clubs interact with each other.
It is vital for any club’s survival. There are n number of clubs that exist and want to expand and make their presence felt on a larger scale. Effective communication is one key component which will ensure coordination and help in the growth of the club. There are few traditional methods by which this can be achieved but, one needs to understand that for communication to be effective, it is essential to use multiple platforms as well as multiple ways to do the same. Internet has changed things for our benefit and has slowly entered most aspects of our lives; communication is no exception to this. Communicating via the internet over multiple platforms is not only easy but fast, reliable and accessible almost everywhere. To make it big, one needs to exploit these benefits for their own progress and leap forward, towards better coordination and higher efficiency in terms of management via communication.
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