SkateDash App

[FigureSpins]

The SkateDash app is still the development stage, so I could only see screen shots.  (Bricklin demos, for the geeks among us.)  While they sponsored the PSA Conference notebooks for attendees, they didn't have any printed materials to give out at the trade show.  YMMV but I'd hold off if you don't like being an Alpha tester.  The first release is scheduled for Summer 2017.

This is a monthly subscription app, which isn't a selling point, but it's not too expensive.  $9/mth for the coach and $1.25/mth/skater - not a show-stopper.  The coach can set up their account first and decide if they're going to pay the students' fees themselves or have the students pay it monthly.  The coach invites the students to sign up and link accounts.

The lesson scheduling, invoicing and payment are similar to Coach Concierge.  The coach can set different rates along with late fees and terms.  They don't have a way to turn off that functionality because it's tied into the subscription fee.  (I don't collect payments from families directly - they pay the rink and the rink pays me after taking a commission.)

They have a well-rounded practice list concept.  The skater's level provides a default list of skills with demonstration video links, and the coach can add items along with link to videos.  That would work well for a skater who has their own smartphone or wifi-enabled tablet/ipod. 

Their Communication Center is interesting - it's one-way communication, coach-to-parent.  No back-and-forth discussions via text or email.  Not sure if that's a good thing but it's great for announcements such as "Going out of town next week."  Coaches can share videos and lesson notes as well as notifications. 

What I do like is that it's multi-platform: there's an iOS and Android app as well as a web-based interface.  When your phone dies, you can still access from your computer and, even better, print out the practice sheets for your skater.  That's a good feature.

Again, haven't actually used SkateDash, but I want to try it out just to see if it's worthwhile for the practice lists.  The notebooks I require tend to fall into disuse when we get to the busy season.

Website: https://www.skatedash.com/