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Stay Connected: The Secret to Stronger Teams
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Shawn Jones
DIRECTOR, ATHLETICS
Shawn has 30 years of head basketball coaching experience combined with 11 years as an athletic director. He has coached in Colorado and Texas, and has taken teams to three Final Four tournaments and a state championship. He has seen numerous players of his continue on to compete at the college and professional level of the sport. He is also proud to have seen many of his athletes become high school and collegiate coaches themselves. As director of athletics, Shawn is a key member of Ballogy’s team, driving the company’s athletic strategy, partnerships, coach engagement, and product vision. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for 32 years and they have raised three wonderful children together. Shawn has a passion for player development and the desire to assist coaches with effective, time-saving tools of administering and assessing skill development drills.
It’s 10 p.m., and I realize the team bus needs to leave an hour earlier in the morning. I’ve got 12 players, two assistants, and a handful of parents who all need to know — now.
How do I communicate that quickly, safely, and effectively? Group texts get messy. Email threads go unread. And social media… well, that’s not exactly a professional coaching platform. I’ve found myself asking the same question I know many of you have: How can we, as coaches, manage our teams in a way that keeps everyone informed, accountable, and connected — without crossing lines or losing control of the message?
That idea — staying connected — has always been at the heart of Ballogy. But now, it’s even better.
Messaging That Builds Community, Not Distraction
Ballogy’s new team messaging isn’t another chat app — it’s a space built for communication that stays focused on the right things. I can share updates, send reminders, or congratulate an athlete on hitting a new personal best — all without the noise. It’s private, secure, and professional, but still personal enough to build real relationships.
The best part? It keeps my players connected to my voice — not just each other’s. And that matters more than we often realize.
From Chalkboards to Calendars: Coaching Just Got Easier
If you’ve ever coached a high school team, you know the juggling act: practice schedules, game prep, workouts, study hall, bus times, meetings with parents. The calendar lives on your phone, your desk, your whiteboard, and somehow also in your head. Ballogy’s new calendar feature brings order to the chaos. I can now share team events, workouts, and reminders in one place—visible to players and coaches alike. Whether it’s a 6 AM lift, a film session, or a community service project, it’s all right there. Players can’t say they “didn’t know,” and I don’t have to chase down who’s where.
In short: it puts accountability on the team, not just the coach.
The Content Feed: A New Kind of Locker Room
Coaching has always been about teaching — about shaping players as much as plays. The new Ballogy content feed takes that idea and stretches it across the entire sports community. Inside the feed, I can find daily polls, trivia, and sport-specific resources from trusted partners like NFHS, NAIA, NJCAA, and NHSBCA. Rule updates, training tips, leadership insights — it’s all there, ready to share with my team.
It’s the modern version of the bulletin board outside the gym door — except now it’s interactive, engaging, and available anywhere. My players aren’t just scrolling — they’re learning, connecting, and developing the mindset of athletes who take ownership of their growth.
More Than an App — A Connected Culture
If the last few years have taught me anything, it’s that connection takes effort. It’s easy to lose touch — with players, with peers, even with the “why” behind what we do. These latest features in the Ballogy app aren’t just about technology. They’re about building a connected culture — one where communication, accountability, and development stay front and center. Where players feel supported, coaches feel equipped, and everyone stays connected to the bigger mission.
So as you plan for the next season, I challenge you to do what the best programs always do: Stay Connected. To your players. To your purpose. And to the reason I you started coaching in the first place.