📥Importing coaches

Complete guide to importing coaches via CSV file, including required fields, validation, and troubleshooting.

Import multiple coaches into your club roster using a CSV file or by pasting tabular data directly.

Accessing the Import Feature

1. Navigate to Participants > Coaches in your club dashboard

2. Click the Add button (➕) in the page header

3. Select Import Coaches from the dropdown menu

Required CSV Fields

Your CSV file must include these exact column headers in the first row:

Core Required Fields

Field	Description	Accepted Values	Validation Rules
First name	Coach's given name	Text (e.g., "Jane")	Required field - cannot be empty
Last name	Coach's surname	Text (e.g., "Doe")	Required field - cannot be empty
Club	Current club name	Text (e.g., "Springfield Gymnastics")	Required field - cannot be empty
Level	Coach level	Text (e.g., "FIG", "Level 1", "Assistant Coach")	Required field - cannot be empty, must match existing coach levels if importing for a specific meet

Optional Fields

Field	Description	Accepted Values	Notes
Email	Coach's email address	Valid email format	Optional - leave blank if not available
Phone	Coach's phone number	Numeric string	Optional - leave blank if not available

Preparing Your CSV File

Download Template

1. Click Download Template to get a properly formatted CSV file

2. Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application

3. Fill in your coach data using the exact column headers

CSV File Requirements

• Format: Comma-separated values (.csv)

• Encoding: UTF-8 (recommended)

• Headers: Must be in first row exactly as shown above

• Data: One coach per row after headers

Upload Methods

Method 1: Drag and Drop

1. Locate the upload area on the import page

2. Drag your CSV file from your computer and drop it into the designated area

3. The file will be automatically processed and validated

Method 2: File Upload

1. Click the Upload button in the upload area

2. Browse to your CSV file and select it

3. Click Open to upload and process the file

Method 3: Paste Data

1. Click the Paste Data tab

2. Copy your tabular data (from Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)

3. Paste into the text field using:

   • Ctrl+V (Windows/Linux)

   • Cmd+V (Mac)

   • Right-click and select Paste

4. The data will be parsed and validated automatically

Import Settings (Advanced)

If you're having trouble with your CSV format or encountering validation errors, you can adjust the advanced import settings to match your specific file format.

For detailed information about date formats, delimiters, encoding, and troubleshooting, see: Advanced Import Settings

Validation Process

After uploading your data, you'll be taken to the validation page where you can:

Review Your Data

• Data Table: View all imported coaches in a organized table

• Validation Icons:

  • ✅ Green checkmark: Row is valid and ready for import

  • ❌ Red error icon: Row has validation errors that need fixing

Common Validation Errors

Error Type	Description	How to Fix
Required Field Error	First name, last name, club, or level is empty	Fill in the missing required information
Invalid Email Error	Email format is invalid	Enter a valid email address or leave blank
Invalid Level Error	Level name doesn't match existing coach levels	Check coach level names in your meet or leave blank for club import

Fix Validation Errors

1. Identify errors: Red error icons show which rows have issues

2. Hover for details: Hover over error icons to see specific error messages

3. Edit directly: Click in cells to edit values directly in the table

4. Refresh validation: Click Refresh to recalculate all validations

Search and Filter

• Search bar: Find coaches by any field (name, club, level, etc.)

• Level filter: Show only coaches from specific levels

• Club filter: Filter by club name

• Validation filter: Show only valid entries or only entries with errors

Final Import

Before Importing

• Ensure all rows show green checkmarks (✅)

• Fix any remaining red error icons (❌)

• Verify the coach count and details

Import Process

1. Click Import in the bottom right corner

2. Wait for the import to complete (may take a few moments for large files)

3. All valid coaches will be added to your club roster

4. You'll be redirected back to the main Coaches page

Post-Import Actions

• Verify import: Check that all coaches appear in your roster

• Edit details: Use the Editing & Managing Coaches page to update any information

• Assign levels: Ensure all coaches have appropriate coach levels assigned for organization and pricing

• Register for meets: Use the imported coaches for meet registrations

Troubleshooting Tips

• Large files: For files with many coaches, the validation may take longer

• Special characters: Ensure names and contact information don't contain problematic characters

• Level matching: If importing for a specific meet, ensure coach level names match exactly