Create your team by text
You don’t need a form, a dashboard, or any help from us to get your team up and running — just send a text. Here’s how it works.
What you’ll need before you start
Gather these four things and you’re ready:
- A team name — whatever you want to call the group (e.g. “Sunday Hitters,” “Riverside 4.0s”)
- Team composition — men’s, women’s, or mixed
- USTA or informal? — is this a USTA league team, or a pickup / scrimmage / club group?
- Player rating range — required for a USTA team (e.g. 3.5–4.0); optional for an informal group (you can use labels like “beginner” or skip it entirely)
See it in action
You: Hey, I want to set up a men’s 3.5 to 4.0 USTA tennis team called Sunday Hitters.
Assistant: Got it — here’s what I have: men’s USTA tennis team “Sunday Hitters,” ratings 3.5–4.0. Want me to create it?
You: Yes, go ahead.
Assistant: You’re all set as captain of Sunday Hitters (men’s, 3.5–4.0, USTA). Next, just tell me who’s on the roster — like “add Maria 305-555-0192”. Add yourself too if you play. Once everyone’s on, you can name a co-captain.
That’s it. One short back-and-forth and your team exists.
How the conversation goes
The assistant confirms before it does anything
Before creating your team, the assistant reads back what it understood — the name, composition, rating range, and whether it’s USTA or informal. If anything’s off, just correct it in that same reply.
It only asks what it needs
If you mention “USTA” or “league,” the assistant figures out it’s a formal team on its own. If it can’t tell, it asks once: “Is this a USTA team?” That’s the only extra question you should ever see.
Informal groups can skip the rating range
Running a casual pickup crew? You don’t have to give a rating range. You can, but it’s not required.
After your team is created
Your team exists and you’re its captain. Here’s what to do next — in order, in a follow-up message (not the same text as the one that created the team):
1. Add your players Tell the assistant a phone number — that’s all it needs:
“Add Bob at 786-555-0134”
A name is optional; if you leave it out, the assistant adds the player right away and you can set a name later. Add yourself too if you’re playing — you need a player record to count toward headcount.
One important note: adding a player does not automatically send them a message. If the player is new to Headcount Buddy, they’ll need to text the assistant’s number themselves before the assistant can reach out to them — the assistant will let you know when this is the case. If they’re already a Headcount Buddy user (for example, they’re on another one of your teams), they’re reachable right away and will get a short welcome automatically.
2. Name a co-captain (optional) Once someone is on the roster, you can give them co-captain access. A co-captain has full authority over the team — they can manage events, edit the roster, handle outreach, and more. The assistant will explain this and ask you to confirm before making anyone a co-captain.
“Make Maria co-captain.”
Co-captain first requires the person to already be on your roster, so add players before you promote anyone.
During alpha, team creation is invite-only
Creating a team is currently limited to approved organizers. If you’re already set up, the assistant will create your team the moment you ask. If you’re not approved yet, the assistant will let you know and point you in the right direction:
“Creating a team is limited while we’re in alpha. Email help@headcountbuddy.com and we’ll get you set up.”
Send a note to help@headcountbuddy.com and we’ll get you access.
A few good things to know
- You can run more than one team. If you organize a men’s group and a mixed group, create both. The assistant tracks them separately and always confirms which team a message is about when you’re managing more than one.
- Your first text ever? If this is your first time texting the assistant, you’ll see a short opt-in step first. Reply as prompted, and then send your team-creation message — the assistant will pick up right where you left off.
- Something not working? Email help@headcountbuddy.com and we’ll sort it out.