Building Your Roster
Before Headcount Buddy can reach your players, it needs to know who they are. This page walks you through adding teammates, what happens right after you add them, and how the assistant can help fill in missing details so you don’t have to chase anyone down.
How to add a player
Text your team’s assistant number and just give it a phone number. That’s all you need to get started.
You: Add 415-555-0192 to the roster
Assistant: Done! I’ve added 415-555-0192. One thing — they’ll need to text me first before I can reach them. Once they do, I’ll be able to include them in RSVPs and updates.
You can include a name too, but you don’t have to. If you leave it out, the assistant will use the phone number as a placeholder until the player sets their own name.
You: Add Jamie Chen, 415-555-0147
Assistant: Added Jamie Chen! Same note — Jamie will need to text me first before I can reach them.
The one thing every organizer needs to know
Adding a brand-new player does not send them a message.
Until a player texts the assistant number themselves, the assistant has no way to contact them. This is an important first step to share with your team. A quick note in your existing group chat works great:
“Hey everyone — text [your assistant number] so our new team helper can reach you.”
Once a player has texted in, they’re reachable for RSVPs, schedule updates, and anything else you send through the assistant.
One exception: if the player is already a Headcount Buddy user on another team you run, the assistant will send them a short welcome message when you add them to the new team — no extra step needed on their end.
What if the number is already in the system?
If someone is already a Headcount Buddy user — maybe they’re on another team you run — the assistant will let you know what name is already on file.
You: Add Mike, 415-555-0203
Assistant: That number is already on file as Michael Torres. Should I add them to this team as “Mike,” or use “Michael Torres”?
You can keep their existing name or set a team-specific one — your call. Either way, the assistant won’t make any change without your confirmation.
Adding a player who’s already on your roster
No harm in adding someone twice. If the assistant sees they’re already on your team, it’ll confirm that and let you know whether they’ve texted in yet.
Setting priority tiers
When you add a player, you can tell the assistant how central they are to your team. This helps the assistant make smarter decisions about headcount — for example, who to consider first when you need to fill a spot.
| Tier | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
| Core | Your regulars who almost always play |
| Regular | Reliable players who play most of the time |
| Occasional | Players who join when they can |
| Sub | Fill-ins you pull in when your usual crew is short |
You: Add 415-555-0301 — she’s a sub
Assistant: Added! She’s marked as a sub. She’ll need to text me before I can reach her.
If you don’t set a tier, the assistant will treat the player as lowest priority in headcount decisions. You can always update this later.
Collecting names and other details — without chasing them yourself
Once a player texts the assistant, it can ask them directly for anything that’s missing. For example, if your team plays in a mixed format (men and women), the assistant will ask each player how they play before recording their first RSVP — so you don’t have to field those questions yourself.
Players can also update their own names at any time just by texting the assistant:
Player: Call me Tomás
Assistant: Got it — I’ll list you as Tomás from now on.
Players can also store their own Venmo or Zelle handles by texting the assistant, so they’re on file whenever you need to collect fees.
Removing a player from your roster
If someone is no longer part of your team, you can ask the assistant to remove them. The assistant will always confirm who it’s about to remove before making any change — just say yes to confirm.
You: Remove Jamie Chen from the roster
Assistant: Just to confirm — you’d like to remove Jamie Chen? Reply yes and I’ll take them off.
You: Yes
Assistant: Done. Jamie Chen has been removed from the roster.
Removed players drop out of rotation, headcount, and all outreach. The removal is reversible — if you ever need to add them back, just use the normal add command and they’ll be reinstated.
Checking who’s on your roster
You can ask the assistant to look up your roster at any time — no need to keep your own list.
You: Who’s on the roster?
Assistant: Here’s your current roster for the Saturday scrimmage group: Jamie Chen (reachable), 415-555-0192 (not yet texted in), and Michael Torres (reachable, also on your Thursday team).
The assistant will show you each player’s name, whether they’ve texted in and are reachable, and whether anyone also appears on another team you run.
Putting it all together: a quick example
Here’s what building out a small roster might look like:
You: I need to add three players — 415-555-0101, 415-555-0102, and 415-555-0103. First two are regulars, third is a sub.
Assistant: All three are added! 415-555-0101 and 415-555-0102 are set as regulars, and 415-555-0103 is a sub. None of them have texted me yet, so remind them to text [your assistant number] when you get a chance and I’ll be ready to reach them.
Need help?
If anything isn’t working as expected or you’d like to get your team set up, reach out at help@headcountbuddy.com.