How to Track Skills and Progress Reports for Athletes and Students

Tracking student skill levels and progress is essential for running a gymnastics club, swim school, dance studio, or any skills-based program.

In this short guide, based on a demo walkthrough, you’ll learn how to create skill levels, assign them to students, let coaches update levels through attendance, fill progress reports, and enforce prerequisites when creating classes.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

• Small programs can track skills manually, but growing studios or schools quickly need a more organized approach.
• Signs you need better skill-tracking tools include inconsistent student placement, repetitive admin updates, and coaches spending too much time on paperwork.
• Platforms like Activity Messenger save time by letting you create skill levels, update progress reports, and manage class prerequisites all in one place.
• Using the right tools keeps students advancing safely, reduces administrative headaches, and allows coaches and staff to focus on teaching and development.

 

Table of Contents

1. Create Skill Levels
2. Assign and Update Skills for Students
3. Let Coaches Manage Skills via Attendance Lists
4. Use Progress Reports to Capture Assessments
5. Prerequisites for Class Registrations
6. Tips and Best Practices
7. Frequently Asked Questions
8. Conclusion: Simplify Skill Tracking and Boost Student Progress

 

1. Create Skill Levels

Start by defining the skill levels your program uses (for example, Level 1–4). In the demo account shown in the video, three levels are created, but new levels can be added with a single click of the “+” button. Keep your naming consistent so coaches and families understand progression.

Key Steps:

• Add each skill or level in the “Skills” area of your Activity Messenger account.
• Name levels clearly (e.g., Level 1, Level 2, Advanced) and order them logically.
• Plan whether levels represent broad groupings or specific skills—this affects reporting and registration rules.

2. Assign and Update Skills for Students

Once skills exist, assign students to the appropriate level from the student profile page. You can set the effective date when the skill level applies, including assigning levels for future dates (useful for promotions that take effect at the start of a term).

Admins can modify a student’s skill directly, combine multiple skills, or set the date the change should take effect.

3. Let Coaches Manage Skills via Attendance Lists

In many programs, coaches are the ones who determine progress. Activity Messenger supports restricted access so staff can view only their attendance lists.

From those lists, coaches can:

• Track attendance
• Update a student’s skill level
• Open and fill progress report forms

Example: A coach marks that a student has passed and assigns Level 1 on the current date. The change is saved and reflected on the student record.

4. Use Progress Reports to Capture Assessments

For more detailed feedback, attach a progress report form to evaluations. These forms allow coaches to rate a student’s performance across specific skill sets and save the results to the student’s record.

5. Prerequisites for Class Registrations

When creating or editing a class, you can set prerequisites so only students with the required skill levels can register. This helps ensure participants are placed in appropriate classes for safety and learning.

Advanced Registration Options:

• Require one or more specific skills to register (choose whether all or any one is sufficient).
• Allow participants to register even if they don’t meet the prerequisite (useful for tryouts or make-up registrations).
• Automatically add a skill when a participant registers (for example, award Level 2 on registration).

These options let you automate placement, open registration when appropriate, or capture registrant expectations at sign-up.

Tips and Best Practices

• Keep skill names and levels consistent across coaches and classes for clear communication.
• Use progress report templates to standardize evaluations and make progress easier to track over time.
• Use future-dated skill assignments for scheduled promotions or term changes.
• Train coaches on how to update skills and complete progress reports from their attendance lists.
• Leverage the advanced registration options to reduce manual data entry (e.g., auto-assign skills on registration).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a new skill level?

Go to the Skills area in your Activity Messenger admin, click the Plus (Add) button, enter the skill name (e.g., Level 4), and save. The new skill will be available for assignments and prerequisites.

Can I assign a skill with an effective date in the future?

Yes. When changing a student’s skill level, you can select the date the assignment should take effect. This is useful for promotions that begin with a new session or term.

Can coaches update skill levels while taking attendance?

Yes. Coaches with access to attendance lists can update student skill levels and fill out progress reports directly from their attendance view. Access is scoped so staff only see their assigned attendance lists.

What if a student doesn’t meet the prerequisites but wants to register?

When configuring class prerequisites, you can allow participants to register even if they don’t meet the required skills. Alternatively, you can configure the system to automatically assign a skill level upon registration.

How do progress reports work?

Progress reports are customizable forms that coaches fill out to rate students across specific skills. The results are saved to the student’s record and can be used to inform class placement and parent communication.

Conclusion: Simplify Skill Tracking and Boost Student Progress

Managing skill levels, progress reports, and class prerequisites doesn’t have to be a manual, time-consuming process. With Activity Messenger, you can empower coaches to track progress in real time, keep families in the loop, and ensure students are always placed in the right class.

 

💡 Ready to optimize skill tracking and progress reporting? Book a demo call today to see Activity Messenger in action.