4 min read
Communication: it’s not just for students in the classroom. In fact, as BYU embraced Pronto across its campuses, its athletics department also discovered the enhanced benefits of a communication app that allowed them to bring their students closer together. The BYU Athletics Department, led by Athletic Director Tom Holmoe, has used Pronto to connect its student-athletes, trainers, coaches, and medical staff as never before–even while students were out of the classroom and off the field due to the pandemic.
Tom notes, “It was hard to think, ‘How are we going to help these kids right now when we don’t even have them in our view.’ Pronto gave us an immediate communication channel, and you could get good feedback.” This was just one piece of the relationship and communication puzzle enhanced by Pronto, not just during the pandemic, but as student-athletes are returning to practice and to the field.
Building Relationships
Pronto is, at its heart, designed to build relationships and connections–and that’s something that everyone at BYU has noticed as they’ve learned to utilize Pronto as effectively as possible. “It’s really brought us together as an athletic department,” points out Brian Santiago, the Deputy Athletic Director at BYU. “Everybody feels safe, everybody can post, everybody has access to important groups.” That connection has been essential for improving the bond between all the members of the team. As Santiago admits, “I think that maybe one of the magic parts of this Pronto is the safe zone. You can reach out to a mental strength coach, you can reach out to a counselor, you can reach out to all your other support staff.” With Pronto, relationships are in the hands of the athletes, their coaches, their trainers, and even their medical support–and it’s easier than ever.
As quarterback Zach Wilson points out, “It just brings us closer as a team because we’re all able to have one source that we can always talk and joke around on.” He also notes that team members, in particular, might not have much time in their days, particularly by the time they take care of athletics and academics–so having one place where they can keep everything organized and maintain those connections without having to stress about making additional time is ideal for team members.
Football player Troy Warner adds, “The camaraderie and the family atmosphere means a lot to a lot of people, and to me, as well. I think it’s the reason why we’re able to have such success: because you’re playing for the brother next to you.” Pronto helps create that vital family atmosphere that team members are relying on–and gives them a direct line of communication with one another.
Carolyn Billings, Director of Sports Medicine at BYU, also chimes in on the benefit of Pronto when it comes to building relationships. “One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the relationships,” she shares. “I see their good days. I see their bad days. They cry in my office. We laugh in my office. And so, it’s just being able to know them and stay connected with them. And that’s one of the greatest parts about Pronto; it’s just the ease. I can just send out messages, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ or, ‘How was the date last night?’ or, ‘What’s going on here?'” To Carolyn, Pronto makes it much easier to stay connected with student-athletes and remain involved in their lives regardless of what they might have going on.
Managing Stress
Student-athletes appreciate that Pronto can help them manage many of the challenges they might face every day–and reach out for help when they need it. Courtney Wayment, a student-athlete at BYU, shares, “In the last two years, I’ve really needed to just talk to someone to help manage my stress and anxiety…because of Pronto, I already had the information, it was right there and clear, and all I had to do was individually message that therapist.” Zach Williams also notes, “Any questions I have, I can go on there and I can direct message anybody, or I can go to our team and staff group chat and ask everyone in general, or send one text and it goes out to everybody.” Both of these strategies are ideal for helping student-athletes manage much of the stress that comes up as part of their daily lives.
As Liz Darger, Senior Associate Athletic Director points out, “We can have the best resources in the world, and if our student-athletes don’t know how to access them, then it’s a waste of time and money.” She has found that Pronto has made coordination and communication easier–and puts those critical resources in the hands of students across BYU. Darger notes that the campus had started using Pronto prior to the pandemic, but as the struggle with Covid-19 came to light, so did Pronto’s power: members of the athletic department were able to communicate more easily and effectively with student-athletes, keeping the information in students’ hands and making sure they had the resources they needed for stress management and more.
The Power of Pronto
Pronto has immense power across many departments, not just at BYU, but in a wide range of other college campuses. Can Pronto help enhance communication across your athletics department? Contact us today for a demonstration.