Top emails you should be sending to your swim club members - and how to write them

Clear, timely email remains one of the most reliable ways for UK swimming clubs to keep in touch with families, reduce repeated questions, and protect volunteer time.

Swim England guidance encourages regular updates on training schedules, competitions, coach cover and key club news, using channels that members actually use.

The most effective swimming clubs treat email as part of a simple system. It is the primary channel for official information, messages are specific, actionable, and segmented so people only receive what is relevant to their role.

Clubs that lag behind in terms of administration usually make the mistake of sending chaotic ad-hoc emails, often skipping important email types and occasions.

Below is a list of the highest-value emails most clubs should send regularly:

Welcome / new member onboarding email

Send this as soon as a family joins or a trial converts to membership.

The email should cover: training times and location, kit requirements, key contacts (welfare officer, membership, coaching), where to find the code of conduct and safeguarding information, how fees and invoices work, and how to log in and update details in the parents' backend.

Attach or link to the most important documents. A strong welcome reduces early confusion and sets expectations.

In SwimClub Manager, new members and parents can access calendars, documents, invoices and club information through the website member area and mobile app, so the email can point them there rather than repeating everything.

Term or season schedule and calendar email

At the start of each term (or when the main timetable is confirmed), send the training schedule, any known closures, assessment or squad-move windows, and major competition dates.

Be specific about which groups are affected. Update the same information if pool times change. Proactive calendar emails cut down on “what time is training?” messages.

SwimClub Manager keeps session and event information in one place and surfaces it in the parent/member calendar and app, so the email can summarise and link information rather than become the only source of truth.

Gala / competition invitation and entry email

When a meet is added, email eligible members and relevant squads with: event details, qualifying criteria if any, entry deadline, cost, how to confirm attendance or select events, and any travel or kit notes.

Include a clear call to action and deadline.

Follow up with reminders and, after the meet, a short results or thank-you note where appropriate.

SwimClub Manager supports meet invitations, confirmation links, eligibility views and related emails so clubs can target the right swimmers and keep responses tied to the event record.

Invoice and payment reminder emails

Send clear invoices when fees, gala entries or other charges are due, and follow up with polite reminders for anything outstanding. State what the charge covers, the due date, how to pay, and who to contact with questions.

See our guide to invoicing and payment collection for more details.

Consistent, professional payment emails reduce awkward personal chasing.

SwimClub Manager lets clubs create and email invoices, receipts and reminders, and collect via Direct Debit (GoCardless) or card. Payment status stays visible, and parents can view invoices in the app.

Session cancellation or last-minute change email (and text where needed)

Pool closures, coach illness or facility issues need fast, clear notice: what is cancelled or changed, which groups are affected, whether a catch-up is planned, and who to contact.

For true last-minute changes, pair email with SMS for maximum deliverability. Keep the tone factual and apologetic without over-explaining.

SwimClub Manager supports email and text messaging so urgent updates can reach families quickly, alongside the club feed and app notifications.

Squad move, assessment or progress update email

When swimmers are assessed or moved between groups, they should get an email that explains the decision, the new training times, and fee implications.

Positive, specific language helps parents support the change. Regular short progress notes build trust.

Keeping group membership and session information up to date in SwimClub Manager makes it easier to target the right families and keep calendars accurate after moves.

Volunteer and helper request email

Galas, timekeeping, fundraising and poolside help depend on parents. Send focused requests with the suggested role, date, time commitment, and how to sign up.

Thank people publicly afterwards. Specific, time-bound asks convert better than vague “we need helpers” messages.

Periodic club news / newsletter email

A short, predictable update covering recent results, upcoming dates, volunteer thanks, welfare or policy reminders, and any social or fundraising news keeps the club feeling active.

The club feed in SwimClub Manager (with in-app notifications) is useful for lighter, ongoing updates that sit alongside formal email.

Fee change or policy update email

Give proper advance notice of fee increases, changes to payment methods, or updates to codes of conduct and key policies.

Explain the reason briefly, the effective date, and where to find the full detail. Clear notice reduces complaints and failed payments.

Safeguarding and key contacts reminder

Every once in a while (for example at the start of the season) remind families who the Club Welfare Officer is, how to raise a concern, and where to find Wavepower-related information and codes of conduct. Keep the tone supportive and factual. Always follow Swim England Wavepower guidance on communicating with children: official messages should go via parents/guardians for under-18s in almost all cases.

Email writing tips: tone and practical tricks

Good subject lines and clear structure matter as much as choosing the right type of email.

Busy parents skim, and volunteers write under time pressure, which is why just a few consistent habits make every message more likely to be read, understood and acted on.

Tone

Be clear, calm and respectful. Write as a competent club talking to supportive families, not as a corporation or a stressed volunteer.

Avoid blame (“you still haven't paid”) and vagueness (“training may change”). Prefer neutral, factual language: “The outstanding invoice for September squad fees is due on [date]. You can pay here: [link].” Keep it concise.

Lead with the purpose in the first two lines. Use short paragraphs and bullet points for dates, times, costs and actions. Parents should be able to grasp the key points on a phone screen in under a minute.

Stay consistent and professional

Use the club name (or a recognisable role such as Membership or Competition Secretary) in the from-name. Avoid overly casual slang or excessive exclamation marks in official messages.

Warmth is welcome; informality that undermines clarity is not.

Match tone to the message

Payment reminders and policy updates should be straightforward and polite. Cancellations should be factual and apologetic without lengthy excuses. Celebration and thank-you messages can be warmer. Progress or squad-move emails should be encouraging and specific.

Remember safeguarding

Official communication about under-18s should go to parents/guardians in almost all cases, in line with Wavepower guidance. Do not create informal side-channels that bypass parents.

Use subject lines that say what is needed

Weak: “Club update”

Stronger: “Action needed: confirm gala entries by Sunday 28 Sept” or “Wednesday development session cancelled – 25 Sept”.

Put the action and deadline near the top. If you need a reply, a payment or a confirmation, say so in the opening lines and repeat it at the end.

Include the exact date and, where useful, a direct link.

Segment ruthlessly

Send squad-specific or role-specific emails instead of club-wide messages whenever possible. Irrelevant mail trains people to ignore future emails.

SwimClub Manager supports targeted messaging so the right families receive the right information - here's how to build separate email lists.

Give a clear “what happens next” and a contact route

Example: “Please confirm by [date] using the link below. Questions about entries: [role/email]. Questions about payment: [role/email].”

Proof the essentials

Check dates, times, pool location, amounts and links before sending. A single wrong date creates more work than the original email saved.

Time the send thoughtfully

Avoid very late evenings for non-urgent messages. For reminders, a few days before a deadline is usually better than the morning of.

Keep an internal record

Knowing what has already been sent prevents duplicate or contradictory messages. SwimClub Manager's sent-email visibility (including wider access for appropriate roles) helps the committee and coaches stay aligned.

Close the loop

After a gala, a big volunteer effort or a fee change implementation, a short follow-up or “thank you” reinforces that communication is two-way and that the club notices contribution.

Apply these habits to the core emails (welcome, schedule, gala, invoices, cancellations, squad moves, volunteer asks and newsletters) and most routine questions drop away.

SwimClub Manager is built to support exactly this kind of communication: targeted email and text, club feed, parent/member app access to calendars, invoices, events and documents, and clearer oversight of what has been sent.

When messages are consistent and easy to find, volunteers spend less time answering the same questions and families feel better informed.

Good emails do not replace face-to-face contact on poolside, but they make the whole club run better.

Get your SwimClub Manager trial today!