The first session with a new sports coaching client

Make the first session its own service, a little longer than a normal one, and use it for three things: understanding the client's goal and constraints, checking where their fitness is today, and agreeing on a weekly rhythm. Ask for the goal in the booking note, list in the description what to bring and wear, and before the client leaves, book the next few weeks of sessions together. A first session that ends with dates in the calendar is the start of a programme; one that ends with "I'll let you know" may never go further.

A normal coaching session is mostly training. A first session is mostly listening and testing: what the client wants, what they've done before, what hurts, how much time they really have. It needs a bit more time and a different description. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end. A new client who picks "First session" only sees slots of that length.

Lengths and prices are examples: use your own. Some coaches price the first session lower to make the first step easier; others charge it like a normal session. Either way, say clearly what it includes.

The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, and has an optional note. In your first-session description, invite the client to write a line about:

Keep medical details for the session itself. If someone mentions a heart condition, recent surgery or pregnancy, ask them to check with their doctor before you start training, and say so in the description.

Write down the test results. When you repeat them at a progress check, the client sees how far they've come, which keeps them going.

Don't let the client leave without the next dates. Open your calendar and book the coming weeks together. You can book a client into a slot yourself: first and last name are required, email and phone optional, and you can add a note such as "week 1: base endurance". If you add their email, they receive a confirmation email and a calendar file for each session.

If the client always trains on the same day and time, book that slot for each of the coming weeks. Put a progress check in the calendar a few weeks later, so the plan gets reviewed rather than drifting.

If you coach at clients' homes and outdoors, make the location clear. Either create one service per place, such as "Session at your home" and "Session in the park", or ask for the address in the note. Home sessions need travel time in the slot or a gap before the next one.

Clients can't move a booking online: they contact you, and you move or cancel it from your bookings list. Book doesn't email clients about changes, so confirm new times yourself. Say in the description how much notice you need to move a session. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.