We Heard. We Listened. We Remade Things. Here's Why.

If you've opened BenchBoard lately, you probably noticed things look different.

That wasn't a facelift.

We've spent the last few weeks rebuilding how the entire platform feels — not just how it looks. And what's coming next is the reason we did it.

But let's start with what's already here.

The New Look

BenchBoard is darker now. Cleaner. More deliberate.

That matters more than you'd think.

Coaches don't use this app sitting at a desk. They use it in dugouts, under field lights, on a phone between innings with a kid asking where they're playing next. The old design worked, but it wasn't built for those moments.

Now it is. Stronger contrast, tighter layout, better hierarchy. You see what you need and nothing you don't.

We Listened. Then We Rebuilt.

Before this version, a handful of coaches were testing an earlier build. They didn't hold back.

The feedback was direct: it needs to work on a tablet. It needs to work on different screen sizes. Some coaches couldn't even use it properly on their laptops. And the ask that came up the most — it needs to be on their phone.

They were right.

The early version filled a need, but the execution wasn't there yet. One developer who looked at it put it honestly — "decent attempt, but it needs more meat".

Fair.

So we went back and rebuilt the responsive layout from the ground up. BenchBoard now adapts across desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile browsers — not as an afterthought, but as a priority. Whether you're on a 27-inch monitor at home or a tablet propped up in the dugout, the experience holds up.

And we're not stopping there. We're working to get BenchBoard into the App Store and Google Play so coaches can download it directly to their phones. That's actively in progress and it's a top priority.

The early testers saw the bones of something useful. What's live now is a different animal. And honestly? This is just the lunch. We haven't even gotten to dinner yet.

Reporting That Actually Goes Somewhere

Here's something we hear from coaches all the time: "I track everything, but I can't see anything."

We're fixing that.

The reporting foundation is quickly moving along. Position heat maps, rotation summaries, fairness scoring — the structure is in place and we're tightening the logic now. You can already see where it's headed inside the app.

We're being careful here on purpose. Bad data dressed up in a nice chart is worse than no data at all. So we're making sure what we ship is accurate before it's pretty.

Calendar That Connects (Now Available)

Practices. Games. Events. RSVPs.

It all lives in one place now, and coaches can share a clean gameday schedule page with a single link — drop it in the group chat and everyone knows what's happening. Public or private, your call.

No screenshots of spreadsheets. No "check the email I sent last Tuesday." Just a link.

Skills Tracking, Your Way (Now Available)

Not every coach evaluates players the same way, and we didn't pretend otherwise.

Skills tracking is flexible enough to fit how your team actually works. Rec coaches focused on development can track growth. Travel coaches focused on performance can track production. Same tool, different lens.

So Why The Rebuild?

Because we're building toward something bigger.

Everything we just talked about — the visual refresh, reporting, calendar, skills — it's all foundational. It all connects to what's coming next.

And what's coming next changes what BenchBoard is. And yes, you can still print lineups free of charge - faster than any other interface that has tried.

We're not ready to announce these apps yet. But it's close. Really close.

If you're coaching this season, now's the time to get set up and familiar with the platform. Because when the next update drops, you're going to want to already have your roster in and your workflow dialed.

More soon.

Radford @
benchboard.org