Frequently asked questions: matches & WhatsApp
Organizing a match means notifying parents, knowing who will show up, and recording the result. Cantera Soccer covers all three: every match appears in the family portal, call-ups are confirmed via WhatsApp with automatic closing, and the score is saved to each player's history. These are the questions academy owners ask most often before signing up.
How do parents find out about a match?
You don't have to message families one by one: when you schedule a match, it automatically appears in the team parents' portal with date, time, and venue. On the Pro plan, each called-up family also receives an automatic WhatsApp notification with buttons to confirm attendance, so the announcement never gets buried among hundreds of group-chat messages.
Can parents confirm attendance for a match? Pro plan
Yes, on the Pro plan. The coach builds the call-up list, marking each player as called up or substitute; when it is saved for the first time, WhatsApp notifications go out to parents, who confirm or decline with an optional note from their portal. Staff can follow the confirmations from the match attendance screen, so the coach knows exactly how many players to expect before reaching the field.
What happens if a parent doesn't respond to a call-up? Pro plan
The call-up closes on its own: 30 hours after the notification goes out, or when the match starts, unanswered call-ups are automatically marked as "Not attending". The goal is to let the coach plan with certainty instead of waiting for last-minute replies. Families have that 30-hour window to confirm or decline from their portal.
Can I track match stats?
Yes: for every match you record the score, your team's goal scorers (with optional assists), cards, and the MVP. The system enforces consistency: every goal your team scores must have a scorer, and there can only be one MVP per match. Parents see results in their portal, and stats are saved to each player's history. Available on every plan.
How many WhatsApp messages does the plan include? Pro plan
The Pro plan ($59.99 USD per month) includes 300 WhatsApp notifications per billing cycle; failed messages don't consume your quota. If you need more, you can add extra packages of 100 messages for $7 USD per month each. Every notification type also has its own on/off switch, so you decide which alerts go out and keep your quota under control.
What automatic WhatsApp notifications can it send? Pro plan
The catalog covers your whole academy. Parents get payment reminders based on their billing cadence (weekly, biweekly, or monthly), overdue payment notices, payment receipts, training cancellation alerts, birthday greetings, and new match notifications with attendance confirmation. Coaches receive their match-day role, reminders to take attendance, absence alerts, and training reschedule notices. Coordinators get pending payment summaries, coach documents awaiting review, and attendance reports. Administrators are notified about low message balance, a monthly activity summary, and new player registrations.