---
title: Getting started with Coach Companion
description: Get started with Coach Companion, the free tournament-day app for coaches. Sign in with Smoothcomp, build your crew, and assign a coach to every athlete.
---

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# Getting started with Coach Companion

Coach Companion is a free app for coaches to use on tournament day. It shows your athletes' matches in order, helps your coaching crew make sure every athlete has someone in their corner, and shows you which matches still need a coach.

**With Coach Companion you can:**

- See your academy's matches for an event, in the order they'll run
- Add assistants, parents, and team managers to your crew
- Assign a coach to each athlete or match
- See which matches have no coach assigned
- Write notes on a match right after it finishes

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**No Gymdesk account needed** Coach Companion is free for any coach with a Smoothcomp account, whether or not your gym uses Gymdesk.

### **Download the app ![CoachCompanion](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CoachCompanion.png?width=125&height=125&name=CoachCompanion.png)**

Coach Companion is free on iPhone and Android. In the app stores, look for "Built by Gymdesk, powered by Smoothcomp."

- **iPhone:** [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gymdesk-coach-companion/id6776284249)
- **Android:** [Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gymdesk.coach_companion&pcampaignid=web_share)

### **Login to Smoothcomp**

Login with your Smoothcomp account. If you also use Gymdesk, the two accounts have separate logins. Use your Smoothcomp login here, not your Gymdesk login.

![](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Oct-07-2026-01-16-29-4831-AM.png?width=422&height=554&name=undefined-Oct-07-2026-01-16-29-4831-AM.png)

**Don't have a Smoothcomp account?** Create a free personal account at [smoothcomp.com](https://smoothcomp.com/). If you coach at an academy, see Smoothcomp's guide to [creating your coach manager account](https://support.smoothcomp.com/article/104-how-to-create-your-coach-manager-account).

**Forgot your password?** [Reset your Smoothcomp password](https://smoothcomp.com/en/password/reset).

 

### **Pick Your Event**

Choose the Smoothcomp event you're coaching at. Your academy's athletes load automatically from their Smoothcomp registrations, so there's nothing to type in. Your athletes' matches are listed in the order they'll run. Tap a match to open the full bracket on Smoothcomp.

![](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Oct-07-2026-01-16-29-7168-AM.png?width=452&height=644&name=undefined-Oct-07-2026-01-16-29-7168-AM.png)

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**Missing an athlete?** The list comes from Smoothcomp registrations. Check that the athlete registered for the event under your academy on Smoothcomp.

### **Build Your Crew**

Your crew is everyone helping you corner athletes on the day, such as assistant coaches, parents, and team managers. You can add people right at the venue. Each crew member needs their own free Smoothcomp account. They don't need a Gymdesk account.

1. Open your crew for the event.
2. Add someone by **scanning their QR code** or **searching** for them.

![Adding Crew Coach Companion](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Adding%20Crew%20Coach%20Companion.png?width=302&height=505&name=Adding%20Crew%20Coach%20Companion.png)

### **Assign Coaches**

Make sure every athlete has someone in their corner. You can assign a coach in two ways:

- **To an athlete.** That coach covers the athlete's whole bracket for the day, so one assignment is enough.
- **To a single match.** Use this to cover a specific match, for example when the usual coach is busy on another mat.

![](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Oct-05-2026-10-27-04-8830-PM.png?width=600&height=301&name=image-png-Oct-05-2026-10-27-04-8830-PM.png)

You decide who covers what. The app doesn't assign coaches automatically.  Assignments are only visible to your coaching crew. Athletes can't see who's assigned to them, so let them know who's in their corner.

 

### **Follow Matches**

Keep the app open on the day to see your athletes' upcoming matches in order, including any that don't have a coach assigned yet. The app shows the gap but doesn't fill it for you. Assign a coach to cover the match.

### **Add Notes to a Match**

Add a note as soon as a match ends, while the details are still fresh. Notes are available when your academy on Smoothcomp is linked to Gymdesk, and they appear on the athlete's competition history in Gymdesk. If your academy isn't linked, you'll see a prompt to connect instead.

![Companion\_Notes](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Companion_Notes.png?width=350&height=516&name=Companion_Notes.png)

### **Frequently Asked Questions**

\+Does Coach Companion cost anything?

No. It's free to download and free to use for any coach with a Smoothcomp account. Crew members use it free too.

\+Do I need a Gymdesk account?

No. You only need a Smoothcomp account. The one exception is match notes, which need your academy linked to Gymdesk.

\+Can athletes use Coach Companion?

Coach Companion is built for coaches and the crew helping them. Athletes can follow their matches on Smoothcomp.

\+Can I register athletes from the app?

No. Your athlete list comes from Smoothcomp registrations. Register athletes on Smoothcomp, or in Gymdesk if your gym uses it.

\+What's the Gymdesk tab in the app?

It's a menu of links to Gymdesk. The links open outside the app.

\+Do my notes sync to Gymdesk?

Yes, once your academy is linked to Gymdesk. Each note appears under the match in the athlete's competition history in Gymdesk, after results are published. Coaches and staff can see them there. Members can't. Notes added in Gymdesk stay in Gymdesk. If your academy isn't linked yet, notes aren't available in Coach Companion.

\+My gym uses Gymdesk. How does this fit in?

Use the Competitions tab in Gymdesk to plan events and see results afterward, and use Coach Companion on tournament day. See [Competitions in Gymdesk: Connect with Smoothcomp](https://docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/competitions-in-gymdesk-connect-with-smoothcomp?hsLang=en).

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