Ryan ChenaultPresident--Ohio MachineHow is your Teamworks' usage different between the college and professional levels?NorthwesternWhen I was a sports administrator at Northwestern, I used Teamworks all the time to communicate with players and to manage forms for compliance reasons. Teamworks was great with the huge rosters of players we had, especially for last-minute changes. It was awesome.Ohio MachineIn my current role as President of the Machine, Teamworks really helps with our travel. We fly our players into games because they live all over the country. Teamworks allows us to very easily communicate and share itineraries with our players. Even in the offseason, we can always keep an open line of communication in one central location. Before Teamworks, that was very difficult and at times, we had miscommunication. Now, the communication is straight from me or the coaches, which keeps it clear and simple.What effect has Teamworks had on the professional success of the players you worked with at Northwestern?From my experience working with student athletes at the collegiate level, they are drawn in a million different directions. To communicate with them in mass from one point is extremely beneficial. It also really helps them to have access to all their vital resources in that same place. They still have to take responsibility, but with Teamworks, they have all the tools to succeed.How do the Ohio Machine players feel about Teamworks?A number of them used it in college, so they were familiar with it. For those that weren’t, it was an easy transition because the platform is very user-friendly. They love the ability to quickly share information from their phones because they’re all in different locations. If new players join the team, we have an easy way to welcome them and get them up to speed on how we do things. When you’re spread around the country, any way you can streamline communication is key.Did your experience with Teamworks ease your transition from working at a university to a professional organization?Absolutely. When I joined the Machine, I already knew what Teamworks could do for us. It really helped to use a familiar system with my new team. I was ready to as soon as I walked in the door.What is Teamworks’ role in the operations of the Ohio Machine?The communication part of it has made things so much easier for our team. I don’t always travel to all the away games, so if the team gets a big win in New York, I can send out a message to them to let them know I’m thinking about them. I’m going to use it tomorrow; there’s some paperwork that the players need to get back to me. It is so convenient that I can do all that right through Teamworks. I also like that there are multiple ways to communicate to everyone, whether it’s text, email or voice messages.How would you describe the value of Teamworks?If you’re looking for a platform that streamlines communication to allow for a more effective team operation, Teamworks is the one. Major League Lacrosse league-wide has invested in Teamworks, but if they ever decided to change that for some reason, I would make sure to keep the partnership for our team. Teamworks is a great system, especially with people coming in and out all the time; it works really well for us.