> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://relayathletic.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing multiple Programs in a Team

> Our guide to building and managing complex programming structures at scale.

Programming for a team usually forces coaches to choose between two bad options: write a generic program for everyone, or spend hours writing individual programs from scratch. This section shows you how to use Relay's multi-level architecture to get the best of both worlds.

You’ll learn how to build a base program, create positional variations, make individual adjustments on the fly, and push bulk updates across your entire roster.

By the end of it, you’ll have a scalable system that allows for highly individualized training without the administrative headache.

***

## How multi-level programming works

Understanding how programs cascade from the team level down to the individual athlete is the key to managing your time effectively in Relay.

**The core philosophy:** Instead of building 20 distinct programs, you build one master template, duplicate it, and tweak the specific variables.

1. **The Base Level (Team):** The overarching macrocycle that dictates the core lifts and schedule for the whole team.
2. **The Second Level (Positional/Group):** A copy of the base program, adjusted for specific positional needs (e.g., adding extra plyometrics for outside hitters, or neck strengthening for linemen).
3. **The Micro Level (Individual):** Real-time, daily adjustments made directly on a specific athlete's calendar based on readiness or injury.

Understanding this top-down approach helps you create a highly tailored experience for your athletes in a fraction of the time.

***

## Your programming workflow

There are three main phases to utilizing multi-level programming in your daily workflow: setup, individual tweaks, and bulk synchronizations.

Navigate to **Programs** in your sidebar to get started.

### Step 1: Set up your base and positional programs

We highly recommend establishing your master template before assigning anything to your athletes.

**How to structure it:**

1. **Create the Base:** Build your standard team program in the `/programs` tab. Include the core lifts, conditioning blocks, and schedule that apply to everyone.
2. **Duplicate for Sub-Groups:** Copy that base program and rename it for your second-level groups (e.g., "Team Base - Linemen" or "Team Base - Rehab").
3. **Customize the Copy:** Open the duplicated program and swap out the necessary exercises, adjust the volumes, or add specific positional drills. *(Note: You can repeat this duplication process as many times as you need for different groups).*
4. **Assign via Tags:** Use your Athlete Tags to assign these customized sub-programs to the correct groups in bulk.

### Step 2: Make individual adjustments on the fly

Once the programs are assigned and live, the realities of an in-season schedule take over. You can easily modify an individual athlete's workouts without affecting the rest of the team.

**How to adjust individuals:**

1. Navigate to the **Athletes** tab and click on a specific athlete to view their individual calendar.
2. Select the specific workout day you want to adjust.
3. Make your changes directly on their calendar: add new exercises, swap out a movement due to a tweak, increase the assigned weight, or move the workout to a different day.
4. These micro-adjustments are saved immediately and *only* apply to this specific athlete.

### Step 3: Make bulk adjustments (Synchronization)

If you realize you need to change a core exercise for an entire group or if your game schedule shifts you don't need to go into every single athlete's calendar. You can push updates from the top down.

**How to sync changes:**

1. Navigate back to your overarching program in the **Programs** tab (e.g., "Team Base - Linemen").
2. Make your adjustments to the master program (e.g., swapping Barbell Squats for Box Squats, or shifting Thursday's workout to Friday).
3. Click the **Synchronize** button.
4. Select the athletes currently assigned to this program to push the update.

**How Synchronization works:** When you sync a program, Relay automatically overrides the respective upcoming workouts on the athletes' calendars with your new changes. **Crucially, synchronization will never alter or delete workouts that the athlete has already completed.** All of their historical tracking data remains completely untouched.

This dual-layered system ensures you can always make granular, individual tweaks while retaining the power to bulk-edit your entire roster in seconds.