Overview
As a coach, most of your work in PushPress happens in the Staff App: checking yourself in as the instructor of record, checking in your roster, running appointments, and managing your assignments. This article covers everything a new coach needs, starting with the check-in flow and building to the full reference library.
Get the check-in flow right first, because your payroll is built directly from it. Everything else builds on top of that.
This guide is for new coaches. It is a starting point rather than a replacement for your gym's own policies, so ask your manager how coaching actually runs at your gym.
Important: Your day-to-day view in Core is scoped to your own classes and roster. Account-wide settings, billing, and reports belong to the owner or admin unless they have granted you broader access.
Before You Start
Confirm these four things before your first class:
You have your own Core login and the Coach role. Your manager creates this, and your role controls what you can see. See Get started with staff resources.
You can sign in to the Staff App on your own device. Coach check-in has to happen in Staff Mode, so you cannot rely on the front-desk tablet.
You know which classes you are assigned to. Your assignments determine what appears in your view.
You know which plan your gym is on. PushPress Core comes in Free, Pro, and Max tiers. You will not set this up, but it changes what clients can do.
Note: Some things clients ask you about at the whiteboard or on the mat, such as waitlisting a full class or priority booking, depend on which plan your gym is on. If a client mentions a feature you do not see, that is most likely a plan difference rather than something you are missing. Ask your manager which plan your gym is on.
How to Check In on Day 1
By the end of this section you can check yourself in as the instructor of record and check in your roster.
1. Learn the coach check-in flow
To learn the coach check-in flow, practice checking yourself in, and then your whole roster, as the instructor of record. This is a separate flow from the front desk check-in, so do not assume the two work the same way.
Full instructions: Coach check-in options
2. Know your view in Core
To know your view in Core, open Core and see what is actually there. Your view is scoped to your own classes and roster rather than account-wide settings, so anything a member asks about that involves billing or configuration goes to your manager.
Full instructions: Get started with staff resources
3. Use Staff Mode rather than Kiosk Mode
To check yourself in as the instructor of record, use Staff Mode on your own device or login. Kiosk Mode cannot record a coach of record, so checking in from the front-desk tablet will not attach the class to you.
Full instructions: Check a member into a class or open gym in the Staff App
How to Handle Appointments and Assignments in Your First Week
By the end of this section you can run appointments and manage what you are assigned to.
4. Check clients in for appointments
To check clients in for appointments, open the client's scheduled appointment and check them in. This is the action that triggers payroll tracking for that session, so an uncheck-ed appointment is an unpaid one.
Full instructions: Appointments system overview
5. Book or add a client to an appointment
To book or add a client to an appointment, use the same flow the front desk uses. Pick the appointment type, staff member, and client, then apply an existing credit or add a package before setting the date and time.
Full instructions: Buy credits and book an appointment for a client
6. Manage your coaching assignments
To manage your coaching assignments, work from Staff Mode. This is where you see and adjust which classes you are attached to.
Full instructions: Manage coaching assignments with the Staff App
How to Keep Your Check-Ins Accurate
7. Double-check your check-ins before payday
To keep your pay correct, review your check-ins against your actual schedule before each pay period closes. Your payroll report is built directly from your check-ins, so a class you coached but never checked into will not appear. Your admin runs the report, but the accuracy starts with you.
Make It Yours: Extras by Gym Type
Get comfortable with the sections above first. Everything below is optional and applies only if your gym runs one of these models. Setup for each of these belongs to the owner or admin, so this section covers the parts you handle as a coach.
Martial arts academies
Promotions are coach work. Students submit rank requests for your approval, and they will ask you where to see their current belt or level.
Use Rank Request, which is how a student submits a promotion request for coach approval
Rank tracking in the Member App, so you can point students to where their rank appears
Appointments and personal training
This expands on steps 4 and 5. Use it if one-to-one sessions are a real part of your coaching load, because clients will ask you how many sessions they have left and whether their membership includes credits.
Set up recurring appointments, for clients who want a standing weekly slot
Hybrid plans, which combine a monthly class membership with appointment credits
Open gym and 24-hour access
Use this if your gym runs open gym alongside scheduled classes. Open gym check-ins work through the same Staff App flow as classes.
Events for group class gyms
Use this if your gym runs competitions, seminars, or paid workshops. You are most likely running the event on the day rather than selling it, so focus on what happens once people arrive.
Reference: Where Each Task Lives
Use this section when a question comes up mid-week rather than when you need a walkthrough.
Core
Coach check-in: check yourself, or a class roster, in as the instructor of record. This is separate from the front desk check-in flow. See Coach check-in options.
Your day-to-day view: scoped to your own classes and roster rather than account-wide settings. See Get started with staff resources.
Pay rates and payroll: set and run by your owner or admin. Your check-ins feed the report, but you do not run it.
Appointments
Client check-ins: check clients in for their scheduled appointments, which is what triggers payroll tracking for that session. See Appointments system overview.
Booking for a client: book or add a client using an existing credit or a new package, the same way the front desk does. See Buy credits and book an appointment.
Staff App
Checking in as coach of record: use Staff Mode on your own device, not Kiosk Mode. See Check a member into a class or open gym.
Coaching assignments: manage your assignments from Staff Mode. See Manage coaching assignments.
Key Benefits
You get paid for what you coached: knowing the check-in flow first means your payroll report matches your actual schedule.
A short day one: three tasks get you running class instead of a full system tour.
The right tool for the job: knowing that coach of record requires Staff Mode saves the most common repeated mistake.
Fewer escalations: you can answer client questions about credits, ranks, and waitlists without pulling in a manager.
Clear boundaries: you know upfront which settings are not yours, so nothing stalls waiting on access you will not get.
Troubleshooting Coach Check-Ins
Your check-in did not record you as the coach of record. You were most likely in Kiosk Mode. Coach of record can only be recorded from Staff Mode on your own device or login.
A class you coached is missing from your payroll. The class was probably never checked into. Review your check-ins against your schedule before the pay period closes and tell your admin about any gaps.
A class is not showing in your view. You may not be assigned to it. Check your coaching assignments in Staff Mode, and ask your manager if the assignment is missing.
You cannot find a billing setting or report a member is asking about. Your view is scoped to your own classes and roster. Account-wide settings, billing, and reports belong to your owner or admin.
An appointment session is not tracking for payroll. The client was likely never checked in for that appointment. Check them in from the appointment itself.
A client mentions a feature you cannot see, such as waitlisting. That is most likely a plan difference rather than a permissions problem. Ask your manager which plan your gym is on.
Still stuck? Try logging out and back in, refreshing the page, or testing on another device.
Important Notes
Important: Staff cannot check in as the coach of record while in Kiosk Mode. That has to happen in Staff Mode, on your own device.
Important: Your payroll report is built directly from your check-ins. A class you coached but never checked into will not appear on it.
Important: Checking a client in for an appointment is what triggers payroll tracking for that session.
Note: Your view in Core is scoped to your own classes and roster. Account-wide settings, billing, and reports belong to the owner or admin.
Note: Waitlisting, pre-orders, and priority booking require a Pro or Max plan. The full plan comparison lives in the owner setup article.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a new coach learn first?
A new coach should learn the coach check-in flow first, because the payroll report is built directly from check-ins. Once check-ins are reliable, move on to appointments and coaching assignments.
Why can I not check in as the coach of record from the front-desk tablet?
You cannot check in as the coach of record from the front-desk tablet because it runs in Kiosk Mode, which does not record a coach of record. Use Staff Mode on your own device or login instead.
How is the coach check-in different from the front desk check-in?
The coach check-in records you as the instructor of record for a class, while the front desk check-in records members as attending. They are separate flows, and doing one does not do the other.
What happens if I forget to check into a class I coached?
If you forget to check into a class you coached, that class will not appear on the payroll report, because the report is built from check-ins. Review your check-ins against your schedule before the pay period closes and flag any gaps to your admin.
Do I need to check clients in for their appointments?
Yes, you need to check clients in for their appointments. The check-in is what triggers payroll tracking for that session, so an appointment that runs without a check-in will not be tracked.
Can I see the payroll report myself?
No, the payroll report is run by your owner or admin. Your check-ins feed it, so the accuracy of your pay depends on your check-ins being complete and correct.
A client is asking about a feature I cannot find. What should I tell them?
Tell the client you will check with a manager. Features like waitlisting a full class or priority booking depend on which plan your gym is on, so a feature you cannot see is most likely a plan difference rather than something missing from your account.