Rodina

1. Discovery

We begin with a structured discovery sprint to establish shared understanding before writing a single line of code. For the Rodina project this involves workshops with coaches, administrators, and if possible a sample of players and parents to map user journeys across all four roles.

A critical discovery output is the TrainMyAthlete platform extension specification. We will map the gamification data model directly onto the existing TMA schema and extension points, aligning requirements for player profiles, schedules, attendance, and reporting from the outset. This informs the API architecture early and removes the risk of late surprises caused by a third-party integration boundary.

• Stakeholder workshops with coaches, admin, and sample users
• TMA data model and extension-point mapping
• Gamification rules workshop — XP values, level thresholds, badge categories
• Age group UX requirements (6–9 / 10–13 / 14–17)
• Technical architecture document and data model

2. Design

Design is where the product comes alive. We start from information architecture and user flows, then move to wireframes for each user role (player, parent, coach, admin). A key deliverable is a set of three age-adaptive UI skins — each sharing the same component structure but differing in colour density, icon scale, and information hierarchy.

The design system is built as a living component library that feeds directly into development, removing ambiguity and accelerating build time. All screens are prototyped interactively for review before any development begins.

• User flow diagrams for all four roles
• Low-fidelity wireframes across all key screens
• Interactive high-fidelity prototypes (mobile and web console)
• Three age-group UI skins (6–9, 10–13, 14–17)
• Component library and design system handoff

3. Backend API

The API is the backbone of the platform. We build a dedicated gamification service exposing a RESTful API consumed by both the mobile app and the web console. All core logic — XP allocation, level calculation, streak tracking, badge evaluation, and leaderboard ranking — lives here, making it independently testable and maintainable.

Rather than relying on a third-party integration, we will build this as a native TMA platform module that reads and writes directly against the underlying data layer. This gives us schema-level access without rate limits, duplicate authentication handshakes, or the risk of external API changes disrupting core gamification logic. Authentication uses JWT with role-based access control across all four user types. All critical operations (attendance marks, XP changes, rule changes) are audit-logged.

• REST API with JWT auth and RBAC (player / parent / coach / admin)
• Gamification engine: XP events, level thresholds, badge rules, streak logic
• Weekly and seasonal leaderboard computation
• Native TMA platform module with direct schema access
• Push notification service (FCM/APNs)
• Admin configuration API (XP rules, badge management, churn thresholds)
• CI/CD pipeline, staging and production environments

4. Web Console

The web console provides the admin and coach interfaces that keep the platform running day-to-day. Coaches access Today's Group for fast attendance marking, task creation, and MOM vote management. Administrators access the gamification configuration panel, retention analytics, and churn-risk dashboards — all without requiring code changes.

• Admin dashboard: XP rules, badge config, churn-risk thresholds
• Retention analytics: cohort views, absence flags, activity trends
• Coach console: attendance register, task builder, MOM voting
• Player management: manual XP adjustments with audit log

5. Mobile App

We recommend React Native as the cross-platform framework, delivering a single codebase for iOS and Android with native performance. The app is structured around the four user roles, with the player experience at the centre: a home screen showing XP progress, active streak, current leaderboard position, and pending challenges.

Age-based UI adaptation is handled via a skin configuration derived from the player's date of birth — no manual switching required. Parents access a simplified read-only view of their child's progress and notifications.

• Player app: home, player card, leaderboard, challenges, notifications
• Coach view: attendance marking, task management, MOM voting trigger
• Parent view: child progress, attendance history, weekly report
• Age-adaptive skins (6–9 / 10–13 / 14–17)
• Push notification integration (deep-linked to relevant screens)
• App Store and Google Play submission

6. Launch & Handover

Launch includes a user acceptance testing period with real coaches and a pilot group of players, structured feedback collection, and a bug-fix sprint before the public release. We recommend a soft launch to a single squad before rolling out academy-wide.

Handover includes full technical documentation, a video walkthrough of the admin panel for your team, and a knowledge transfer session. We remain available for ongoing support under retainer post-launch.

• User acceptance testing with coaches and pilot player group
• App Store and Google Play submission and approval
• Technical documentation and admin panel walkthrough
• Post-launch support period included

Deliverables

• Fully functioning iOS and Android app (React Native)
• Web admin and coach console
• REST API with gamification engine, built as a TMA platform extension
• Source code repository and CI/CD pipeline access
• Design files and component library (Figma)
• Technical documentation, runbooks, and training sessions

Platform Overview

The Rodina platform is a gamified engagement layer built as a native extension to TrainMyAthlete, the academy's athlete management platform. Its core purpose is to increase attendance, retention, and motivation among youth academy players — primarily by turning the training process into a structured, rewarding progression system that players want to engage with.

The platform serves four distinct roles: players (the primary audience), parents (transparency and peace of mind), coaches (operational tools), and academy administrators (configuration and analytics). All four roles interact with the same data through purpose-built interfaces appropriate for each.

Gamification Engine

At the heart of the platform is an XP and levels system. Players earn XP (experience points) for concrete actions: attending training, participating in matches, completing challenges, submitting wellness forms, and improving test results. XP accumulates across a non-linear ten-level scale — from Beginner through to Legend — giving players a clear, long-term progression arc.

XP allocation rules are fully configurable by academy administrators via the admin panel — no code changes required. All rule changes are logged with a timestamp and author, providing a complete audit trail.

Attendance streaks add a second engagement loop: each consecutive attended session builds the streak, while excused absences (illness, holiday) preserve it. The streak is prominently displayed on the player's profile with a visual indicator, and coaches can link streak milestones to badge and XP rewards.

Badges & Achievements

Badges provide visual, shareable rewards that sit on the player profile permanently. They are organised into four categories: Attendance, Progress, Team, and Special. Each badge has a tier (bronze, silver, gold) and can be awarded automatically by the rules engine or manually by a coach.

Automatic badges fire when formal conditions are met — for example, completing five consecutive training sessions or recording a personal best on a fitness test. Manual badges give coaches discretion to reward character, attitude, or standout moments that no algorithm can detect. Every badge award triggers a push notification to the player and a summary in the parent's weekly report.

Leaderboards & Social

Leaderboards operate at two cadences: a weekly XP leaderboard (resetting every Monday) and a seasonal leaderboard running across the full academy season. The player view surfaces their own position plus three places above and below — enough social context to be motivating without being overwhelming for younger age groups.

The Player of the Session (MOM) mechanic adds a team-recognition layer. After each session, the coach can open a vote within the group; players vote for a team-mate (not themselves). The winner receives bonus XP and a temporary "MOM" badge. For the MVP this is a simple vote-count system — no anti-fraud complexity needed at this stage.

Seasonal leaderboard data is preserved in the database at season end, enabling historical analytics and cohort comparison over time, even as the active leaderboard resets.

Tasks & Challenges

Coaches can create individual or team tasks with a title, description, due date, XP reward (fixed or range), and an optional badge. Tasks can be assigned to specific players or entire groups. A weekly group challenge — one shared task for the whole squad — provides a collective motivation mechanic that complements individual competition.

Players see their active tasks on a dedicated screen with status indicators (new / in progress / completed / overdue) and the XP reward clearly displayed. Completion is marked manually by the coach for the MVP, with the option to connect automated triggers in a future phase.

Coach & Attendance Tools

The coach experience is designed for speed. The "Today's Group" screen shows the full squad list with photo and name; a single tap marks a player present or absent. When marking absent, the coach selects a reason: illness, excused, or unexcused. This distinction is critical — only unexcused absences reset the player's streak.

Coaches can also view attendance history for the group over any period, with a visualisation of the register. Export to CSV or PDF is planned as a post-MVP enhancement.

Parent Transparency

Parents receive a weekly summary notification covering their child's attendance, total XP, any new badges, current streak, and leaderboard position. Milestone notifications fire in real time — for example, "Nikita has earned the Player of the Match badge."

An at-risk flag triggers if a player shows a pattern of frequent unexcused absences. This flag is visible to both the coach and the administrator, enabling early intervention before a player drops out entirely. The threshold for triggering the flag (e.g. 2+ consecutive unexcused absences) is configurable by the admin.

Admin Panel & Analytics

The admin panel is the configuration layer for the entire gamification system. Administrators set XP event values, define badge award conditions, manage the level scale, and configure churn-risk thresholds — all without touching the codebase. A full audit log records every rule change with its author and timestamp.

Analytics include retention by cohort (month of joining, age group, team, coach), a list of players flagged as at-risk, and basic activity statistics by group and coach. This gives the academy management team the data to make informed operational decisions.

TMA Platform Integration

A key strength of this approach is that the solution is built as a native extension to the existing TrainMyAthlete platform rather than as a separate product depending on a third-party API. That means the gamification layer can work directly with the same underlying athlete, group, schedule, and attendance records already managed inside TMA.

Player profiles can share the same identity layer as their TMA athlete record, removing the need for ID mapping or sync reconciliation. Training schedules can be read directly from TMA, and attendance updates made inside the gamification workflows can write straight back into the platform so there is a single source of truth. Wellness responses and related engagement data can also surface within the existing TMA dashboard and reporting workflows.

Because TrainMyAthlete is both the platform owner and delivery partner for this project, we can design the extension with a much tighter fit to the existing product, reduce integration risk, and create a cleaner long-term path for future enhancements.

Age-Based UX Adaptation

The brief specifies three age groups, each requiring a distinct visual and interaction approach. Rather than building three separate apps, we implement a "skin" system: the same component library renders with a different configuration derived from the player's date of birth. No manual selection required.

• 6–9 years: Bright colours, large icons, simple language. Focus on badges, streaks, and avatar. Minimal data density.
• 10–13 years: Leaderboard, XP, player card prominent. Access to MOM voting and challenges. Moderate data density.
• 14–17 years: Statistics, progress history, and match data at the forefront. Player card with detailed achievement history. Higher data density, closer to a performance dashboard.

Technical Architecture

We propose the following technology stack, chosen for performance, maintainability, and our existing expertise:

• Mobile: React Native (iOS and Android from a single codebase). Expo managed workflow for faster iteration and OTA updates.
• API: Node.js with TypeScript. RESTful architecture with JWT authentication and RBAC. PostgreSQL database. Hosted on AWS or GCP.
• Web Console: Next.js (React) — same technology stack as the API, enabling code sharing and reducing context switching.
• Push Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for Android, Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) for iOS, with an optional Telegram bot integration in Phase 2.
• Security: All children's personal data encrypted at rest. HTTPS enforced throughout. Designed to comply with GDPR and analogous data protection regulations.

The system is designed to handle up to 1,000 concurrent active users with API response times under 300ms at the 95th percentile, and 99.5% target uptime.