Making the Best Use of List Topics

List topics provide a convenient way for subscribers to manage their subscriptions so as to receive only messages on the subjects that interest them. Here's how they work, in a nutshell: the list software recognizes a set of subject subtopics for the list, and subscribers can choose to receive messages belonging to any or all of those topics. Each posting to the list should be directed to one or more of the topics; important messages can be sent to a special topic called 'ALL', and unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages will be directed to a special topic called 'OTHER'. This page will answer the following questions:

  1. What are the topics?
  2. How do I label a message with a given topic?
  3. Do I have to use the complete topic name?
  4. Will I receive multiple copies of messages sent to more than one topic?
  5. How do I choose to receive a given topic?
  6. How can I change the list of topics I receive?
  7. What happens if I forget to specify a topic or misspell the topic?
  8. What topics do new subscribers automatically receive?
  9. What about digest subscribers?
  10. What if I have more questions?

  1. What are the topics?
  2. The list of topics is as follows:

    Play
    'Nuts and bolts' discussions about technique and tactics: how the game is and ought to be played, and how to coach players to play it; requests for specific activities, and suggestions for activities (e.g. drills, training exercises, warmup routines, fun games, practice plans, etc).
    Management
    Player identification and assessment, selection, cuts, development, discipline; problem parents; club and team management; gender issues.
    Prep
    Physical preparation, including fitness, conditioning, stretching, nutrition, health, dehydration,fatigue, recovery, fitness testing, strength training, etc. Mental prep, including concentration, (re)focusing, IPS, attitude, motivation, mental toughness; injuries.
    Match_day
    With the wind or against it? Adjusting to opponents, recovering from disaster, making subs, handling your players during the match.
    Talk
    How and why to coach; ethics and advocacy; 'war stories' and anecdotes, personal experiences and commentary; coaching development and certification.
    Officiating
    Queries and answers about the LOTG and about the hows and whys of officiating, unless there is a clear and predominant connection to coaching (e.g. queries about how to adjust to poor officiating could be directed to "Match_day").
    Tournaments
    Announcements of coming tournaments, requests for information about tournaments, coaching queries related to tournaments, reviews of tournaments.
    Sub_U10
    Everything *specifically* connected to the youngest players (U10 and below) and to new coaches; note that anything that also relates to older players could be directed to a different topic.
    Resources
    Including equipment, facilities and materials: everything from team uniforms to building a new soccer complex with 20 fields; book and video reviews; web pages; portable goals; boot selection and care.
    College
    This topic is for coaches of college and university players (typically in the 18 - 25 age group); discussion can include things like player recruitment and selection, creation of high-performance environments, mental and physical demands on players and coaches, and the like.

  3. How do I label a message with a given topic?
  4. To make sure a message is directed to a given topic, simply put that topic in the subject line of the your message. For example, if you are sending a posting about a problem with technique, your subject line might look like this:

    Subject: Play: How to teach the instep drive?

    Note the colon ':' after the topic. The software looks for the colon and takes everything to the left of it as a potential list of topics. For example, a message labelled

    Subject: Play, Tournaments: Best tactics for a 3v3 tournament

    would be sent to everyone who had subscribed to either the 'Play' or 'Tournaments' topics.


  5. Do I have to use the complete topic name?
  6. No. You must, however, use enough of it to make it unambiguous. For example, because "Management" and "Match_day" both begin with "Ma", you would have to use at least the first three letters of those topics to make sure your posting is directed appropriate. In other words, a posting labelled

    Subject: Man: Bad discipline problem

    would be sent to "Management", whereas one labelled

    Subject: Mat: Bad discipline problem

    would to everyone who had subscribed to the "Match_day" topic.


  7. Will I receive multiple copies of messages sent to more than one topic?
  8. No, you should receive only one copy of each message, no matter how many topics it is sent to, unless of course you have multiple active list subscriptions!


  9. How do I choose to receive a given topic?
  10. To receive a given topic, use the SET command. For example, if you wish to receive only messages addressed to 'Play', send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: PLAY

    to listserv@morgan.ucs.mun.ca. The message can be either upper- or lower-case.

    To receive messages from more than one topic, specify the name of each topic you wish to receive, e.g.

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: PLAY MATCH_DAY EQUIPMENT

    To receive all topics, including those which are unlabelled or incorrectly labelled, send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: ALL

    To receive only correctly labelled topics on all subjects, send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: ALL -OTHER

    The minus sign '-' deletes that topic from the list of topics you will receive.


  11. How can I change the list of topics I receive?
  12. To alter the list of topics you receive, use any desired combination of plus '+' and minus '-' signs. For example, if you no longer wish to receive any messages on the subject of officiating, send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: -OFFICIATING

    If you currently receive all correctly labelled topics but have decided you also want to see unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages, send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: +OTHER

    Note that you can combine these, so that

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: -OFFICIATING +OTHER

    would have the same effect as both the previous commands.


  13. What happens if I forget to specify a topic or misspell the topic?
  14. All unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages will be directed to a special topic called 'OTHER'. This topic will likely be read only by the most fanatical subscribers, so you should make every effort to ensure that you have labelled your posting correctly!


  15. What topics do new subscribers automatically receive?
  16. All new subscribers will receive postings on all topics except 'OTHER'. They can then choose to alter their subscriptions at any time.


  17. What about digest subscribers?
  18. Digest subscribers will not be able to restrict their choice of list topics, because the same digest is prepared and sent to all digest subscribers. To be able to use topics, you must set your subscription to 'MAIL'; if you are currently subscribed to the digest and wish to do this, you will need to send

    SET SOCCER-COACH-L MAIL

    to listserv@morgan.ucs.mun.ca.


  19. What if I have more questions?
  20. You should write to one of the list owners: David Graham <dgraham@morgan.ucs.mun.ca>, George Gehrig <ggehrig@WWW.ortho.lsumc.edu>, Gene Schwartman <emagene@pop.erols.com>.

Updated 17 November 2002