Guide
A free CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, plus a simple routine for keeping it accurate.
A coaching log template works best as one row per session with seven columns: date, client, session type, what was covered, package or payment status, next step, and notes. Download the free CSV below to use in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Coach Journal attaches the same information to each client profile as you log sessions.
Written by Sardorbek Rakhimov, founder and developer of Coach Journal
Download a blank CSV that opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Add one row after each session so the log stays searchable, sortable, and easy to export. Illustrative example: after a private strength session with Jordan, record the session focus as squat technique, note that 3 sessions remain, and set the next step to review the warm-up at the following session.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Date | The date the coaching session happened. |
| Client | The client, athlete, or student name. |
| Session Type | Private, group, make-up, assessment, or another useful label. |
| What We Covered | A short factual summary of the session. |
| Package or Payment Status | How the session counts and whether payment is current. |
| Next Step | The next action or focus for the following session. |
| Notes | Any other detail worth keeping with the record. |
This template uses seven columns: date, client, session type, what was covered, package or payment status, next step, and notes. The first five create the operational record; next step and notes keep useful context for the following session.
In a spreadsheet, use the seven columns in the downloadable template and add one row per session, newest on top. Keep the fields stable so the log remains sortable and easy to scan. Add another column only when you know you will maintain it.
In a coaching app, the log inverts: instead of one long list, each session is recorded on the client's profile. The advantage is retrieval — before a session you open one profile and see that client's full history, instead of filtering a thousand-row sheet.
Whichever format you pick, the log is only as good as the habit. Write the entry right after the session while the details are fresh. A log updated in weekly batches drifts from reality and stops being trusted — at which point it stops being used.
The payoff of a session log is the thirty seconds before a client walks in: what did we do last time, what was the plan, are they paid up? A log you write but never read back is admin theater — build the pre-session glance into your routine.
Export or snapshot the log at month end. Session counts back up your invoicing and taxes, and a dated archive protects you in any disagreement about how many sessions were delivered.
Coach Journal is the app route: every session you mark lands on the client's profile with the date and your notes, so each client carries their own history instead of you maintaining a master sheet.
Session counts feed package balances and renewal status automatically — the log, the package tracker, and the payment record are the same data instead of three documents to keep in sync.
Exports cover session history and financial records when you need the spreadsheet form back for reporting.
Include the date, client, session type, what you covered, package or payment status, next step, and notes. These seven columns keep the operational record and the context you need before the next session without turning the log into a large form.
Yes. Download the blank CSV on this page and open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. It includes the same seven columns explained in the guide and keeps one coaching session per row.
When updates start happening away from a desk, when you track packages and renewals alongside sessions, or when the sheet is no longer updated the same day. Those are the three signs the template is costing more than it saves.
Coach Journal tracks clients, sessions, renewals, and payments so you do not have to. Free to start on iPhone and iPad.