Download Clifton Park Youth Hockey Association Success Story
Upstate New York hockey association saves 40+ hours on registration, increases revenue by an extra $1000 and gets 100% participation in first year offering online registration
Slap Shot Secrets
Situated in the hockey hotbed of Albany, New York, Clifton Park Youth Hockey has 400 dedicated players on teams representing every age group. Last season, Clifton Park was able to register every player online, and in doing so, they transformed the way hockey leagues are run in New York. The use of ACTIVE Network, Sports LeagueRegister software was so successful, Clifton Park has the capacity to add additional girls teams, co-ed teams and additional events. LeagueRegister is making youth hockey more fun for everyone.
On the ice with Frank Suozzi, Registrar, Clifton Park Youth Hockey
Q: Before using LeagueRegister, how were you registering players each season?
A: Our old system was quite archaic. It was all manual. We printed off a 12-14 page registration packet that each parent would have to fill out for every child. It probably took each parent 40-45 minutes to fill out. Check was the only form of payment. This season, each family saved 30 minutes per child. They didn't have to pay for postage or envelopes, either. It certainly saved them plenty of time. We have families with 3, 4 or even 5 kids playing at the same time. For those families, LeagueRegister saves them even more time.
Q: How did you get families to adopt online registration so successfully?
A: We promoted online registration as "Going Green" and doing away with paper processes. We told parents that online registration would save them time and that they would have additional payment options. People could now pay with a credit card or a check.
We put a registration link on our webpage and it gives parents some instruction on how to register. We also provided a link to access their account. Along with email blasts, it worked out very well. We drove the practice of using our website.
The switch to online registration was received as very positive. Everyone that went through the registration process online was very pleased with it.
Q: Has online registration helped you increase participatio
Our registration has grown 14% over last year, compared to 8% the year before. I don't know if I can attribute that 100% to online registration, but we can't disprove it, either. Our numbers are growing, and a lot of that is because parents and kids are having fun.
Q: How was the initial setup process, and has ACTIVE Network's Customer Support continued to lived up to your expectations?
The process was very smooth. We started implementing our paper-based registration packets into the online system early on. That was very good planning. We've learned a lot in the first year about changes we can make for the next year.
The ongoing support has been incredible. I've always gotten a call back on the same day. We always had our answer that day or the next day. I also attended a few of the online trainings which were valuable. I picked up more information and tips on what we can do. We feel that we got our monies' worth.
Q: Does LeagueRegister help you collect and manage required documents?
There were some documents we did collect online via the registration process. There are 3 documents USA Hockey requires, a medical history, a consent to treat form and a waiver form, that we were able to collect online.
Q: How has LeagueRegister's integration with the USA Hockey membership database helped you save time?
Since we no longer have to double check who is a registered member with USA Hockey by hand, I'd say this integrated feature has saved us 25-30 hours of manual work per season.
Q: Can you place a number on how much time is saved compared to last year by not having to cash checks, run to the bank or sit at registration tables all day long?
Our treasurer said we saved 30-40 hours and that may be a conservative estimate. He was very appreciative of the system.
Q: Has league revenue increased now that you have an integrated online payment system?
Our treasurer's estimate was approximately $1000. That far exceeded the set up cost for the online system. This fact alone made the investment worthwhile.
ACTIVE Network is a preferred technology vendor to USA Hockey
Click here to request more information and find out how LeagueRegister's enhanced software features can help you manage your hockey program.