As the saying goes, “time is money.”
And, it couldn’t be more true in the world of youth sports training. Every minute counts. An extra hour or two each day adds up.
Whether you run a training academy, manage a facility, or coach private or group lessons, maximizing your time and resources is essential to ensure a successful (and profitable) operation.
Juggling multiple tasks, like planning training sessions and coordinating camps, collecting payments, managing memberships, and managing your resources can quickly become overwhelming without the right tools in place.
That’s where youth sports software comes into play.
We’ve previously talked about the key features to look for in a sports management software. But how can this tool save you time to reinvest in your athletes, your programming, and your business?
Here are 5 benefits of a youth sports management software.
By automating your scheduling process through a sports scheduling software, you’re able to put the scheduling power into your clients’ hands. This eliminates the need for extensive back and forth communication to schedule a session. And, continued, but sporadic, communication between the time of booking the the time of the session. Instead, with a sports management software, you’re able to set your availability, and let clients book at a time that is convenient for them.
“Upper Hand just makes it that much easier with scheduling. People will come up to me and ask if I have open dates or time for training sessions. Now, I can tell them that they can go into Upper Hand, check my availability, and schedule!”
By taking your scheduling online or via a mobile app, you’re empowered to spend more time with your athletes, and less time monitoring your phone, answering emails, or taking phone calls. For some, this means adding additional training times, or new programs all together. For others, it means time back to be present with their families.
Not to mention, a convenient booking process for clients leads to higher conversion rates for you, helping you fill your calendar and ultimately increase your revenue.
In addition to managing the scheduling aspect of your business, a sports management app also enables you to efficiently communicate with your clients. One significant way a sports management platform helps is through sending automated schedule reminders to both staff and clients. This again eliminates the need for back and forth communication. And, it reduces the number of no-shows or missed sessions due to miscommunication or errors.
Furthermore, inside the app, you’re able to communicate directly with your client database – including specific rosters, individual clients, or everyone in your system. For example, quickly send an email to your fall sports camp roster encouraging them to register for your spring camp. Or, send a reminder email to your camp attendees to bring their water bottle and cleats.
With the ability to communicate directly within a youth sports registration software – like Upper Hand – you’re able to cut down on the amount of time spent on communication, whether it’s remembering to send a reminder email or marketing new events. As a result, you can reallocate those resources toward enhancing your coaching services, thus growing your bottom line.
Another big reason to consider investing in a youth sports software is the ability to securely collect payments. Not only are transactional conversations about money awkward, but they also take away from time spent talking about the athlete. A sports scheduling app enables you to streamline your payment process, making it easier for your clients to do business with you.
By allowing your clients to pay online when they book, you’re not only offering more flexibility in terms of payment options, but you’re also eliminating the hassle of tracking down payments in person. Not to mention you’re creating a more professional experience for your clients.
But, you might ask, how does this save time?
Payment processing drastically reduces the amount of time you spend tracking down payments or trying to stay up to date with your finances. With all transactions neatly recorded and organized within your sports management platform, you can quickly view and take action on your finances in one place. And, you can instead focus your attention on delivering exceptional client experiences.
Speaking of viewing all of your finances in one place, a youth sports software enables you to make quicker, more informed decisions across many areas of your business. With your business data at your fingertips, you can access key performance metrics in just a few clicks. This eliminates the need for you to spend hours (that you don’t have) compiling data or manually generating reports to see if an event was a success.
With the ability to make decisions more swiftly, a youth sports management software allows you to streamline various administrative tasks, freeing up your time to focus on training your athletes or growing your business. Additionally, using a sports software to compile a comprehensive view of your business at your fingertips, you’re able to make quick decisions like which programs are thriving or which ones may need to be adjusted or eliminated.
All in all, with your finger on the pulse of your business, you can confidently reinvest your time into fostering growth amongst your business, your staff, and your athletes.
In addition to helping you manage administrative tasks, there is another area of the business where a youth sports management software can save time and effort: marketing your business and your programs.
A sports management system provides you with all the tools you need to build and customize your programs – from setting scheduling and pricing to defining program details. As a result, you’re able to quickly get a program up and running so that you can market the program to potential attendees.
For Galen Harkness, owner of EYG Basketball, this was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders: “When we first started, it took a lot of time to create programs, get the word out, set up registration, and figure out how we’re going to collect money. Now, we can literally have a program up and running in 10 minutes with Upper Hand.”
With a sports software at your disposal, launching a new program, whether it be private lessons or a large camp, can be executed in minutes.
What could you do with an extra 5-10 hours each week?
That’s how much time Mike Radja, Owner of SpeedSkills Hockey, has saved since implementing a sports software. “For me, I would say Upper Hand saves me anywhere from five to 10 hours a week. If I had 5 to 10 free hours every week, I’d take it in a heartbeat. It may not seem like much, but for my limited time that I do have, it’s huge.”
In a world where time is money, it’s important that you are setting yourself up for success with how you are spending that time. Whether you’re just looking for an easier way for your customers to do business, or you are looking to take the next step to scale your brand, a youth sports software can help you reprioritize your days and reinvest in other areas of your business or personal life.
If you’re ready to gain back time in your day, we’d love to connect. Schedule a call with a member of our team to walk through how Upper Hand’s youth sports software can help you spend your time doing what you love.
The sky’s the limit in terms of creating your own GPT. But, with so much potential, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. So, how can you, as a facility owner, utilize this new functionality for your daily operations? Here are 4 GPT’s you should consider creating.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking for ways to take your sports facility to the next level, there are resources and tools available to help you achieve your goals and succeed in the competitive youth sports industry. We’ve compiled a list of ten of our most popular sports facility management resources that can help you gain a competitive edge.