HTGSports Blog

iSports 2 for iOS now available

HTGSports — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:32:51 GMT

We released iSports 2, our native iOS application for HTGSports, on 12/20/2011. This version replaces iSports Viewer which we initially released in April 2010 (and followed that with 8 different updates).

We redesigned iSports 2 to make it easier to use.
- The division picker is integrated into the event viewer.
- Swipe to view different pages within the event viewer
- You can now add games to your calendar
- Venues include touch to driving directions
- The contact page now lets you submit information directly from the app

To download the free app go here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/isports-2/id490130279?mt=8

For more information and screen shots visit the iSports page at

http://www.htgsports.net/isports/

Note that iSports 2 is an iPhone/iPod Touch application and is no longer a Universal application (meaning that when you run it on the iPad it is a scaled up version of the iPhone version). We felt that most people on the iPad will probably just use the web browser for most things. We may eventually update iSports 2 to provide a native iPad application if there is enough interest.

For those of you wondering about when will we have a version for Android, the answer is soon. We are nearing completion of the Android version. If you are interested in beta testing before we release it to the Android Marketplace visit us on facebook and like our page and then leave a comment on the iSports wall post: http://www.facebook.com/htgsports

Now on Facebook and Twitter

HTGSports — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Here's a link to our facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/htgsports

Check it out and give us a like. Let us know what you'd like for us to post. Currently we are using it to highlight events that you may not know about or have deadlines coming up.

We are also on Twitter at @htgsports (https://twitter.com/#!/htgsports).

--Gerry High is the President of HTGSports.net.

iSports Viewer now with native iPad support, version 1.6 on its way

HTGSports — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:06:29 GMT

We released version 1.5 of the iSports viewer just a week ago (8/23/2010). This version is our first with native iPad features. Although the iPhone version ran fine on the iPad it just didn’t do justice to the larger screen real estate.

We also introduced a new feature on the events screen where you can choose to view either current events or older events.

As a side effect of adding this feature we unknowingly hobbled the iPhone event list such that it only displays the older events. As a result we have submitted version 1.6 to the app store that adds this event filtering feature.

Lastly, one major new feature that we’ve added to the 1.6 release is support for leagues--all previous versions of iSports have only displayed tournament events. We’ve got a few leagues either going on now or starting up soon so we hope you enjoy the new version once it is approved.

iSports Viewer fix for iOS 4 is coming

HTGSports — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:51:32 GMT

We've submitted a bug fix version to Apple for our iPhone app. This version just addresses a bug fix for iOS 4. We've had the fix done quite a while but were just slow to get it submitted. Anyhow, if you've upgraded your iPhone/iPod Touch to iOS 4 hopefully you'll see an update coming through before too long. As a side note we've started work on making iSports Viewer a universal app with support for the iPad. Although the current version will run fine on the iPad it doesn't take advantage of the extra screen size, etc. Current plans are for this to just replicate the features of the iPhone version. However, if you are a club admin/tournament director and would like to be able to use the iPad version to enter scores, etc. please let us know. --Gerry High is the President of HTGSports.net.

Updated iSports Viewer 1.4 is now available

HTGSports — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:06:01 GMT

Just a short note to let you know that the 1.4 release of iSports Viewer is now available. Go to http://htgsports.net/iphone for more information or on your iPhone/iPad search in the App Store for HTGSports. The main new feature in this version is a "Rules" tab when viewing event information. How many times have you been at an event and are trying to figure out if your team will advance from pool play but are not sure of the tie breaker rules, etc.? Or wondering how long halves should be or wondering if the referee has the wrong time down? With the Rules tab you should not have that issue again. If you are a tournament director using our software make sure and populate the Rules section of your event portal so that the information will be available to your end users. Gerry High

HTGSports iPhone App is available!

HTGSports — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:51:45 GMT

On the first of April we released iSports Viewer, our iPhone application for HTGSports. Since then we've posted several updates where we've added in new features or bug fixes.

We are unique among online sports services in providing an App Store version of our service. Our goal when we developed the application was to make an HTGSports event the best possible experience. By providing real-time schedule and score updates as well as location information we feel like we've taken steps towards accomplishing that.

We will continue to provide updates to iSports Viewer. If you've downloaded it we'd love to hear from you--let us know what you like or what features you'd love to have. We are also planning on releasing an iPad version to take advantage of the increased screen size. Use the contact form located at http://htgsports.net/contact.aspx to reach us.

For more information about iSports Viewer go to http://htgsports.net/iphone or from the App Store just search for HTGSports. Gerry High

Upward Registration Planning

HTGSports — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:35:33 GMT

For many the din of Upward gyms and leagues may be dying down. For some it is already over, and the relative calm is a welcome respite.

On the other hand, now is the time to start planning for another season. Some wonder how to take it to the next level. Clearly, it starts with vision. Cast a big vision for volunteers and team members. Upward is, for many, one of the best outreach campaigns because it reaches the core needs of families. It provides a place for their kids to grow in character, body and spirit. For some, it is the easiest non threatening way to enter the church doors.

But like any event, it's easy to push this to the side. Simple tip: make sure your Upward league is on your website. It's a simple best practice. Make sure people know you have the league. Then allow for online registration and management. Today's culture is all about easy. Think Staples. Think the "easy" button.

Here at HTGSports, we just completed an online registration season with Lenexa Bapist Church in Lenexa, KS. It is one of the largest Upward programs in the country. While we don't want to be unabashedly self promoting, we think the comments of the Upward director bear repeating:

HTG Sports provided us with an excellent online registration program that was tailored to our needs. I was nervous about venturing out into the online registration process but HTGSports provided a program that worked perfectly with our Upward Basketball/Cheerleading program. The technical support and response time was excellent. If you are thinking of beginning online registration for one of your sports programs then you will want to have HTG Sports on your team. --Kent Hackathorn, Recreation Pastor, Lenexa Baptist Church

We understand churches and their Upward leagues. Our kids participate in Upward leagues so we are not some third party vendor that you have to graft into your system. We want to help you grow your outreach--even in the quiet.

--Gerry High is the President of HTGSports.net.

Funding Your Sports League in A Recession

HTGSports — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:13:01 GMT

The present recession is the deepest we have known for generations. Some are even calling it the "D" word as in Depression. There is little doubt these are historic times.

This past week I was in the Spring Training camp for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the past many viewed professional sports as immune from recession. Not so anymore. Most major league teams have taken steps to cut back their spending. There still remains a lengthy list of free agents, who in normal times would all have a job. With unemployment now reaching above 8%, it is likely we won't see families crowding into the ball parks at record numbers.

At a more localized level, my son's soccer team has already had its casualties--kids who could not come back if they had to pay to have their son on the team. We are going to see more of that. Parents will have to make choices. Clubs and leagues likewise need to realize that their funding strategies must change. It can't be simply raising the cost of registration. That cost goes directly back to the parents. Similarly, fundraising can't go back to the candy bar approach--that approach means selling back often to the same parents and families who are likely struggling as well.

So what is the approach? First, it means that the leagues themselve must be efficient. Cost cutting and controlling expenses must be the norm. Online registration and management are critical. Text messaging for tournaments, games and practices is crucial. See www.htgsports.net. Parents aren't going to put up with driving to a game only to get there to find out it was cancelled. Under the Obama administration, we are likely to gas tax hikes. No one wants to spend money on gas when they don't have to. Even as I write this post, I find myself waiting to discover whether we have a game on a rainy, overcast day.

Second, clubs and leagues must look for corporate sponsors. Look to those companies who can carry their burden. Clearly, in any downturn, there are those companies who perform well. But as you look for those corporate sponsors, carefully consider what benefit you'll offer those sponsors.

Third, look for funding opportunities outside the norm. Right now, for instance, corporate inventories have swelled. As spending has tightened, inventories have climbed. Companies may be willing to donate inventories. Those inventories may be sold to produce cash for the club or league. Other opportunites abound in the non cash arena--cars, boats, RVs, etc. Look at www.idonate.com.

Fourth, develop a funding committee that can explore creative ways to raise funding. Think about the burden that will be lifted from families if the cost of tournaments were covered or the cost even of coaching fees. It may well be the competitive advantage that a club or league is looking for.

It is not business as usual. It is time to deal with the recession for our clubs and leagues as well.

--William High is a freelance writer.

Growing Your Sports League through Great Customer Experience

HTGSports — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:57:46 GMT

What is the great secret to success for any business, non profit, sports tournament, sports league or club?

It's the experience. A few years back a book came out called The Experience Economy. It highlights the growth of an economy. Basically, we started out growing wheat (commodities). Later, we produced bread for sale (goods). When that bread ends up in a restaurant, we have a service. And finally, when we put that bread in a five star restaurant looking out over a skyline, we have an experience.

That experience can be great or it can be a failure. The goal is to make it great. In running a sports league, tournament, or club, the key is to make it a great experience. We've see failures like Count Me In not taking care of business in online registration. If you have a Futsal league, don't make it just about Futsal, make it about the experience. If you have an Upward league, make it an Upward experience.

What do we mean by experience? Think about it for a moment. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to stay in a Ritz Carlton. They define customer experience about as well as any hotel chain. From the moment of check in, there was always someone there to assist. Even the maid staff was always ready with a smile and a hearty, "have a good day." And this wasn't the cheesy impersonated greeting. These people truly wanted to help. Even when I went to sit down by the pool, there was the pool assistant, wiping off my pool chair, and making sure I had enough towels. The Ritz had thought through every phase of my stay and made sure there were people who could execute the plan, and most of all believed in the plan.

Upward sports leagues create the experience about as well as anyone. They train their coaches to encourage their kids. The game introductions are like some laser light show. Kids get uniforms, and a ball. Free stuff. Kids walk away feeling special. It is the experience.

Every sports league, club or tournament needs to think about creating the ultimate experience. What can you give away? Can you make it easy to sign up (get the message for online registration)? Can your parents receive text messaging of games and cancellations? Can they get the information on tournament updates easily? What can you give away? T shirts, water bottles, make the trophies big, participation certificates.... Can you reduce not increase the cost of participation? Can you deliver more value? The customer experience should be addressed at every level with people who believe in developing young people through a positive experience.

Indeed, we need to change our thinking from dirty water bottles to making a crystal toast to our players and parents.

Futsal--the Free Prize

HTGSports — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:20:22 GMT

While futsal remains a relatively new effort in this country, its ranks are growing. They will continue to grow as well. In effort to speed its growth, futsal organizers can do well to follow the recommendations of those in the business world.

Let's put it this way: many times in sport, we tend to take the approach of "if we build it they will come." Or in sports vernacular, if we offer a league, then people will join.

But in the business world, its not quite that simple. There are many competitors, just as there are in sports. Today, there are many activities, leagues, school functions and the like all vying for the attention of potential participants. So the principle of "if you build it, they will come" becomes increasingly difficult to support. Indeed, it takes a great deal of recruitment and promotion, and even better "the free prize."

Seth Godin, a well known business author talks about the idea of the "free prize inside." At one point or another, most of us have bought a box of cracker jacks. And may I ask why? Think about it--for caramel corn packed inside of a box for who knows how many months? No, for most of us, we are willing to pay dearly for that box of cracker jacks because when we buy it, we get the free prize inside. Think about your own experience and the allure of "free." It is that little bit "extra" that makes us want to join, to be consumers, to go through the gates.

The principle of "free prize" needs to be applied to so much of our leagues, tournaments and club. We need to ask ourselves the question of "what do we give people when they join?" And when I say give, I mean give. It may be something simple: a certificate of participation, a medal for being on the team, a t-shirt, a ball--the list goes on. It is that type of creativity that will spur our teams, leagues and tournaments to greater growth.

By the way, the advice in this blog is free.

--William High is a freelance writer.

How to Get Funding for Your Upward Program

HTGSports — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:27:36 GMT

How do you get funding to start your Upward sports program?

Sometimes the desire is there but the budget is weak. This is particularly true in these more difficult economic times. But there are solutions. Certainly, Upward as a program will provide suggestions. Just call -800-585-4721 (press 2) .

But there are many other ways to start an Upward Sports program. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Look at applying for a grant from a private foundation. There are private foundations that provide funding for faith based activities that help support the community. Look at www.christianfoundationgrants.com for a subscription database listing private foundations in your area.

2. Local banks with trust departments will sometimes have trusts or foundations that they administer which provide funding for community based activities. It's always a great idea to call and set an appointment.

3. If you have a local community foundation, consider meeting with their leadership and determine their willingness to support such a program. If you need help writing a grant, the www.christianfoundationgrants.com website is a good source.

4. Launch a non cash fund drive. One of the new opportunities is to launch a cash for gold drive, or look at a car donation program. Offer to congregation members the opportunity to donate a car instead of trading it in. The car can be sold and the proceeds used to support the program. Need help administering the non cash program. Look at www.idonate.com for a resource.

5. Make sure that you have your Upward program online, including player registration. By having your program online, more people will be able to find it, and by having online registration you make the process easy for sign up. Just choose your online registration provider wisely. See my previous blogs on this subject.

There are lots more ideas like these, but these should get you started. There are plenty of out of the box ideas that can get you launched and making a difference in your community.

--William High is a freelance writer.

Choose Your Coach/League Carefully

HTGSports — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:50:58 GMT

I was up at 5am for one of those crazy 6am indoor soccer games for my 12 year old son. We followed that with a 7:40am game for my 13 year old. We could still zip off to church after all of that. But nonetheless, these are the types of mornings you definitely ask why we do this thing called sports.

Hey, let's face it. Most of us have this dream that our kids are going to grow up and be some world class athlete--Olympics, Gold Cup, World Series, Pro Bowl, etc. I know I had that dream growing up.

But the reality is that most of our kids aren't going to grow up and play professionally. And it's not that they don't try hard enough, or that they didn't get started early enough, or went to enough special practices and clinics. No, it's more basic than that. There's some things that can't be taught: speed, quickness, lung capacity. I have a friend who literally can run 100 miles--he does long distance racing. That's how God designed him. When I was 15, I was one of the better pitchers in my league, but when I was a sophomore, I came to high school tryouts and found that one of my fellow competitors was now throwing a 90mph fastball. Those things aren't taught. They are gifts from God.

So where is all this going? Back to the question, we play sports because it is good for our kids. It builds character. It teaches toughness. But let's keep it in perspective. It's only a game and most won't play professionally.

For that reason, it's important that we select our coaches and leagues carefully. We want coaches and leagues that will best reflect the values we want to instill in our kids. It is not all about the level of competition. I'd rather have a coach of character than a coach who screams and yells but is great technically.

What are the marks of a great coach? It seems to me that Jim Collins book, Good to Great, illustrates what we look for in a great coach. We look for those who reflect great humility and service. At that same time, they reflect the value of great personal will. These are people who are perhaps not always the most animated. Sometimes they are even shy. They do not brag about their own accomplishments. Instead, they seem to lift up others first. They find a way to make people feel successful right where they are at. As the adage goes, they use "more honey than salt." But they are not pushoevers. They demand excellence, but they don't call for it through authoritarian means.

These are the same marks we look for in the league leadership. We look for people who are ready to serve. They care about doing it right and making it right.

We may not all be professional athletes but we will all be citizens. Choose carefully those who help formulate your citizenship.

--William High is a freelance writer.

How to Raise Funds for Your Sports League

HTGSports — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:08:10 GMT

The dark clouds over the economy spell more than rain. They also spell a challenge for non profit sports leagues. Most leagues are driven by player registrations. Player registrations mean operating revenue for club administration. Clubs tend to operate on paper thin margins anyhow.

So as the recession deepens so do job losses. When faced with paying for groceries or sports registration, the choice is obvious. In that vein, leagues and clubs must do more on the fundraising side. Fundraising makes it possible for clubs to continue operating, and if done wisely can actually help keep the cost of player registrations down.

The trend in fundraising, however, is away from the typical candy bar or magazine subscription route. While those still have merit, they tend to pull money from the same source--the parents supporting the league. There's only so many ways you can squeeze the same turnip.

On the other hand, the trend is towards value based fundraising. For instance, many grocery stores now offer coupon books that can be purchased. Those coupon books tend to more than repay the initial cost of purchase. It's a win-win for the giver and the league.

Yet another trend is towards the donation of tangible items that can be sold. The donation of tangible items means that people don't have to dig so deep for cash but rather can go to their basements, garages or jewelry boxes for opportunity. The donation of tangible items includes things like cars, boats or RVs. They can be the simple gift such as the car that is barely running but may still net $200 to the charity. Or it may the gift of the extravagant--one charity received a yacht that is being sold for $150,000.

But the list doesn't stop there. It may be a stamp collection. Jewelry, particularly gold, represents a good gift because of the price of gold. For the giver, they get the corresponding income tax deduction while the charity gets the benefit of the cash proceeds. Look at www.idonate.com for some of the opportunities afforded to charities.

The fundraising opportunity must be conducted online and calls for the need for efficiency in not only fundraising but in player registration. These are real and necessary changes as the grip of recession tightens in our country.

--William High is a freelance writer.

Upward/Baseball Registration--Choose Your Online Registration Provider Carefully

HTGSports — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:09:07 GMT

Are you an Upward basketball league, sports league? Are you looking at online registration for your baseball league, soccer league, soccer tournament, baseball tournament, basketball tournament? Are you investigating online sports registration in general?

Make sure you choose your online provider carefully. Youth Today (www.youthtoday.org) posted a news story on its website on Thursday, December 18, 2008, with troubling news. Online sports registration provider, Count Me In (CMI Corp.) allegedly owes $2 million dollars in registration fees to 25 non profits. Count Me In is being sued in Washington and California because of the unpaid fees.

Count Me In's website says that it handles online registrations for more than 1,000 organizations. Count Me In was hired by these organizations to provide online sports registration and received a fee for each player registration. These monies were to be transferred to the organizations at periodic intervals. Apparently, according to the article, by late fall some of those payments stopped showing up.

The message is pretty simply: choose your online provider carefully. Look for those with proven track records. Bigger doesn't always mean better. Look for those with great references. Call those references.

There's little doubt that online registration needs to grow. It represents a great way to grow a league, its visibility and at the same time provide a necessary service to its customers.

Why Online Registration for Sports Leagues?

HTGSports — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:11:07 GMT

Many sports leagues are still running their registration and league management by paper. Does this make sense? Absolutely not. Consider this: the average home in America will have at least two computers. Those computers are connected to the internet and web ready.

Recently, I taught a research and writing class. I was suprised by how the research was done online and not the library. I'm not sure too many kids know how to use the library. A friend of mine teaches research and writing at one of the top law schools around. That generation of kids--20-25 years old--is all online. They do their research online. They check scores, read the newspaper, read restaurant reviews, and of course they manage their schedules online.

That includes sports leagues. These are the same kids who are having kids and rushing their kids into sports leagues. They are the same ones who will be looking for online registration. It's simply the way they live. So if the leagues, tournaments, and clubs are to keep up, they need to get online. Kids need to be able to sign up online, pay online, manage camps, teams and tournaments all online. They even need to get text messages to tell them the latest scores and whether practice got cancelled or a game got moved.

It is the way things are, and the one thing we learm from these kinds of changes: things don't go backwards. Go online.

--William High is a freelance writer.

Baseball Online Registration

HTGSports — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:51:27 GMT

Yes, it's December, but baseball season is around the corner. Many teams will start practicing by March, and some as early as late February.

With baseball season nearing, that means it's time to gear up for registration. For those teams with online registration capability, they'll have a smoother transition. They can simply email players and potential players and make them aware of tryouts, practices, tournaments, and league play.

Many soccer teams and Upward leagues have already gone to online registration. More and more baseball teams will move towards online registration and league and club management. Players can register and pay online. Tournaments can be managed online. With the right provider, text messaging can be provided as well.

Think about it. If you've got 3 kids to get to practice and you are spread out all over town, you may not know if it is raining in one part of the city compared to another. You might be saved a wasted trip by receiving a text message from the club notifying you that practice has been rained out. What a timesaver!

If you're not online, then you should work to do so quickly. Take advantage of the web.

--William High is a freelance writer.

Growing Registrations Through Search Engine Optimization

HTGSports — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:14:14 GMT

How do you grow your league? Player registrations are a critical component of growing a great league. Without player registrations, competition grows stagnant. Infusion of talent slows.

The old method of growing player registrations was twofold: run a high quality league and let word of mouth grow it, or get a soccer celebrity to headline your league to attract players. Both methods work. Of course, it's understood that you need to run a great league, but how do you keep increasing player registrations?

That's where the power of search engine optimization, or SEO, comes into play. SEO is basically the method of allowing search engines like Google find your website. SEO is the method of moving your website up into the search engine rankings. While you can pay to have your website found--otherwise known as pay per click--SEO is by far the critical method in getting your website found. Ideally, you want to be in the first page of rankings. The first four is even better. Thus, if someone searches for Louisburg Kansas Soccer, you want to be in the first page of results.

By being in the first page of results you are going to have a greater chance of having parents find your league. By finding your league, you have a greater likelihood of player registrations. And the great circle is complete.

Search engine optimization is not an accident. It happens by intentional act. You must first, of course, have a website. From there, you can look at your competition, determine key words by which you want to be found, and key your website according to those key words. SEO work can often be done by your web programmer, or by local SEO experts. There are also freelance websites like www.elance.com that allow you to seek request for proposals for this kind of work.

Keep in mind that as you do this work, and players begin to find your website, you'll want to have online registration for tryouts, camps, leagues, and tournaments. That's where online registration through www.htgsports.net comes into play. By allowing for online registration, you allow people to find your website and then immediately sign up. It's a mistake to allow people to find your site but not allow them the ability to sign up. We are an immediate gratification age.

The recipe is pretty simple: find your site through SEO + online registration = player registrations which equals a growing league and player development.

--William High is a freelance writer.

How Text Messaging Can Help You Run Your Futsal League

HTGSports — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:01:13 GMT

Text messaging and futsal. What do they have in common?

It's really pretty simple. When you think about running a futsal league, part of what you are aiming for is growth of your league. How does the league grow? Well certainly, some of it is the obvious: good competition, starting your games on time, player development, etc. However, each of these areas might be collectively lumped into the the category of "customer experience."

That's where text messaging comes into play. Text messaging can play a great role in customer experience. If you run your league online, which you should be doing, you can have your league set up so you can get text message notification of cancellations as well as tournament scores. When weather is an issue, what better way to notify parents of a cancellation than via a text message. It doesn't involve picking up the phone and playing phone tag. Just que it up and it goes. Parents get notified, and they get happy. Likewise, the same is true for tournament updates. So you've got two or three kids all spread out over the city in different activities. A quick text message is a great way to know how the tournament is going without having to fiddle with the phone call while your husband is in the hot dog line. Immediate, quick results lead to better customer experience.

Entire books have been written on customer experience. Witness The Starbucks Experience. Why else do people pay $4 for a cup of coffee they can get for $1.50 at Quik Trip? It's all about customer experience. The leagues that run with customer experience in mind are going to grow and separate themselves from all the rest. Not to mention, they are also the same leagues that are going to develop better players who compete at higher levels.

They all go together: text messaging, futsal and customer experience.

--William High is a freelance writer. For online text messaging experience, look at www.htgsports.net.

Growing Your Upward Leagues

HTGSports — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:12:18 GMT

I was sitting in the chair at my dentist office having a nice friendly chat with the hygienist (that is while she wasn't cramming some tool in my mouth--I really don't like going to the dentist by the way). She had a couple of kids--both pretty young. Like most young parents she was searching for some good wholesome activities for her kids.

So I told her about Upward. She'd never heard of it. She attended a church but wasn't very involved. I told her to hit the church website and sign up online. Fortunately, the church website allowed people to sign up for Upward online. By the time I left the office, she was thanking me profusely (I can't say the same based upon my sore mouth).

This situation illustrates what Upward Leagues must do to grow their activity. Part of the purpose of Upward is to provide a great place for kids within our congregations to get out, interact, and get some exercise. But Upward also provides a great outlet for a church to reach out to its community. But the key is that the community must be able to find out about it.

More and more people find their kids activities online. On your church website, use a headline that people might search for: "Great Activities for Your Kids: Upward Basketball." Consider linking and tying your church website to some of the parent based magazines in your area. Those magazines always list kids activities. Have Upward on your home page. Make sure your program is listed in Upward's main website.

And of course, make sure you have your registration online. Make it easy for people to sign up through sites like www.htgsports.net. If we've learned anything in this fast paced culture of ours, people are looking for the easy button. Online allows people to register without having to stop by the church, find the office, reach the right person, get the paperwork, etc. You get the idea.

--William High is a freelance writer. For more on online registration visit www.htgsports.net.

Fundraising for Your Sports Club or League

HTGSports — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:52:25 GMT

How many times have you sold candy bars, popcorn or magazine subscriptions to raise money for your child's sport's team? Of course, you are the one who usually ends up selling the stuff, and you end up selling to the same friends and neighbors. The truth is that you don't really raise any money because they end up hitting you up for the same goods when their kid has a club or league.

So is there anything new under the sun?

Two things come to mind: first, if your club or league is not online get them there. They should be registering players, managing clubs, leagues, tournaments, referees and even receiving text messaging updates all online. Online management is not a luxury. It's just smart. Go to www.htgsports.net for the latest.

But with being online, there come certain benefits. Namely, online giving is where things are going. People can support your club or league from the comfort of their home with a simple credit card payment. And let's face it, people would rather make a $20 credit card donation than clogging up thier mailbox with a magazine they aren't going to read. Better yet, with online credit card giving, people can give online even monthly. Once people set up for online giving, they often will stick with it because people are creatures of habit.

Second, assuming that your club is online, one of the new and exciting ways to help people give is through non cash items. Here's a simple fact. The vast majority of wealth in the country is in non cash items--over 90% of a person's wealth is in their non cash items. What do I mean by non cash? It's things like cars, boats, RVs, timeshares, collectibles, old music instruments and the like. Did you know that over $40 billion dollars of non cash gifts are given each year?

It's a simple click to receive a car or boat online--even junk cars? It's a simple click to offer a timeshare. Just recently a friend of mine donated his boat--a 49 foot yacht--to has favorite charity. it was easier to donate that it was to hassle with a resale or trade in. One of the key services for online non cash donations is www.iDonate.com. It's a simple subscription, and then you can be ready to receive non cash gifts online.

Of course, need I say it--it all assumes that you are online and that you are driving people to your site. So get there!

--William High is a freelance writer.