SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
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February 2014 26 www.sportseventsmagazine.com ▼ YOUTH Sports hese types of situations related to youth sports have long caused frustration for busy parents seeking to support their children's involvement in sports. But with the help of a growing number of social media tools, parents and young athletes are finding it easier to com- municate with coaches, administrators, other parents and athletes. Kristina O'Connell, the mother of three young athletes, can relate to the time-con- suming and sometimes confusing details that are often part of parents' experiences when their children participate in sports. As vice president of marketing at Korrio, a Seattle-based firm that offers products to help organize sports programs, O'Connell said that social media tools can save time and limit anxiety by providing essential information that is up-to-the-minute and easy to access. "Most parents would agree that signing up kids, season after season, for various sports is not much fun," she said. "You usually have to fill out the same forms time after time. Even if you get handouts of schedules, which isn't always the case, the times and dates are usually subject to change. This can be very frustrating for parents." By using technology platforms that retain essential information and allow in- stant communication via text messages, emails and robocalls, sports organizations can focus on developing skills and encour- aging team work, rather than tending to ad- ministrative details, she said. "Sports should be fun and enjoyable for parents and kids," O'Connell said. "Parents need lots of information on a regular basis. They need to know practice times and game schedules, information on payments required, insurance coverage, background checks on coaches and many other details. Cloud-based programs like Korrio help team managers, admin- istrators and coaches communicate with parents and allow parents to communicate with each other." Mark Kamyszek, a marketing specialist for LeagueAthletics.com LLC, a Norwalk, Conn.-based firm that specializes in sports websites and online sports registration, said that the biggest advantage social media pro- vides youth sports organizations is the ability to communicate quickly with players and parents. Additionally, he pointed out, using on- line tools allows sports organizations to promote themselves and their accomplish- ments, while also offering greater exposure for their sponsors. "Websites, online registration and mobile apps are changing the way volun- teers manage sports leagues, giving them powerful technology tools without requir- ing them to have technical knowledge or programming experience," Kamyszek said. Focus On Parents The U.S. Youth Volleyball League (USYVL) has a website that allows players to register online and uses Facebook and Twitter to connect with parents and volun- teers, but parents are the main focus of its social media outreach, according to Execu- tive Director Randy Sapoznik. He said USYVL has found that social media "works well as a secondary method to notify current families and prospective families about upcoming events, deadlines and activities." Additionally, he said, USYVL runs social media contests on occasion, which helps build its database. He added that social media could also be a great tool for conducting informal surveys. "These contests are directed at parents, as is all social advertising we do," he said. "While our social sites do have appropriate content for the children in our league, our focus is engagement with parents." Frank Wilkinson, chair of Youth Bowl- ing for U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) and proprietor of Rab's Country Lanes in Staten Island, N.Y., attested to the value so- cial media offers his business as well as USBC. "Our bowling center is constantly connecting with all of our customer base through our social media network," he said. "However, we are currently putting A weekend softball tournament is coming up in a large city nearby and you want to be sure your daughter arrives at the right place in plenty of time to warm up. Ho w can you f ind the best routes to the pla ying f ields? It's 4 p.m. and you need to leave work early to pick up your son and take him to his soccer game when you notice it has begun to rain. Is there an easy wa y to f ind out if the g ame's been called of f? Powerful Tech Tools Safely Building Community, Brand & Loyalty BY MARCIA BRADFORD T *21-27 SE FEB 2014_Layout 1 2/11/14 11:17 AM Page 26