Frequently Asked Questions about SportsSignup's Online Registration Solution
General Questions
Q. What is Online Registration?
A. Online Registration is a way to save time, money, and effort for your organization while giving your registrants the convenience of signing up for your programs/sessions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using a major credit card or check. Because registrants are entering their own data using the Internet, your staff does not need to worry about data entry, misspellings, or illegible forms.
Q. Can we use SportsSignup with our existing website?
A. Yes. SportsSignup online registration can be used with any website – we provide a link to the registration interface.
Q. What sports can the online registration system be used for?
A. Soccer, baseball, youth baseball, lacrosse, football, basketball, tennis, camps, and virtually any sport where fees are collected and a database of players and/or volunteers is needed. The registration process is generally the same for all sports, but there are differences on how rules are applied for age calculation, etc. We have all of this figured out, and our system is very adaptable to your specific needs.
Q. Do we need to contact SportsSignup every time we want to customize the content in the online registration system?
A. No. In fact, you have control of the majority of how the system behaves and what information is presented to your registrants. We provide you a variety of easy-to-use and easy-to-learn tools for customizing your site.
Q. Does the system display advertisements?
A. No. We believe this interferes and distracts the user experience of completing a registration.
Q. Do you assess monthly fees or minimum use fees? Do we get locked into a long term contract?
A. No and No. SportsSignup does not assess any recurring fees for use of the system. We do not expect you to sign a long-term contract. There is no obligation for using SportsSignup – in the unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with our service, you can discontinue use with no penalties.
Q. Can we “test-drive” the system prior to making a commitment?
A. Absolutely. Once you sign up and request an account, you will be set up to use the system in TEST mode. This means you can create and edit your sessions, add consent information, setup discounts, generate reports, etc. Payments while in TEST mode are simulated. There is no charge to operate the system in TEST mode.
Q. Our organization is adult-only, does the registration system accommodate this?
A. Yes. The SportsSignup user interface changes slightly and will allow for adults to register themselves for a program/session.
Q. Does your system support Team Registration for tournaments?
A. Yes. Teams can register for tournaments using SportsSignup. The coach and contact information is captured along with team rosters, etc.
Online Player & Volunteer Registration
Q. How does a player or parent/guardian of a player register online?
A. Registration is completed through a link from your website. From the registrant’s point of view, they are not leaving your website, they are simply linking to another page to complete a registration. The SportsSignup system is user e-mail and password protected. Users create an account with an e-mail and unique password. Forgotten passwords can be automatically e-mailed back.
Q. Does the registrant need to re-enter basic information each time they want to register for a program/session?
A. No. One of the major conveniences of the system is that a registrant only sets up an account ONCE. For future registrations, their basic information (such as name, e-mail, address, emergency contact info) is preserved and they do not have to re-enter. As an added benefit to the registrant, a history of previous activity can be reviewed. Additionally, changes to the account information (e.g. change of address or e-mail) is completed by the registrant, not your administrator.
Q. What happens if the registrant does not want to, or cannot, register online?
A. Almost everyone today has access to the Internet, however, some people may not want to register online. To accommodate this, administrators can easily register player(s) in the system.
Q. Can we add custom questions to forms?
A. Yes. The system provides “templates” for form creation, using different types of fields, including drop-down boxes for things such as uniform size, school attending, volunteer role, and fundraising gift amount. You do not have to create the forms – just specify what you want to capture and we do the rest.
Q. Can the fields in forms be used to check the quality of data input by a registrant?
A. Yes. Our forms help maintain data quality right from the start by using pre-formatted fields (e.g. birthdate fields require a date and not free form entry).
Q. Does functionality exist for administrators to add, delete, edit, or unregister a player?
A. Yes. Administrators have the ability to add, edit, and delete information. Registrations can be changed or unregistered, and payment amounts are automatically adjusted.
Q. Can we assess additional fees based on date registered? What about discounts?
A. Yes. A configurable fee/discounter feature allows you to implement early discounts, late fees, multiple player discounts and family maximums, or a combination of these schemes.
Q. Can volunteers also register online?
A. Yes. Rostered ‘helpers’ (coaches, managers, etc.) also register through the system, and can be assigned to teams. ‘Non-rostered volunteers’ (e.g. concession stand, etc.) can be captured using custom questions.
Q. What if the session is full? Can a player be placed on a waitlist?
A. Capacity controls can be set by administrators for any program (e.g. maximum 40 players). If a capacity is set, a waitlist can be tracked and maintained. Waiting List functionality is included with the system.
Registration Fee Payments
Q. What forms of payment can the system accept?
A. The SportsSignup system can be set up to accept payments by major credit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express), or by “mail-in” check.
Q. How do we get a Merchant Account to process credit cards?
A. If your organization opts to collect fees electronically (credit card), a Merchant Account is required. SportsSignup provides three easy Merchant Account options. A Merchant Account application is provided to you online as part of the initial setup and configuration of your account.
Q. Can credit card refunds be processed electronically?
A. Yes. Any registrations paid by credit card can be refunded (fully or partially) directly back to the credit card.
Q. Does SportsSignup store credit card data?
A. No. We would not recommend any service that logs and/or stores credit card information.
Q. How are failed credit card online payments handled?
A. Credit cards are processed immediately and the card holder is alerted of a declined transaction with an explanation, and the registrant is given the opportunity to fix the error and resubmit.
Q. Can the system process registrations with “paper check” payments?
A. Yes. If this option is offered, customized instructions (organization name, mailing address, confirmation number etc.) are displayed showing the registrant where to send their check, which upon receipt can be easily reconciled in the system.
Q. Can the system process a scholarship player?
A. Yes. Administrators can record discounts for circumstances such as scholarships or hardship cases.
Administrator Functions & Tools
Q. Can administrators track players that are registered but unpaid?
A. Yes. You can elect to allow registrants pay by check. When that player registers, they are put on a receivables list. When checks arrive by mail, they are ‘received’ through the system, and an e-mail is sent to the registrant indicating their check has been received.
Q. Can the system send out payment reminders?
A. Yes. A payment reminder e-mail can be sent to registrants on the receivables list that reiterates the payment instructions and amount. Registrants can log into the system and see their invoice and payment status.
Q. Does the system prevent duplicate registrations?
A. Yes. The system will not allow the same person to re-register for the same season and session. However, if desired it is possible to allow a registrant to sign up for two different, overlapping sessions.
Q. What type of reports are available to administrator(s)?
A. A set of standard reports are available, for example, tracking finances, managing accounts receivable, and creation of e-mail distribution lists. Custom reports can also be created by administrators based on any field.
Q. Can administrators add, delete, define, maintain teams?
A. Yes. Our Team Manager helps you easily create teams based on registration information, players' age, etc. We also help match parent coaches and their kids to ensure they are on the same team.
Q. Can the system build teams electronically based on registered players?
A. Yes. Registered players can be slotted directly to rosters or they can be put into a pool of unassigned players based on age and gender. In the latter case, an administrator goes in and forms the teams by easily dragging and dropping people into teams.
Q. Can coaches access their rosters?
A. Yes. Coaches have a “view only” access to their roster(s). They can view and print the roster(s), and send e-mail communications to their team.
E-mail & Communications
Q. Can we communicate with teams, coaches, etc. using e-mail directly from the system?
A. Yes. SportsSignup features a very robust e-mailing system. With a few clicks, your administrator can contact their entire organization.
Q. Can we create customized e-mail lists?
A. Yes. Having the SportsSignup reporting aspect tied to the e-mailing feature is invaluable. You can e-mail any report that you run. For example, you can e-mail a specific age group about ODP tryouts, or a specific team about a cancelled game, or people who haven’t paid yet, etc.
Training & Support
Q. What kind of system training is available?
A. We conduct group training for registrars and/or administrators as part of the setup process. We use web-based screen sharing technology for ongoing interactive training and support.
Q. Is online help available?
A. Yes. Our services all have online help that describe each function/feature in detail.
Q. What are your support hours?
A. Our normal support hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST. Customers needing immediate support can contact an experienced support technician toll-free by telephone. All e-mail support issues are responded to within 24 hours. SportsSignup also provides an online Support Center which is accessible 24/7 that includes extensive knowledgebase articles, resources, troubleshooting guides, and other useful tips and tricks.
System Architecture & Security
Q. Does the system store a log file of all online transactions, including player and administrator activity?
A. Yes. All registrations (once an account is activated) are recorded in the system, so a full player/coach history can be generated. Additionally, all family orders are stored, so a complete order history is available.
Q. Can different levels of administrative access be defined for users with various levels of security?
A. Yes. Your key official(s) need to control data access. Several different access levels are available to be set by a “Full Access” administrator. Thus, administrative accounts can be set up for various people with appropriate access granted.
Q. What is your application and database platform?
A. SportsSignup leverages industry-standard, proven platforms, including Microsoft ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server.
Q. Where are your data servers located?
A. Our application and database is hosted by Rackspace. Rackspace has state-of-the art, environmentally controlled facilities that include fully-redundant fiber optic connections, backup generators/UPS, and 24-hour network and server monitoring.
Q. Are backups of your system data performed?
A. Yes. Complete data backups of all system data are performed by the system on a daily basis. Backup copies of the database are created weekly and stored off-site.
Q. What is your level of web security?
A. It is important and expected that the link between the end user’s browser and our website (web server) is secure, and that the information remains private. We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) the standard security technology for creating an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. SSL is an industry standard that uses 128 bit key encryption, and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers.
Q. How are credit card payments processed?
A. If SportsSignup’s Merchant Account provider is used to process credit cards, the credit card information is passed to the payment gateway company Authorize.NET via SSL, and is processed by First Data, the worldwide leading credit card processor. Note that we do not store the credit card number.
Q. What is your privacy policy?
A. Our privacy and security policy is available to all users, click here.