We live in an era of computers, text messages, mobile phones, and blackberries, but many team captains and fixture secretaries still have horrendous phone bills during the cricket season. Add a few wet Saturdays and a few re-arrangements and communication becomes an expensive, time-consuming nightmare. But thanks to Dublinbrothers Steve and Ken Moulton, all that could be a thing of the past if clubs embrace a new system that the Pembroke cricketers have just developed. Both Steve and Ken know a fair but about running and captaining sports teams, having played their cricket at Pembroke and their hockey at Railway Union for many years. Now they have combined all that experience with their professional expertise in software development, to produce this online sports management system.
The new system has been developed to reduce the time and hassle of running a sports team and club, and the most exciting part of it all is the fact that it comes free! The software assists captains and administrators by contacting players via email and text. The system automatically keeps track of responses and confirmations, and sends details of match times, and meeting arrangements direct to your phone. It sounds too simple to be true, but any captain or team secretary will surely jump at the chance to make their life easier, especially after the experience of this season.
The software works by loading details of all the players on to the system and adding mobile and/or email contact details. You then add in your fixtures in advance and make any adjustments that may be necessary regarding re-arrangements. The system will then automatically send out texts/emails to selected players informing them of the match, and they simply reply back to confirm their availability. If a player is not available you can pre-select a replacement who will automatically be sent confirmation. Captains can log on later to see how many of the players have confirmed. That’s one call for the captain instead of a minimum of ten calls!
The system is set up for free use and has been designed so it can be used for any sport and any number of players, be it cricket, hockey, soccer, rugby, or even social sporting teams. And just for information, the Moultons are not cricket benefactors but businessmen, as they will make their money from advertising on the site.
For more information log on to their website at http://www.teamer.net/ and get a demo as this is a system that will certainly help communication within sports clubs.
The software is relatively new, but some sports teams have already started using the system and are starting to see the benefits in reducing time and administration costs for busy captains and fixture secretaries. As everyone knows there’s a lot more to captaining a cricket team that tossing the coin and picking the batting order, and it’s the chores that mitigate against some good captains taking office. Hopefully this system will reduce one thankless chore and make the best use of modern technology.
Well done Steve and Ken and good luck with your enterprise.
It’s a great concept.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
