PLATFORM Tips & Tricks
SportsEngine HQ
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PLATFORM Tips & Tricks
SportsEngine Play
PLATFORM Tips & Tricks
TeamUnify
Author: kelsey.erwin
Recap | Helping Protect the Future of Youth Sports Webinar
As part of NCYS' 2023 National Youth Sports Week celebration, SportsEngine and NCSI gathered a panel of experts to discuss helping protect the future of youth sports. This year, SportsEngine's moderator and VP of Advocacy and Impact, Trish Sylvia, helped us understand how emotional abuse and bullying affect youth sports environments, athletes, coaches, volunteers, and organizers.
The panel of experts represented each part of the youth sports ecosystem to offer their perspectives and resources. Watch the webinar above to hear from experts at TrueSport, the National Association for Sports Officials (NASO), Positive Coaching Alliance, the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Want to learn more?
Dive into the resources below provided by our panelists to learn how you can make an impact on your community.
TrueSport Resources
- Trauma-Informed Approach: What Drives Bullying Behaviors?
- Do You Know How to Practice Communal Care?
- Hidden Resilience: How to Build a Team
- TrueSport Website
Positive Coaching Alliance Resources
- Coaches' Guide to Supporting High School Athlete Mental Health
- PCA Workshops (In-Person and Zoom)
- Coach and Educator Toolkits
- Parent Playbooks
U.S. Soccer Foundation
- Coach-Mentor Training
- Coach-Mentor Training Online Module (Free)
- Request In-Person Training
- U.S. Soccer Foundation Website
National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI)
U.S. Center for SafeSport
National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Resources
Find Your Fit: SportsEngine HQ Express vs. Premium Package
So, you've decided to take the leap and purchase new sports management software for your organization or team. From financials to season management, there are many moving parts. If you're looking for an all-in-one solution and are taking a moment to review SportsEngine, you've come to the right place.
As the Home of Youth Sports™, SportsEngine is dedicated to making life easier for parents, athletes, coaches, and administrators. From finding a sport in your area to finding the right solution for your organization. If you're evaluating SportsEngine HQ as your organization's software of choice but are unsure whether the Express or Premium package is right for you, here's everything you need to know.
Defining Your Needs
A software solution is a major investment for any sports organization. When you're working to determine which SportsEngine HQ package you should purchase, consider the following questions:
1. How many athletes do you register per season?
Depending on the number, you may want to consider Premium for a lower processing rate.
2. How many seasons do you run per year?
If your answer is on the smaller side, you may want to consider the Express package to get you up and running fast.
3. Are you a tech-savvy guru or a DIYer?
Express may be your ticket to purchase online without the need to speak to a rep. You'll have access to our training camp, help center, and resources when needed.
4. Is your 'to-do' list a mile long during the season?
Go with Premium. Your dedicated SportsEngine team members will help you get up and start right away. Your team can help you with anything from starting your first registration to ensuring you are utilizing all the tools in SportsEngine HQ, so you're set for a successful season.
5. What's the value of $500?
In other words, what is your time worth during the season? Five hundred dollars is a Premium user's average time and cost savings yearly. By choosing SportsEngine HQ's premium package, you can streamline finances with our QuickBooks integration, access to membership programs, volunteer management, and so much more.
Still Undecided?
We get it. It's a tough choice. Dive into these key highlights and a breakdown of pricing for each package.
See the full comparison here or read our reviews.
Getting Started
Now that you know the differences, further evaluate what's best for your team. Take your time—we'll be here when you're ready, or submit the form below to get in touch.
If you are ready to buy, dive into these options: Buy Express | Buy Premium
Schedule your free demo
Not on SportsEngine, yet? Fill out this form, and one of our experts will show you how we can take your organization to the next level.
Your Live Youth Sports Broadcasting Cheat Sheet
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This is the third article in our Roadmap to Success: SportsEngine Play series. Explore the full series and learn more about what SportsEngine Play can offer you here.
You’ve determined your video strategy and loaded in your games and events; now it’s time to figure out who and how (i.e. who will stream your games, and how will they stream?).
What live sports broadcasting equipment should you use to stream?
1. Learn the Requirements from the Provider You Selected
This determines what types of cameras your team is required to use. If you’ve selected SportsEngine Play, you can use almost any type of mobile camera or fixed device that you have on hand. To ensure the best quality, make sure you use a more up-to-date mobile device if that is the route that is best for your organization and content creators.
2. Ensure a Steady Live Stream
Once you’ve figured out your cameras, a few additional items are useful for a successful live stream. We recommend using a tripod or phone mount whenever possible to keep the live stream steady and avoid tired arms from your volunteers.
3. Never Run Out of Battery
Last but not least, nothing is worse than running out of battery while you are live streaming; ensure you have a fully charged portable charging device to ensure you don’t miss a single moment of the action.
Now that we’ve determined the ‘What,’ it’s time to find out who will live-stream your games.
1. Find a Trustworthy Partner for Events
If you followed our last step, you would have set up a video strategy and rolled out a plan for your organization, making this next step simple. Determine who on each team should be counted on to live-stream games. Do you have a volunteer program already for parents to set up events, bring snacks, carpool, etc.? Add video as one of the roles! If not, find that parent or fan who loves taking pictures or who might already be recording games.
Pro Tip: Send an email asking for volunteers and their experience level so you know if they need more training and help than others. You will also want to send out these training links to ensure everyone has what they need for success.
2. Does Your Team Have a Fixed Camera?
If you have a facility with a fixed camera, or this interests you, check out this helpful article to learn more. Likely, you won't need as many volunteers to help record games, but there will be additional upfront costs. SportsEngine Play works for any camera and any level of recorder; reach out to talk to an expert about what might work best for you and your organization.
Pro Tip: In SportsEngine Play, the person live streaming actually gets a free Premier subscription ($100 value!) for their volunteering. Use this as a hook to get yourself a dependable streamer.
Continue on to Phase 4 of the Roadmap: Start Broadcasting Your Season
Schedule your free demo
Not on SportsEngine, yet? Fill out this form, and one of our experts will show you how we can take your organization to the next level.
Thinking About Live-Streaming Games, Training, or Events?
Dive into SportsEngine Play's roadmap to success. This is your go-to guide for all things streaming in youth sports.
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Recap | Kickstart Your Move to SportsEngine HQ
Are you a LeagueAthletics customer navigating your way to SportsEngine HQ? We've received a lot of questions over the past several months, took your feedback, and broadcasted a live webinar to answer your questions. The biggest question was:
Will SportsEngine HQ be similar to LeagueAthletics?
SportsEngine HQ includes all the capabilities of LeagueAthletics, along with additional features such as a mobile app for teams, responsive websites, local customer support, and consistent product updates. Watch our recap of the live webinar to learn more.
Want to learn more about what SportsEngine HQ can do for your team? Get in touch with us.
Why Your Youth Sports Organization Should Invest in Video Broadcasting
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This is the first article in our Roadmap to Success: SportsEngine Play series. Explore the full series and learn more about what SportsEngine Play can offer you here.
You likely clicked on this article because you are interested in bringing a live and on-demand broadcast video solution to your youth sports organization, and for that, we applaud you. Video is an essential tool for your organization to engage with your fan community, provide additional value to your members, develop athletes, and give your coaches tools to do their job better.
In this article, we will discuss some reasons why it’s important for your youth sports organization to invest in a video solution this season. And hopefully, this better equips you to bring this decision to your board with confidence.
Provide Value for Your Members through Video
1. Engage Current Members and Recruit New Members
There are many ways to reach current and future members, maybe nowhere better than social media. Video is proven to be highly engaging and shareable. Families love to share highlights and videos of their youth athlete playing the sports they love. By giving them video to share, you are not only helping to promote your athletes, but promoting your organization as well, which leads to growth. It’s the modern version of “word-of-mouth” marketing.
2. Help Your Athletes Grow
Social media plays a crucial role in athletics, and with the growing popularity of NIL, it’s something that youth athletes will need to become more aware of. Helping to build your athletes' social brand and profile can help them immensely when it comes to college recruiting and planning for the future. Creating a video program at your organization can set young athletes up for success in the long run as they will have first-hand access to create highlight clips to share with coaches and on their social media channels.
3. Develop Your Athletes On and Off the Field
It’s important not to forget about the crucial role coaches play in helping to develop athletes as well. They have direct day-to-day contact with athletes. By providing them with live video and on-demand replays, you are unlocking a - tool for coaches to look at to help them teach athletes important skills and showcase important team learning lessons. Video is just another tool in a coach's toolbelt to reach their athletes however they might learn best.
Continue on to Phase 2 of the Roadmap: Searching for a Video Provider
Schedule your free demo
Not on SportsEngine, yet? Fill out this form, and one of our experts will show you how we can take your organization to the next level.
Thinking About Live-Streaming Games, Training, or Events?
Dive into SportsEngine Play's roadmap to success. This is your go-to guide for all things streaming in youth sports.
How to Live Stream Your Upcoming Youth Sports Season
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This is the second article in our Roadmap to Success: SportsEngine Play series. Explore the full series and learn more about what SportsEngine Play can offer you here.
It’s the most exciting time of the year, no, not the holidays—it’s time for you to prepare for your upcoming season! The anticipation grows over the weeks as you work to get athletes signed up, coaches prepared, and teams created. It’s likely one of the most hectic times of the year for your organization, but the work you put in to prepare for the season will ensure smooth sailing throughout.
For some of you, this could be your first time, but for most of you, this is just another year – however, you might be exploring setting up a video solution to live broadcast games within your organization. If so, we’ll review some best practices and things to keep in mind during this process to help you prepare.
Pick the Right Provider
As with anything in life, you have choices, some better than others. It’s important that you really understand both what you and your organization want to accomplish by providing video as well as understanding what providers are in the space. Here are a couple of things we think are important to keep in mind:
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What do you want to provide your members? Do you want to provide players and coaches with a tool for analytics and game film, or do you want to provide a great viewing experience for your entire fan community, or do you want the ability for people to create highlights and share them with their personal community? Understanding exactly what you want to provide and get out of a video solution is critical.
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You are likely using another software provider for online registration, team creation, website and season management. It’s important to consider how this new solution will work with your existing one. At SportsEngine, we have a connected ecosystem, which means our products have single sign-on, integrated data, and a shared support team. You can manage your organization with a single provider instead of multiple by using SportsEngine Play with your SportsEngine HQ account.
Streamline Your On-Boarding Experience
Once you’ve selected your new software provider, and for the sake of this article, we will assume its SportsEngine Play – you will get a dedicated rep helping you get set up within your new account. This is vital to your success as it’s likely you have a lot of momentum within your organization and board to get this up and running before the season begins
Set Up Your Season to Broadcast
So, you’ve made your choice on a video software solution and got set up in your new system. Who did you select? If your answer is SportsEngine Play, please continue on this journey.
Here’s how to get your organization’s information and season setup in SportsEngine Play. Let the games begin!
1. Meet with Your Administrators and Coaches
Now this may seem silly and basic, but it’s important to sit down with your admins or board and lay out exactly what your video strategy will be for the upcoming season. When you lay out a plan for yourself, it gives you something to work towards. Many organizations can feel overwhelmed at first when this step is not taken seriously.
Pro Tip: Start small – maybe select a few teams or events at the start of the season to get set up first. These should be teams and coaches who are willing to try out the new video process and are likely more tech-savvy. Once you’ve got a good plan with those teams, you can expand and roll out to all your teams, games, and events.
2. Integrate SportsEngine HQ with SportsEngine Play
If you utilize SportsEngine Play and SportsEngine HQ, you are unlocking access to an integration that will make setting up your season and live streams even easier. We have a direct integration with your schedules on SportsEngine HQ, meaning you won’t have to enter those games into SportsEngine Play or create live streams for them.
Pro Tip: Do you like saving precious time and money? We thought so…If you haven’t signed up for SportsEngine Play yet, here’s your chance! Learn more >
Continue on to Phase 3 of the Roadmap: Setup Your Team for Streaming
Schedule your free demo
Not on SportsEngine, yet? Fill out this form, and one of our experts will show you how we can take your organization to the next level.
Thinking About Live-Streaming Games, Training, or Events?
Dive into SportsEngine Play's roadmap to success. This is your go-to guide for all things streaming in youth sports.
Do You Know How to Require Respect from Your Sport Circle?
As a young athlete, you may struggle to ask for respect from your coach, your peers, and even your parents. For example, you might need your coach to communicate feedback differently or you may want your teammates to stop using a particular nickname.
Here, board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains how to ask for the respect that you need from anyone within your sports circle, from doctors to coaches to teammates.
Start with Self-Respect
It’s hard to ask for respect from others if you struggle to respect yourself, says Gilboa. In many cases, having self-respect can look like a series of practical actions, rather than just an attitude or feeling that you adopt. For example, self-respect can mean arriving at practice on time and properly fueled with an afternoon snack, showing that you respect your body and role as an athlete. You can also demonstrate self-respect by respecting your own boundaries out loud, with something like ‘I have to get some sleep tonight, but I’d love to hang out tomorrow.’
Set Your Own Boundaries
Maybe you’ve never thought about what your boundaries are before. Now is the time to start, since it’s hard to demand respect—which includes respecting your boundaries—if you can’t articulate them. Gilboa says this can start with simple things: “Is there a name you prefer to be called? Do you not want to talk about competition on weekends, or during lunch at school? Figuring out and communicating your boundaries makes it possible for people to respect them.”
Respect Is a Two-Way Street
It’s important to note that there is a balance here. Developing a set of boundaries and sticking to them is important and helps you demand respect, but you still have to give respect while maintaining your own boundaries. For example, you can politely but firmly tell your coach that you can’t do an extra practice because you have another commitment, and you may suggest an alternative plan, like doing an extra strength workout at home.
TrueSport supports athletes, parents, and coaches. Discover how >
 | About TrueSportTrueSport®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport. TrueSport inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, character-building, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport. |
For more expert-driven articles and materials, visit TrueSport’s comprehensive library of resources.
This content was reproduced in partnership with TrueSport. Any content copied or reproduced without TrueSport and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s express written permission would be in violation of our copyright, and subject to legal recourse. To learn more or request permission to reproduce content, click here.
How to Give Respect to Get Respect from Your Team
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As a coach, you likely have certain assumptions around receiving respect from your athletes. However, when was the last time you really considered what respect means to you—and how your athletes define it? Respectful behaviors might seem obvious to you, but often, what you consider signs of respect are things that athletes simply haven’t learned or don’t understand.
Here, board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains how coaches can better model and teach respect to their athletes in order to help the athletes grow and mature.
Don’t Expect Respect for Nothing
The first thing Gilboa stresses when talking to coaches and other adults about respect is that respect isn’t something that should be automatically owed to you. “A lot of people think, ‘Kids just owe me respect,’” Gilboa says. “But when I give talks about respect, I’ll often ask someone, ‘May I please have $1,000 in cash?’ And they smile and laugh, and they say, ‘No, I don’t have that.’ And I’ll respond, ‘Part of being here is that you need to be able to give me $1,000 cash, and you should just know that without being told.’ And that’s exactly what you’re doing when you’re demanding some behavior from young athletes without earning it, and without explaining what behaviors are respectful.”
Don’t Expect Students to Understand the ‘Rules of Respect’
You may think ‘respect’ is an obvious behavior that everyone understands. But as Gilboa’s example above points out, not everyone has been told ’the rules.’ It’s often assumed that parents have taught their children how to be respectful, but that’s not always the case, and different cultures may even have different connotations around the word ‘respect.’ Adults tend to assume that student-athletes inherently understand what ‘being respectful’ means—and that puts many young athletes at a disadvantage. “There are many people who would respond to the request for $1,000 by saying, ‘I’ve never had $1,000 in cash, and I don’t come from a world where I would just happen to have $1,000 dollars in my pocket,’” Gilboa adds. “Some kids don’t come from a world where they just happen to know what respect looks like and can easily give it to someone. We have to start by giving it to them and helping them learn what respect looks like, rather than demanding it from them.”
Modeling Respect Earns You Respect
The golden rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—applies here. If you want athletes to respect you, you need to treat them with the respect you want for yourself, says Gilboa. This may be a perspective shift for you as a coach, but modeling respect by giving it to the athletes is the fastest way for them to learn how to show respect back. “Rather than expecting people to guess what feels respectful to you, modeling it is the most effective way to show it,” says Gilboa. “If you want your team to address you as Mr. Smith or Coach Smith, you could choose to model that behavior by referring to the athletes as Mr. X—using the appropriate pronouns, of course. The athletes will never forget that you treated them with respect by using their honorific and their last name rather than a nickname or just their last night. This is a simple way to teach the lesson rather than nagging them to call you a certain name.”
TrueSport supports athletes, parents, and coaches. Discover how >
| About TrueSportTrueSport®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport. TrueSport inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, character-building, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport. |
For more expert-driven articles and materials, visit TrueSport’s comprehensive library of resources.
This content was reproduced in partnership with TrueSport. Any content copied or reproduced without TrueSport and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s express written permission would be in violation of our copyright, and subject to legal recourse. To learn more or request permission to reproduce content, click here.
Recap | Insights to Impact Webinar
Running a youth sports season can be stressful. From registrations to invoicing to running a season—you're extremely busy. That's why SportsEngine is excited to share our latest financial tools on SportsEngine HQ.
What's new with SportsEngine HQ Financials?
Watch as product champions Shawn Heller and Marie Fitzgerald walk through step-by-step how to utilize our latest financial tools to your league's advantage. Learn how to get your financial tools set up and gain insights for the end of the season. In addition, learn how to refund, take offline payments, and manage your overall reporting.
"My role today is to help connect the dots on our financial system, so you can make the most of your season," says Shawn Heller.
Want to learn more about what SportsEngine HQ can do for your team? Get in touch with us.