Author: Jennifer Motze, CMAA

50th Anniversary of Title IX

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

50 years ago on June 23rd, Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law. This game changing law “is a comprehensive law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in all programs or activities in all federally funded educational institutions including high schools and middle schools” (Pennepacker, 2021). When you interpret the law, it allows women and girls to participate in middle school, high school, and college sports without discrimination. To this day, women and girls have accomplished and broke through many barriers thanks to Title IX. BigTeams finds it important to highlight some of the pioneers/advocates of this movement and to thank them for their relentless efforts: Edith Louise Starrett Green, Billie Jean King, and Peg Pennepacker.

1. Edith Louise Starrett Green

Edith was an integral part of creating the legislation of Title IX. Known as “Mrs. Education” and Representative of Oregon, Green was committed to the educational program and women’s issues and social reform. With these two passions of hers, Green documented discrimination for hearings and fought for gender equity in schools and employment that later helped pass Title IX.

2. Billie Jean King

We all know the name, Billie Jean King. She was the number 1 tennis player in the world during her time. She was the first woman in any sport to earn over $100,000 which helped pave the way for other female athletes. Not only was she a fierce competitor on the court, but she was an influential voice for women’s rights and Title IX. One of her biggest pushes, she fought for equal prize payment as her male counterparts. She was and is a role model for female athletes and her fight still lives on today.

3. Peg Pennepacker

Peg Pennepacker is an avid advocate/consultant for Title IX. She is the founder of High School Title IX Consulting services that pushes and teaches the law on how it can benefit your athletic program. Not only does she have her own company, she also serves as a consultant on the Executive Council of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator’s Association, and the Association of Title IX Administrators. Pennepacker is encouraging Athletic Directors and their staff to not fear Title IX, but to understand it and embrace it.

These women advocated and still are for Title IX. Even though the law doesn’t directly mention sports, it has been a huge key in the success of many female athletes today. Because of these women and other important pioneers, Title IX gives women and girls the right to freely participate in activities that make them who they are without discrimination.

Works Cited

50th anniversary of title IX coming in June of 2022. NFHS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.nfhs.org/articles/50th-anniversary-of-title-ix-coming-in-june-of-2022/

Title IX – the Nine. American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.aclu.org/other/title-ix-nine#:~:text=Edith%20Louise%20Starrett%20Green&text=Working%20alongside%20fellow%20Rep.,of%20Title%20IX%20in%201972
 
Image used from Circleville City Schools

Take it One Day at a Time

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

Are you running around crazy trying to get everything done? Feels like you don’t have enough time in the day? We know you have a long list of work you need to do in order to wrap up the school year. BigTeams wants to help you get everything done, but in a calmer matter.

1. Recenter and Refocus

Amidst the chaos, it’s hard to remember to take care of yourself. For example, taking a mental health day. These days can be very rejuvenating, however you use that time just remember that day is for you. It can even be as small as taking a moment to yourself to drink some water and breathe. May is Mental Health Awareness month so don’t forget to let your student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, assistants, and everyone else know!

2. Rely on Your Team

You have a team for a reason, they’re there to help you run your athletic department. As a leader, you need to delegate. Sometimes it’s hard to follow through on this, but once you develop this skill, you and your team are unstoppable. Trust is very important and it encourages your coworkers! Rely on your team and in return, you’ll see the benefits.

3. Reflect on Accomplishments

Take a moment to enjoy all you (and your team) have done this past year. When you’re looking, it’s easy to find victories. Maybe it’s in the win/loss column, maybe it’s in the attendance rates of your student-athletes, maybe it’s the program improvements you’ve supervised. In any case, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well down. Now enjoy the last few moments with your seniors and send them off to their next chapter with a smile.

BigTeams understands that the end of the school year is approaching. We hope these little reminders help you and your athletic department get through this last month or so. It can all be a blur but don’t forget, take it one day at a time!

Not enjoying the benefits of BigTeams’ products yet? Click here to meet with our sales team.

Spring Clean with BigTeams

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

It’s come to that time of the year when the sun is setting later and it’s getting warmer. Then you take a look around and see the mess you’ve made since the start of the year. This signifies spring cleaning time! We admit we have a little bit of spring cleaning to do ourselves over here at BigTeams. But, we wanted to give you a helping hand. We put together a to-do list for polishing up your Schedule Star, Fan Central, and Student Central.

1. Manage Duplicates in Student Central

Have students with multiple accounts? While it might be easy to put this off, clean up your database now with our simple tool. It’s easy and will help eliminate future problems for your athletes. The biggest step is just sitting down and starting it.

2. Refresh Your Fan Central Slideshow

Take a few moments to upload new pictures to your slideshow. This simple refresh spruces up your page and encourages visitors to return to your site. A little task that makes a stylish difference.

3. Update Permissions for Staff

With staff turnover, it’s important to update permissions in Student Central. This ensures that correct staff members have access to the correct information. All of our products are HIPPA, FERPA, and COPPA compliant so you don’t have to stress that factor.

4. Check & Change Forms in Student Central

Each year there are updates made to forms that you need to keep an eye out for. Check to see if any updates are needed to forms in Student Central and submit those change requests to our customer support team. We are available from 8 AM-5 PM EST, we are always here to support your needs.

5. Clean Up Facilities & Transportation Directories

Hey, you’re doing great so far with your to-do list! Only a couple more to get through, we promise. Go to Schedule Star and make sure addresses are added for facilities and contact information for transportation. Get this out of the way now so when the time comes you have up-to-date information.

6. Reorganize Your Fan Central Site

Your online presence is the “front door” of your athletic department. Take a few moments to ensure yours looks superb. Your fans want information that they can navigate quickly and easily. Hide pages that you’re not using, as pages without current content can be confusing. Once you do that, your website will look professional and be ready for next season!

Look at that, you’re at the end of the to-do list! Was that hard to manage? Try to keep up with these small tasks because they can build up and become big problems if you don’t keep an eye on them. We hope we made your spring cleaning experience a little easier this year. Remember we have self-help guided pages and YouTube videos to help you out. Our team is here to support you and make your BigTeams experience as flawless as possible and squeaky clean!

Need help with these housekeeping items? Click here to meet with our team for assistance with your BigTeams products.

Not enjoying the benefits yet? Click here to meet with our sales team.

The Most Influential Women in Sports

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

As a part of Women’s History month, BigTeams finds it important to highlight the most influential women in sports. These women have carved out a path for girls who never really had a sports hero to look up to, whether it be on or off the field, court, or track. We have women from the past and present that represent up-and-coming generations.

Serena & Venus Williams

“If the sun comes up, I have a chance.” – Venus Williams

“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” – Serena Williams 

You know we had to start with this dynamic duo, straight outta Compton. Serena and Venus Williams took over the tennis world and their names are known globally, whether you are into tennis or not. Serena has won 23 grand slam singles titles and Venus has won 7. Notably, Venus was the first black woman to be ranked number 1 in the world for singles back in 2002. The sisters teamed up to take home 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles throughout their careers. Off the court, Venus supports various charities, for example, American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and many more. Serena actually started her own charity, self-named, the Serena Williams Fund. This fund focuses on making people’s lives better by promoting equity; through education, gender, race, disability, or anything else that stands in the way of someone achieving their goals and living their best possible life (Charity Buzz). These two incredible athletes are inspirations on and off the court and that is why we needed to recognize them.

Pat Summitt

“Success is a project that is always under construction.” – Pat Summitt

We’ve all had a coach who we looked up to and truly believed in. Pat Summitt was this coach for many basketball players. She grew up playing basketball herself and even went to the point of winning the gold at the Pan-American games in 1975. Did we mention Summitt was even the co-captain of the team the following year? Talk about star power! She took the position of coaching the American collegiate women’s basketball team for the University of Tennessee in 1974. This turned into an impressive 38-year coaching career. Throughout those years, she led her team to 8 National Championships and won 1,098 games. More games than any other NCAA basketball coach, men’s or women’s. Literally incredible if you ask us! This record was recently broken 2 years ago by Tara VanDerveer at Stanford University. Summit was recognized as NCAA Coach of the Year 7 times and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Pat Summitt left a mark on the sports world and continues to inspire players and coaches to this day.

Megan Rapinoe

“When we, as a nation, put our minds to something, when we truly choose to care about something, change always happens.” – Megan Rapinoe

Not only is Megan Rapinoe an influential leader for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, but also in the LGBTQIA+ community and the gender equality fight. She helped lead her team to the World Cup, triumphantly winning it in 2015 and 2019. Rapinoe was named the best female player in the world when she was awarded the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s Women’s Player of the Year. The performance of her and her teammates was unstoppable, but their paychecks from their own organization didn’t reflect that. The field conditions, transportation, pay, respect, etc. were severely lacking for the USWNT compared to their male counterparts, so Rapinoe and her teammates decided to take a stand. They ended up in court with the United States Soccer Federation to fight for equal pay. After a long battle, the USWNT settled its case against the USSF for $24 million dollars. This has been an inspiration for women everywhere who are victims of the gender pay gap. Rapinoe is also a huge advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. She’s not afraid to use her platform and voice to stand up for what she believes in and that’s what makes her a fearless leader.

Danica Patrick

“I’ve never really seen myself as a ‘girl driver’. I’m just a driver.” – Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick has had the need for speed since the age of 10. For many of her accomplishments, she was the first woman to reach those feats. She was the first woman to be presented as Rookie of the Year back in 2005. She was quickly becoming popular when she was named the most popular driver in 2005, 2006, and 2007 by Indy Racing League. When racing in the Indianapolis 500, which only 3 other women before her did (Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, and Sarah Fisher), she lead the race three times for a total of 19 laps. Another first for women that Patrick has achieved. Later in her successful career, Patrick moved to NASCAR full-time and landed the pole position in the Daytona 500. Take a guess, was she the first woman to start a Sprint Cup from the pole position? Yep! As you can see, Danica Patrick broke through the barrier of this male-dominated sport and conquered it.

Mo’ne Davis

“I throw my curveball like Clayton Kershaw’s and I throw my fastball like Mo’ne Davis.” – Mo’ne Davis

We have talked about some really iconic names, but have you heard of Mo’ne Davis? When only 13 years old, Davis was the talk of the town at the Little League World Series. She was a baseball pitcher from Philadelphia who was throwing 70 mph fastballs. She was the first girl to win a Little League World Series game and the first to pitch a shutout game. Since then, Davis has been pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Hampton University. She hasn’t hung up her hat quite yet. She made the switch to softball to play for her University’s team. Davis was playing three sports at the varsity level in high school; soccer, basketball, and softball. With the skills and knowledge she possesses of sports, Davis has dabbled in sports broadcasting. Mo’ne Davis is still figuring out what she wants to do in life, but she has set the record straight that she is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Pat Summitt, Megan Rapinoe, Danica Patrick, and Mo’ne Davis have at least one thing in common: Being some of the most influential women in sports. We have been looking up to these relentless, courageous leaders to give us the inspiration to better ourselves. Whether it be the fight for equal pay or giving your all in the game, you can look to these ladies to give you the grit.

Works Cited

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Danica Patrick. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Danica-Patrick

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Megan Rapinoe. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Megan-Rapinoe

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Pat Summitt. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Summitt

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Serena Williams. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Serena-Williams 

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Venus Williams. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Venus-Williams 

Where is mo’ne davis now? Little League World series legend working to become a broadcaster. Sporting News. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/mone-davis-little-league-world-series/1k12um9z8gibo11m94x5snjnx0 

No Luck Needed with BigTeams

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

Whether it be selling tickets or sending reminders, we have you covered. We strive to be the company that delivers quality, time-saving products, and launches updates regularly. We work behind the scenes so your game day runs smoothly. You don’t need luck, just need BigTeams! 

Introducing Design Central

Design Central (DC), our latest tool, allows you to build a professional, active online presence. Don’t have time to build eye-catching images for your website or Twitter page? Not a problem! Let us be your leprechauns. We provide countless designs customized to your school. All you do is change the text and image. Quicker than you can type a short note, you’ll have a great design that will impress even the toughest critics.

Click HERE to learn more!

HomeTown Ticketing: E-Tickets

Our HomeTown Ticketing (HTT) integration connects Schedule Star to the HTT platform to minimize data entry. Sell tickets from your Fan Central website and get rid of cash boxes and long lines. This process is efficient and eliminates human error. It’s an effortless way to keep track of attendance and sales. You and your staff can sit back and relax while watching that green money roll in.

Click HERE to learn more!

Eligibility Central: Paperless Tracking

Compiling and validating eligibility is a tedious task if you don’t have BigTeams. Our paperless system automates everything from registration to eligibility submission. No more filing cabinets! Plus, coaches can see who is allowed to play instantly, with no extra work on your part. Don’t fall behind on getting your athletes on the field; use BigTeams to your advantage. It is efficient, green, and easy.

Click HERE to learn more!

Special Eligibility Update for PA Schools: Check out our new & improved PIAA Eligibility report below. Coming soon with enhanced participation tracking!

eligibility at 12.09.14 PM

Reminders: Set it and Forget it

Have you utilized ‘Reminders’ in Schedule Star? If not, this little gem is going to be your new friend. When set, these automated reminders alert opponents, officials, game help, & transportation directors of upcoming events. Customize the frequency and time of your reminders once, and you’re done.

Click HERE to learn more!

This year, leave the luck to the leprechauns and depend on BigTeams instead. Sign up for a game plan to learn more about each of these features and many more you might not be utilizing!

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Do You Have a Game Plan?

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

Would your football coach enter the most important game without a plan? Of course not. Everyone knows that a solid game plan is critical for success. So what’s your Game Plan for leading your athletic department? Don’t have one? Luckily, you’re in the right place because BigTeams has one for you. 

What is a BigTeams Game Plan?

As a part of our customer outreach efforts, we want you to know all the plays in our playbook. Our experienced team will review key features, highlight new additions, and provide PRO tips to save you the most time. During the 30 minute virtual meeting, we’ll also answer any questions you have to ensure you get the most out of your subscription. 

Why do I Need a Game Plan?

BigTeams offers a lot of tools, many of which our customers either do not know about or take advantage of. For example, have you heard of our Game Wizard, Quick Edit, or our integrations with HomeTown Ticketing, Social Media, or Live Streaming Services? We are continuously adding new features, faster than your All-Star wide receiver. And we know it can be hard to keep up with all the updates. These game plan sessions are a quick way to boost your BigTeams knowledge. 

Small Investment Now for BIG Rewards

You might be saying to yourself, “I truly do not have any time to spare right now” and that is A-Okay. Schedule a Game Plan whenever your schedule allows, we promise it will be worth your time. We’ll be here for you, when you’re ready.

We also encourage your administrative assistant or assistant AD to attend, the more, the merrier.

Finals Notes

Oh, we forgot to mention… these appointments are completely free. The reason for this is because, as stated earlier, we want to make sure you are getting the most out of our platform. BigTeams is completely customer-focused, we want to advance your athletic department. So take this time to sign up for a game plan session by clicking HERE. They are available year-round because, remember, our game plan is always evolving and we want you to grow with us.

Image used from Canva.

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5 Time-Saving Tools you should be using in 2022

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

At the start of each year, we always think of ways to better ourselves. From eating healthier to budgeting smarter, you can start the new year on a positive path. But why stop at just improving yourself? Why not carry this positive drive into other aspects of your life? Maybe perhaps… work. I’m glad we’re on the same page because we have some efficient suggestions for you! BigTeams offers various features that can help you save time so you can focus on more important tasks at hand.

1. Social Media Event Integration

As an Athletic Director (AD), you are more worried about scheduling games, communicating with coaches/teachers, coordinating events, and so on. You have a lot on your plate, so we know you don’t have time to constantly post updates to social media. To make life easier on ADs, BigTeams implemented Social Media Event Integration into Schedule Star (SS). When you go to postpone or cancel a game on SS, it gives you the option to alert your followers on Facebook and Twitter about the change. It even automatically sends out a biweekly schedule of games. Tell us that’s not easy!

To learn more about Social Media Integration click HERE.

2. Roster Sync

This next feature we know you’re going to love. It can be annoying having to recreate the same roster just so they can match in Schedule Star and Student Central. Well, guess what? You don’t have to do that anymore. With Roster Sync enabled, any updates made to a roster will replicate in both platforms. Doesn’t matter where the change is made, it will transfer over to the other!

To learn more about Roster Sync click HERE.

3. Notify the Press

Extra, Extra, read all about it! Notify the press of your teams’ scores with a click of a button. In our Fan Central platform, when you go to plug in your scores you can send them directly to your preferred local news sources automatically. The fact you don’t even have to worry about talking to anyone nor take extra steps to send out those scores is such a win in itself. Not only are your teams winning, so are you!

To learn more about Notify the Press click HERE.

4. Game Wizard

The name Game Wizard itself sounds pretty cool. So it has to be a cool feature, right? This awesome tool enables you to set defaults for facilities, transportation, departure, and return times for events you create in Schedule Star. In other words, when you go to create an event it automatically inputs the info for the field your team is playing at, what buses they’re taking, and times for when they show up and leave. You have to make sure it is already set up before you make your events when you want to use it. When you use this feature, it pretty much makes you a cool game wizard if you think about it.

To learn more about Game Wizard click HERE.

5. Online Registration

Okay, so we all know how much of a hassle it is when it comes to getting students and their parents to submit athletic forms. On top of that, keeping all those papers in a filing cabinet and trying to find certain forms when needed can get messy and frustrating. But worry no more because BigTeams is here to help. With online registration through our Student Central platform, students and parents can submit their health forms there. You can check each form and have the option to accept or decline it. This will notify the students and parents of their status on whether they are cleared or not. Another perk to mention, these files are all online. Meaning, you don’t need that old filing cabinet for hundreds and thousands of athletic forms anymore. Our software keeps track of forms for 10+ years. In the future, if you need to get to a student’s file from years ago, you are able to do so. Such a time-saver in our opinion, that’s why it’s in our top five.

To learn more about Online Registration take a look at this VIDEO.

We hope you utilize these time-saving features this year to help you use BigTeams’ platforms more efficiently and to their full ability. Use the time you saved to treat yourself or maybe focus that time on something work-related. Whatever you feel is necessary for success. If you’d like to learn about these tools in more detail, visit the link below to schedule a meeting with one of our product experts. Thank you for your trust and confidence in BigTeams, we truly appreciate you. If you have any questions you can email us at support@bigteams.com. Image used from Canva.

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Making the Switch to Electronic Registration

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

Each season, thousands of activity departments manually collect paper registration forms.  Most admit that it is a tedious, inefficient process.  In addition, paper forms provide ample opportunites for error.  Yet many schools choose to stick with an outdated, familiar method, even though significantly better alternatives exist. Advances in electronic registration have eliminated any reason to continue collecting papers.

CLICK HERE for more information about the benefits of electronic forms and what features to look for when purchasing a registration system.

Announcing our New Merger Agreement with PlanetHS

Jennifer Motze, CMAA

Important Merger Announcement

It’s a BIG day at BIGTEAMS!

BigTeams has entered into a merger agreement with PlanetHS, an industry leader in online registration, injury tracking, and eligibility. Together, we will provide the most comprehensive, integrated athletic management solution on the market.

All too often, athletic administrators are burdened with extra duties and have to juggle numerous applications that don’t communicate with one another. We promise to break this cycle. Our system streamlines daily operations and automates compliance, so you can focus on more important tasks, like mentoring coaches and building student leaders.

“We are excited to join forces with PlanetHS. Together our team will deliver unprecedented technology to alleviate overloaded school administrators,” said Joe Romano, CEO of BigTeams.

CLICK HERE to read the formal announcement.

Athletic administrators and state association leaders are invited to join a brief webinar to learn more about this all-encompassing solution or feel free to contact us at sales@bigteams.com for more information.