Not In Kansas Anymore

a) Introduction and Audience
The area that I am choosing to focus on is recruitment. The system that is being evaluated is Scoutware. Scoutware is a recruiting database that is used by a University to sort and keep track of recruit profiles. This system is made solely for athletic departments and more specifically coaches to use. There are many free systems on the Internet that are similar to Scoutware. One of these systems is Berecruited.com. Any comparisons that are made in this analysis will be between Scoutware and Berecruited.

b) Purpose and Goals for the System
"Scoutware is a relationship management tool that coaches and administrators at more than 230 universities use to successfully recruit athletes, raise money, sell tickets, foster support in both local and corporate communities, and demonstrate compliance within the guidelines of the NCAA" (Full Contact Recruiting). The goal is to save time and money by organizing the recruits into one system and making their information easy to access and utilize in value-adding ways. The biggest difference here is that profiles are created OR entered into scoutware and on Berecruited profiles are only entered and then the coaches are able to view and bookmark them. Also, the information cannot be utilized in quite as many ways.

c) Product
A database system that organizes information and keeps track of things such as emails being opened and the number of times a link has been clicked on.

d) Features
Keep track of calling, emails, and paper mail; Create banners for emails to improve attractiveness; Quickly upload information through excel files; Attachment tracking and # of clicks counter; send mass text messages to current athletes or recruits; phone log printouts for NCAA compliance..

Almost literally none of those things are done by Berecruited. Berecruited is more geared towards viewing the information and then using it if you desire. However, the site does not give you much utilization for the information. Scoutware is the kind of software that you would take information like Berecruited over to.

e) Benefits Claimed
The biggest benefits of using this software are an increased number of recruits reached, a better sense of organization for information, and an added value to the information that is being sent out. Whether it be graphics in the email or a personal greeting in a mass email, Scoutware allows coaches to do more than they would be able to with a normal email system or a database system not made primarily for recruiting.

f) Analysis of Performance
The performance of the software is very good. There are still some technical difficulties here and there (i.e. the 3rd event entry for a profile resets sometimes). Another issue is the customer service. The customer service is very good for questions that are asked and known issues. However, there is still a lot that can be done with this site and none of that is explained by the company. Looking on the general Scoutware site I saw a lot of things that can be done that are not currently utilized here at Tiffin University. If I had not does this research, we would have never known about them. I would like to see the company continue to try and make our jobs easier and suggest things that we are not utilizing.

g) Recommendation.
I would recommend that any University that is serious about recruiting get a system like Scoutware. The benefits far outweigh the cost. The advantages over a generic site like Berecruited are amazing when it comes to customization. Part of what is being paid for is that customer service and that personal touch on everything that is sent out. This year alone, female distance recruiting at Tiffin University has tripled and the men is matching its highest in school history. The impressive thing is not just these figures but also that these figures were hit while saving time and money.

Columbus vs. New Zealand; the not so common comparison

The two sites that I chose to look at were websites for The Columbus Dispatch and The Ashburton Guardian. Right away, the differences are obvious. When it comes to sports coverage, these two sites are far from similar. In the Dispatch, there is a section for OSU Sports and then a section for "More Sports". It is not hard to see where this newspaper states its allegiance. More or less every professional team in Ohio is covered in the "More Sports" section as well as high school sports and the Columbus Clippers. In the Guardian, there are simply stories posted rather than sections to click on. I did not need to search any further than the first few stories to see how different this newspaper was. The first story deals with bowling, the second with netball, the third with rugby, and the fourth with hockey. Rugby can be argued as a growing sport in America but the first two headlines deal with sports that are rarely covered in mainstream newspapers; certainly not as top priority.

The advertisements on the Dispatch were for a new Ford Fusion, Audi A6, local classified ads, monster.com, columbuscars.com, columbusrealestate.com, and the opportunity to follow the dispatch on facebook, my yahoo, and twitter. In the Guardian, the only real advertisement was for other publications. These included Other than that, the only non-stories on the website's page were a weather gadget and polls on a bridge that was built and an anthem.

The links on the Guardian are essentially to get around on the site and really nothing else. The Dispatch does have some links that take you to other sites (Ohio Summer Fun Guide, BuckeyeXtra.com, Scholar Athletes) but it appears that all these sites are sponsored by the Dispatch itself. If I had to guess, it appears that the Dispatch site is simply the site for a more well known newspaper with a larger reader base. There is not the need on the Guardian's site for some of these things because it does not reach out to quite as many people. However, it was a good visit and if I am ever curious about the New Zealand Secondary School's netball team I know where to go!

If you don't bill it, they will come

In today's society, it is important to be diversified but also specialized in those things you wish to succeed in. Confused? You should be! We are told to try a little bit of everything but it is evident in this competitive job market that you must be an expert in your field. That being said, when would an student have free time if he or she is trying to be the very best in his or her field? There is classes, extra credit, internships, related clubs, and a number of other opportunities. There is certainly no time to go to a sporting event, particularly if the school being attended is not a household name.

A study conducted by Mark Lyberger, Kent State University; Anne Zakelj, Kent State University; Katie Goldring, Kent State University; Sangkwon Lee, Kent State University; John Harris, Kent State University; and Larry McCarthy, Seton Hall University found that students would be more likely to attend these games if there were an incentive program in place. I think this is a great idea for two reason. The first reason is that an increased number of students (however this much be achieved) does a lot of team morale and makes the athletes feel like they are playing for more than just themselves. The second reason that an incentive program would be a good idea is that once the initial increase took place, I believe that there would be a solid retention even if that were removed. For many of these students, they simply have not attended an event. By creating the incentive program and getting their "foot in the door", there is a likelihood that they would realize how enjoying the event is and be more inclined to return.

Why I Want To Be A Coach

I would like to be a coach because I have found a job that I care about regardless of money. If I learned one thing from my parents, it was to do what I love and then worry about money. While this may seem backwards, I believe it makes all the difference in the world. While I may never have a nice car or amazing house, the only reason I look forward to weekends is because that is when track meets are held. I do not have to "make it through" the week because I enjoy what I do. Even while I was an athlete, I was still helping coach. I have rarely done a sport where I was not a vocal leader on the team. As I grew older, I became a student of my sport and was able to couple my ability to be vocal with a know how about the sport. When I was a junior I was already making tweaks to athlete's training and giving them attention that might be seen as excessive to some coaches. As an official coach, I still give that level of attention to my athletes regardless of how it impedes on my personal life. A large reason for this is that the sport I coach is such a large portion of my personal life. I do not see this as work because I am passionate about running and was doing this even before I was coaching it. As a result, the long hours and hard work that is needed do become difficult. However, I am willing to put in this work to continue to progress and allow myself to have what I consider to be a "dream job".