You already know a youth sports mobile app can bring your organization to the next level—keeping you competitive in the industry, giving parents a more professional youth sports experience, and allowing you to engage with your customers and prospects. But what you might not know is what app is right for you. 

There are a number of great youth sports apps out there, but there’s really only one that will work for your organization. So it’s time you evaluate what you need for a mobile app. 

Planning Your Youth Sports Mobile App Evaluation

To evaluate a youth sports mobile app, you can follow these five steps:

1. Identify the key needs and requirements for your business

Every organization is different and has different problems that they’re trying to solve by incorporating a mobile app into their business. For example, are you:

• Looking to save time on back-office tasks, like scheduling? If so, you may want an app that automates your processes and offers features like flexible schedule management.
• Trying to engage your current members? Look for an app that provides parents, players, and coaches with an experience that’s flexible and convenient. 
• Interested in giving your coaches more autonomy? Give them a mobile app that allows them to manage their teams and saves time—so they can focus on the bigger things.

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1. Conduct demos and ask the right questions

Consider asking a technology provider these questions when evaluating a mobile app:

• How long odes it take to get up and running on your app?
• Is it easy to transfer my data from my current platform?
• What kind of customer support and account management does yoru company provide?
• Will the level of service of customer support change after onboarding?
• What kind of automations does your platform provide?
• Will my program data automatically sync to the app?
• What is your data privacy policy?
• Do you share member data?
• Does your app have ads?
• How much will it cost for me, my admins, and coaches to use the app?
• How much will it cost for my members to use the app?

3. Assess total cost—both price and time saved

The right mobile app will save your organization time, which you know is a valuable asset. When assessing the full cost of the app, don’t forget to factor in gained time from automations, like instant schedule updates and push notifications; auto-syncing to the management console; tools for coaches so they can manage their team from anywhere; and instant-communication via chat-based messaging. 

4. Select an app

Finally, use steps 1-3 to find the best app possible for your youth sports organization. For more details that can help you make the best decision—and save you time and money from making the wrong one—click here to download our free mobile app buyers guide. Spoiler alert: It includes a nifty checklist that you can refer to while evaluating your mobile app needs as well as an analysis of LeagueApps vs the other mobile apps out there. 

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