Sports Connect FAQs

In late August, DICK’S Sporting Goods announced the sale of Blue Sombrero and their technology-based platforms to Stack Sports. On November 7, 2019, Blue Sombrero annouced their transition to a new name – Sports Connect.

Little League and Sports Connect are committed to providing the same level of excellent service and offerings to Little League and its participants.

In order to maintain the same great level of service and continue to develop custom features available only to Little League users, there will be some changes in the pricing structures beginning December 4, 2019. Login to your Sports Connect account to review Little League exclusive pricing offers and updated policies.

In an effort to better serve the unique aspects of Little League Baseball and Little League Softball (pitch vs inning counts, age charts, boundary maps, etc.), you will now be required to set up separate Baseball and Softball registration pages. You will still have the ability to clone your registration set up from the 2019-2020, however, the clone will allow you to clone Baseball Divisions ONLY or Softball Divisions ONLY.

Follow the steps below.

1. Go to your Registration // Current Programs Page
2. Identify the Current Program you would like to clone and click “CLONE”
3. In STEP 1 of the Program Set Up, enter your “Program Name” — be sure to identify “Baseball” OR “Softball” in the Program Name (e.g. LL Baseball Spring 2020)
4. Next, select “Baseball” OR “Softball” under “Activity Type”
5. Continue through Steps 2 – 5 as you normally would
   – Remember to add the Medical Release Waiver language to your leagues confirmation email in Step 5! {Link to medical release waiver FAQ}
6. In STEP 6, you will see that all your previous years divisions have been added for the activity you selected in STEP 1 (e.g. Baseball Divisions Only)
7. Click “FINISH” // Your will be returned to the Current Programs page
8. Repeat steps 2 – 7 above, selecting the alternative activity type.

You now have the ability to add the local schools that fall within your leagues boundaries, so parents can confirm their league eligibility via their home address OR their school address. This is a required field for all leagues using the Sports Connect Little League platform.

Follow the steps below to add your league’s eligible schools to the registration process.

1. School names can be added/edited STEP 2 of the Program Set up process
2. Under “Program Questions,” edit “Little League School Name”
3. Click “Add New” to enter school names
   – Under “Answers,” enter your school name in the following format: School Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip
4. Be sure to click “Save Changes” before continuing

Your Sports Connect website comes with a Little League JDP Report. This report provides the basic information Little League organizations need to begin the team personnel background check process with JDP through the QuickApp. Little League will continue to support its member leagues with 125 free background checks through JDP, the official Little League background check provider.

This report can be found under Reports > Governing Body Reports > Baseball > Little League JDP Report

For more information on the JDP Report, click here.

Sports Connect’s exclusive Boundary Mapping feature will check your address against your Little League boundary through integration with the Little League Data Center. Verification for school addresses will also be available.

You also have the ability to securely upload your proof of residency or school verification documents during your online registration process. THIS ONLINE UPLOAD IS OPTIONAL. You may choose to provide verification directly to your league administrator at a later date and proceed through the registration process without uploading any files. Please contact your local league administrator to confirm your league’s policy.  Your local league will verify that all information is accurate and may contact you directly with any questions.

We strongly encourage you to include a link to the Little League Medical Release Form in your registration confirmation email. THE MEDICAL RELEASE FORM IS REQUIRED FOR EVERY PLAYER IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE DURING THE SEASON.

 Confirmation emails can be customized in Step 5 (Program Emails) of the Program Set Up.

Recommended text can be copy and pasted into your Program Email text box:

To complete your registration, please print out and sign the linked Medical Release Form. You will need it to participate this season.

Note: If you are setting up your registration for the first time, this language will be automatically included in your email.

Answer: A League Technology Platform allows league administrators to streamline day-to-day tasks of planning and executing a Little League season. Features of this online system include registration tools, scheduling, team website management, volunteer management, boundary mapping, pitch count tracking, and more.

Answer: Sports Connect is an all-in-one service that equips Little Leagues with a number of online tools – including online registration, websites, and league management tools.

Sports Connect’s easy-to-use and innovative tech platform, already used by more than half of Little Leagues today.

Sports Connect is committed to customizing certain tech features to Little League’s requirements, continually developing time-saving features for Little League administrators, providing hands on customer support, and offering education tools such as webinars to train and educate Little League volunteers.

• Online Registration Services– Players and volunteers can easily provide the required information required to participate in your league. Custom questions available to Little League’s during set up ensure that all information collected during registration will comply with Little League rules and regulation. All data is automatically submitted to the Little League Data Center; no uploading required!
• Custom League Websites– Sports Connect provides a custom, modern, Little League-exclusive branded web platform.  It is user-friendly for both beginner and tech-savvy administrators.
• Scheduling Tools– Administrators can generate the schedules to be provided at the league, team, and account levels for both regular season and tournament play.
• Payment Collection– Online payments reduce paperwork and ensure that record keeping is updated in real-time.
• Communication Tools– Administrators can utilize bulk email tools and text notifications to communicate with league groups or individuals on the fly. Coaches can communicate with their teams and volunteers through the team webpages.
• Team & Volunteer Management– Admins can roster players and volunteers to the teams they participate in. Volunteer tracking verifies that only approved volunteers are used.
• Reporting– Admins can use standard reports and the ability to create and save your own custom reports. This means no more reinventing the wheel each time you need a report. Admins will also have the ability to run quick app reports from Little League’s background check provider, JDP.
• Fan Wear Stores– After a league sets up a website, the web admin can install a fan wear store for parents and fans to get the gear they need to cheer on their team!
• Residency and School Attendance Eligibility – Sports Connect’s exclusive Boundary Mapping feature will check your address against your Little League boundary through integration with the Little League Data Center. Verification for school addresses will also be available.
  • Document Upload: You also have the ability to securely upload your proof of residency or school verification documents during your online registration process. THIS ONLINE UPLOAD IS OPTIONAL. You may choose to provide verification directly to your league administrator at a later date and proceed through the registration process without uploading any files. Please contact your local league administrator to confirm your league’s policy.  Your local league will verify that all information is accurate and may contact you directly with any questions.

Answer: No, your league is not required to use Sports Connect. However, if you are currently searching for a league technology platform provider, interested improving your league operations, or want to ensure you have the very best service for your league needs, then we highly recommend that you start your search with Sports Connect.

Answer: Sports Connect provides free, premium support to all league partners. Assistance is available by phone, email, and our support site. The friendly support team can be reached by phone at (866) 258-3303 from 9am – 6pm EST, Monday-Thursday and 9am – 4pm EST, Friday. The team also provides helpful training videos, an on-screen support widget, and answers email tickets on the weekends!

Answer: Absolutely! It may seem challenging to switch providers, so Sports Connect has made it their mission to help you get up to speed quickly and make the transition as seamless as possible. They provide helpful tutorials and videos, and a friendly, dedicated Account Management team to assist with training and best practices.

Answer: Yes, Sports Connect offers a live integration with the Little League Data Center. At the time of registration, player and volunteer data is automatically submitted to the Little League Data Center. No CSV spreadsheets or uploads are required!

Answer: Yes, the Sports Connect platform offers a robust end-of-season tournament scheduling tool for local leagues. Alongside the scheduling tool, coaches can also take advantage of the GameChanger Baseball & Softball mobile app. This app will cover all game day needs from live scoring, team communication, spray charts, and more.

Answer: Visit https://sportsconnect.com/little-league/, or call (866) 258-3303 to schedule a demo.

Answer: Per Little League Operating Policies, no league or district should be endorsing any company or organization without the express consent of Little League Baseball, Incorporated. Sports Connect is the only company that has received permission from Little League to promote its services of online registration, websites, scheduling, and other related services for local leagues.

Answer: No. Leagues and districts are free to evaluate services that suit their individual community needs. The decision for these services rests solely with the local league. Any agreements for technology services are the responsibility of the local league.

Answer: If your local league entered into an agreement with a technology service provider, you must contact that provider specifically to learn about your agreement and any provisions for termination, if applicable. The decision to use any provider resides within the local league and its board of directors.

Answer: Your Sports Connect website comes with a Little League JDP Report. This report provides the basic information Little League organizations need to begin the team personnel background check process with JDP through the QuickApp. Little League will continue to support its member leagues with 125 free background checks through JDP, the official Little League background check provider.  More information is available at www.LittleLeague.org/childprotection. Please review the website for current information on required background check procedures and state guidelines.

For additional information on this feature please visit Sports Connect.

Answer: The policy is NOT intended to provide any benefits for ANY third party vendors such as companies that provide the league with online registration services.

Answer: Yes, the Sports Connect platform offers a robust end of the season tournament scheduling tool for local leagues. The scheduling tool ties in directly with their free mobile app with no setup required. They can also help with scheduling larger tournaments at both the local and district levels.

Answer: Yes, this is now done AUTOMATICALLY.