The way high school student-athletes register and school administrators track eligibility will see a dramatic change for 2014-15 as the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) will require students to register online.
The RegisterMyAthlete.com system is designed to help school administrators and coaches manage student-athlete eligibility, as well as transfer applications and team rosters, according to a press release.
Grand County High School athletic director Ron Dolphin noted that all of the usual paperwork, such as disclosure statements and insurance waivers, will now be online. Athletes will still be required to take a physical each year.
“For a lot of people, especially in rural communities, it’s a drastic change,” Dolphin said.
“ … You might have a senior whose done paperwork for three years and all of the sudden, they ask ‘what do I do now? Where’s my paperwork?’”
All student-athletes will be required to register and provide an email address upon registration. The athlete and his or her parent must read and answer the UHSAA tryout checklist, allowing schools to verify eligibility.
“If you’re not registered, you can’t participate,” Dolphin said.
Previously, Dolphin said, athlete eligibility was harder to track because coaches weren’t as able to keep track of paperwork.
“With this system, I can just go and see who has completed their paperwork,” he said.
Schools using the free service will be able to put the basic paperwork online, but Dolphin said Grand County High School will pay about $150 for the expanded service, allowing the school to put all of its forms online.
Dolphin said that because of security concerns, he will still keep physical results filed away in paper form instead of posting them online.
“As with all electronic stuff, you’re worried,” he said. “I’ve never bought anything online and don’t ever plan to … Technology streamlines and simplifies things, but some of us are still a little cautious.”
Dolphin will be Grand County High School’s primary administrator for the system, and will be able to choose how much administrative access all others have.
“Coaches register, too,” he said. “They can do basic things with the roster, but they have no administrative access.”
The UHSAA piloted the system during the 2014 spring sports season, with 13 schools participating. After receiving positive feedback, it decided to expand statewide with administrator-training in May and June.
Each school is currently customizing the registration process for its student athletes before the program launches. Dolphin said he asked all Grand County coaches to update their disclosure statements and other paperwork.
“I think it will be a difficult transition, but in the long run, it’ll be much more efficient,” Dolphin said.
“With this system, I can just go and see who has completed their paperwork.”
System designed for easier eligibility tracking