IrishTimes feature

Cheap texts give managers a sporting chance

SPORT-TEXT.COM: A LIFE-LONG GAA player and committee member has devised an aid for hassled team managers who are trying to keep in contact with large squads.

Last year, as the recession took hold, Richard Butler realised that the cost of making endless calls and sending texts was putting team mangers and their clubs under pressure.

His solution is a mobile-phone-based text system which is not reliant on a computer. “There are some other systems out there but they are reliant on the internet and there are many, many parts of the country where the internet connection is poor: without broadband and such systems simply won’t work.

“When I was involved in the managerial side, I saw communication as a big problem. If a match was cancelled you had to notify all the players and if you weren’t near a computer, you couldn’t use a web-based system. Using your mobile could cost a huge amount after a while.”

Butler started researching his idea, which he calls Sport-Text, at the start of 2008 and spoke to administrators in other GAA, soccer and rugby clubs. “I found that there were lots of people using their own phones to make arrangements for teams and there was frustration at the costs.”

For Butler’s service, texts to less than 50 people cost €1. There is also an annual registration fee of €50. “To sign up, all we need is a list of numbers for players. The manager is given a password and whenever he wants to send out a message he just contacts us, one call, and we send it out”.

The company won a place on the Enterprise Ireland-backed Genesis programme and started signing up teams in May. Butler won’t say how many teams have signed up – “we are still in the roll-out phase” – but says they include the Cork County board and a number of schools. “The feedback has been very positive, particularly with regard to its simplicity.”

Recent events

By Fintan O’Toole
IF it’s bang for your buck you’re after, try this one for size.
Last year as he started to feel the recessionary effects in his own line of work as an electrical contractor, Richard Butler spotted a business opening. Butler had been immersed in GAA activities all his life with his club Ballymartle. As a player he served at left corner-back on a side that won a junior county title back in 1986 and after that filled a variety of selector and committee roles.
In recent seasons he noticed the exorbitant costs that his club and others were racking up when it came to contacting players and club members about club news. So he decided to act, devising a system whereby sports clubs could contact members through text without having to use a computer. Thus his company Sport-Text came to fruition.
“Being involved in GAA all my life, I saw the need for a company like this”, states Butler. “When I was involved in managerial side of things, I saw communication as a big problem. I used to be on site working and I wasn’t near a computer, so you’d run into a lot of trouble. Say a match was cancelled and you had to notify all players. Since you weren’t near a computer, you couldn’t use a web-based text system and if you used your mobile to send a text out, it’d cost you a huge amount.”
Butler began researching his idea back in January 2008, doing a cross-section of enquiries of clubs from the three big sports – GAA, rugby and soccer – across the thirty-two counties.
“I contacted clubs in different organisations all over the country. I found that problems were being encountered where lots of people in different jobs were not in desk jobs where they were right near a computer. They found it difficult then to take positions in sport clubs. Most of these roles are voluntary, where the club members are incurring the costs themselves. They’re using their own phone and there was frustration at the rising costs as the recession kicked in.”
Butler’s solution and the premise of his business is simple.
“If you’re manager of a team and your club signs up with Sport-Text, all we need is a list of numbers. We don’t need any names. That manager is then given a password and he rings the free phone number we have. There a friendly receptionist there to take his call which we think adds a personal touch. We then take down the manager’s message and send that out to his corresponding group immediately.
“The cost is tailor-made to each organisation. Every group text for under fifty recipients just costs €1. There’s no signing on free when you register with someone. In addition what pops up in underage teams especially, is for security reasons people are not happy having a list of numbers. By using a system like this you don’t have numbers, we do. So there’s an element of anonymity to it.”
The success of Sport-Text has been highlighted by the backing they have received from Enterprise Ireland.
“When doing the research, we took the idea to the South Cork Enterprise Board. They were very helpful and very interested in the idea, so they told us to apply for Genesis programme, backed by Enterprise Ireland. We were successful in claiming a place on that programme which gives us all the backup and mentoring we need. They believed in the idea and saw the potential for the service. The support has been invaluable.
“The feedback is fantastic so far. We’ve signed up our first club back in May and have signed up a good few clubs since then. We haven’t rolled it out 100% yet. But we cater for all sports teams, basketball, athletics, cycling, any organisation. It’s not just restricted to one sport.
“The main thing is the convenience we offer. All you need is a phone and we offer a full-time secretary. Some rural clubs may not have great broadband services and emails don’t reach as often as texts. We believe there’s great scope for development, clubs can send out texts on the morning of games to get bigger crowds and could increase their revenue by having sponsors names on the text. It’s been very positive so far.”
For more information visit www.sport-text.com, email info@sport-text.com, low call 1800-303-121 or phone 021-4771568.

Testimomials

Testimonials:

We used the Sport-text facility throughout our 2009 season and found that it was quick, reliable and easy to use system which allowed us to get information out to the squad within minutes. We would highly recommend the service as a way of easing the burden of getting information to a squad in a timely and cost effective manner.
Fergus O Connell
Ballymartle

We have been using sport-text for our underage team. It has proved to be cost effective, reliable, easy to use and has eased the burden on all the managers and coaches. It has proved to be an essential part of our club structure.
James Flynn
Mitchelstown Ballygiblin GAA

Sport-text has been a fantastic system for our club and texts have been sent out quickly and efficiently through out this year. One call and the text is sent out.
Nicola Barry
Bride Rovers GAA

About sport-text

Security
Security has also become an issue for many managers involved in organising and sending out of texts to under age players. Sport-text will store all the numbers but none of the names so that no local manager/coach need have all the numbers of all the members of the team in his/her locality.

Supporters
The clubs that have been using sport-text have reported that when a text is sent out to the supporters on the day of a match it can increase gate receipts

The Future
Texting is an emerging business, in the past clubs would have got their messages out via land line, more recently via e mail, however this is not always reliable as many people do not access their e mail regularly and very often the event is over by the time they have looked at the mail. In the past few years the use of texting is becoming more prevalent, in his market research Richard found that most coaches/managers are trying to send out texts via different methods, such as web text and group text from own phones and also through web based companies, all of this while it works has proved to be time consuming and can work out expensive for the individual manager/coach.