Should I move my Sportsvite group to OpenSports?

The best solution for the person who does ALL the organizing for their friends/players

Sporsvite has been an effective platform that many sport organizers and players have been using for years. The problem is, it has stopped performing it’s very basic functions and has started to turn organizers and players away…

Tom, who manages a Street Hockey group in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Cambridge Pick-Up Street Hockey, otherwise known as “CPUSH”, has been running his group since 2011 and has always used Sportsvite to manage his game invites. We spoke on the phone with Tom recently to try and understand his experience with Sportsvite and why he decided to move his group to OpenSports:

“I used Sportsvite to set up future games. I had set it up so that five days before a game, an e-mail invitation would go out to my group, and two days before the game, everyone would get another reminder. The day before the event, I would indicate if the game was On or Off based on if enough people could come, and all attendees would receive a confirmation e-mail. Suddenly in February, Sportsvite stopped sending emails. I tried to get in touch with customer service, but I never got a reply.”

So, Tom embarked on a Google search looking for an alternative to Sportsvite, and he found his Knight in Shining Armour, OpenSports!

Tom’s announcement on his CPUSH group on Sportsvite, to announce their group’s transition to a new platform!

OpenSports is Simple and Easy

Tom was candid in telling us that he was deciding between moving his group to Meetup or OpenSports. He described the most attractive quality of Meetup is Meetup has a bigger base of players, which is important for him because sometimes, it is a struggle to get enough people to play. However, he was sold on OpenSports because it is free to use and overall, he loved the way the app and website worked… in his words, “It’s simple and easy.” 😅

If you have been experiencing similar problems as Tom on Sportsvite or even Meetup which has been going through its own set of detrimental changes for sports organizers, and have started to look for an alternative platform to manage your sports and fitness group, OpenSports is truly the (Free!) place for you. Waitlists, RSVPs, Payment collection, E-mail blasts, Easy communication with your group, and Quick and reliable customer service are all in one place and really set us apart from any other platforms.

Organizing with OS can be this fun and easy!

Simple Steps to Start to Move Your Group to OpenSports

We have been working hard to make your transition to OpenSports as seamless as possible for both you and your group members. The process is simple:

  1. Create a Group (Public or Private)
  2. Create an event within your group
  3. Invite people to your group
  4. Send event invites to your group members!

To sweeten things, OpenSports is an App and Website, which means you don’t have to worry about your tech-loathing group members complaining about having to download another app! They will still receive your invites via e-mail if they don’t download the app🙌.

1. Create a Group by Clicking This Link 🔗

Below is a screenshot of CPUSH’s group page on OpenSports. They are currently in the process of bringing all of their members over from Sportsvite.

2. Create Your First Event(s) Within Your Group:

Just click the “Create an Event” button!

3. Grow Your Group by Inviting People to Your Group!

Invite members to your group be either sharing your group URL (or create a unique invite code for private groups); by inviting people through their email address; or by inviting local OpenSports users. Once you have members, you can easily post events and invite everybody in your group in one click.

Inviting users by email is as simple as this!

4. Send Invites to Your Game

Share your game with the members that are already in your group, and with players who have not joined your group yet by copying the link to your event and sharing it anywhere! See the example below of a soccer group that shared the link to their event on their Facebook page.

Continue to post links to games to your local FB community!

🌟Helpful Tips for Your Transition to OpenSports🌟

Bringing a group over from another platform can feel painful… we have spoken to enough game organizers and group managers to understand that it’s not an “overnight” process. Following these tips that we’ve learned from organizers over time will help make the transition as easy as possible!

  • Give your group members enough heads up about you switching platforms. One simple thing you can do, is post the link to your OpenSports group on the platform you’re currently using, and telling players that you are using a new platform and they must join your group in order to receive invites and RSVP for all future events through OpenSports.
  • Continue to post the sign up link to your OpenSports events on your Sportsvite page, but make sure you clarify that only RSVPs on OpenSports will count. Some organizers that are transitioning their group from Meetup create an event on Meetup but show that there are no spots available, with a link to their game on OpenSports. When they do this for a few weeks, they are able to catch all of the regular attendees.

Thank you Tom from CPUSH for taking the time to introduce us to your group, and for choosing OpenSports as the tech platform to manage your sports group and your events🥇🏒😊!

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