Growing Softball League Cuts 50% of Its Scheduling Workload

In the heart of Chicago, Illinois, District 13 Softball League boasts eight leagues, four divisions, 67 teams, 737 athletes, and 400 games. Behind this organized chaos is Jennifer Merritt, the Assistant District Administrator, serving as the linchpin of this vibrant softball community. 

In this case study, we explore the challenges faced by league organizers like Jennifer and the invaluable help found in Diamond Scheduler.

Via Illinois District 13 Softball League

The challenge: A scheduling maze

Meet Jennifer Merritt, a former league coach and seasoned professional with five years of experience at the district level. As the central coordinator, Jennifer's role revolves around meticulous planning, communication, and issue resolution. 

Jennifer is also the main contact for information on changes or clarification on rules that dictate the play of softball. Her typical day during the off-season involves meetings in January to relentless scheduling demands from mid-March to mid-October. 

Amidst these intricacies, a persistent challenge looms—coordinating, scheduling, and booking venues for teams. Double bookings have, on occasion, left the league without venues to host games for weeks, adding an extra layer of complexity to an already demanding role. 

Jennifer started off creating manual schedules for the league by hand; however, with an increase in player registration, manually creating schedules was no longer feasible. 

Even if Jennifer created the schedules by hand, she had to manually error check all match-ups which is also a tedious task. At this point, a teammate in the form of professional scheduling software was needed to help elevate some of Jennifer’s workload.

The solution: Diamond Scheduler Takes the Helm:

Enter Diamond Scheduler, the game-changing software that Jennifer stumbled upon through a recommendation from the District Administrator. Frustrated with manual scheduling, she found solace in the web-based version of Diamond Scheduler, appreciating its user-friendly interface and efficiency. 

With the league's rapid growth, Jennifer realized that manually handling the scheduling process for over 400 softball games and 270 fastball games was no longer feasible.

Even though Jennifer was still learning more about the program, Diamond Scheduler showed itself to be an invaluable teammate. The software created a solid schedule to start from with its one-click auto-scheduling games feature.

The software also auto-checks for matchup errors or availability issues which eliminates the additional hours needed to manually review each match-up. 

Jennifer admits that she is still learning and would love to see more and utilize more of the software's complex features such as distance constraints but at this time, the software works.

With Diamond Scheduler freeing up some of Jennifer's time, she can now focus on other operational issues one being the securing of venues and ensuring venues are not being double-booked.

Via Illinois District 13 Softball League

The result: Time saved, errors diminished, game focused

The implementation of Diamond Scheduler marked a new chapter for the Illinois District 13 Softball League. For Jennifer, a significant success was the reduction in scheduling errors, a feat accomplished through the software's precision compared to manual methods. 

Even though Jennifer may have to massage a few games into the schedule, with achieving an 80% automatic schedule by using the “one-click” feature, the software has undeniably helped streamline the league's workflow.

The software has also cut 50% off her scheduling process allowing Jennifer to complete the schedule in one day, which once took two. 

“An important [measurement of] success for me would be reducing the number of errors in the schedule. Using Diamond Schedule’s software has helped reduce these errors compared to doing it manually,” says Jennifer.

Diamond Scheduler emerged as a solid teammate, liberating valuable time for league organizers.

Success, for Jennifer, is synonymous with running the league smoothly, generating balanced schedules, maintaining a focus on the essence of the game, and enjoying what the main event, The Little League World Series, has to offer. Diamond Scheduler has become a tool in helping her and the league achieve these goals. 

In the dynamic world of softball leagues, the Illinois District 13 Softball League found a game-changing partner in Diamond Scheduler. Jennifer Merritt's journey reflects the challenges faced by league organizers and the transformative impact of innovative scheduling solutions. 

As Diamond Scheduler continues to save time and enhance efficiency, it remains a beacon for leagues aspiring to strike the perfect balance between precision and simplicity in their operations.

Deidra Hunter is a former athlete that now thrives as a content marketer and brand strategist. Her passion for sports has enabled her to contribute to diverse branding, content creation, and writing projects. In her downtime, she engages in lively discussions about sports and business with her friends and family. 

About Diamond Scheduler

Diamond Scheduler makes planning your league’s complex season easier than ever. Create your first schedule in minutes for free. It's fast, fun, and simple.