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If you're thinking of making the move that thousands of Athletic Directors have already made, you're in good company. Why? It's far easier than you think.

"I told parents to contact me if they had any troubles or questions. Not one parent called me," claims Mike Quinn, CMAA, Athletic Director at Lakewood High School in Michigan, "You don't have to be tech savvy. FinalForms runs itself."

Read on to learn how our proven "ABCs" process ensures your success.

The ABCs of FinalForms: Act, Build, Communicate

Everyone talks about the ABCs or the basics of any process. In this case, it's literal.

Your first and most important job is to take Action, which if you’re reading this article means you’re already doing! The first steps are simple: identify your unique needs, establish a FinalForms "champion", and define success. 

Next up is our team Building your FinalForms. Custom configurations, building online forms, organizing staff and student data, testing processes, and ensuring satisfaction are all our responsibility in your transition. 

Finally, as always, Communication is key. We'll provide you with training and pre-written communication for your stakeholders including athletes, parents, coaches, and staff. 

Ask Yourself the Right Questions for Your Online Registration Process

Look at what your goals are with your online registration process, and ask yourself a few questions.

• Where do I start?
  
• Will I have to manually enter data from my old registration into this system?
  
• Who has access to what in FinalForms? 
  
• How can I help parents with the transition?
  

Each of the above allows you to make sure your needs are met before your school launches. Still have more questions?  Check out Top 7 Questions Athletic Directors Should Ask When Choosing Software. 

Where Do You Start?

This may come as a surprise to you, but you should start your transition by examining your current process. Take note of what tasks and responsibilities you have now. Look at what data you need from your students and families and critique your current workflow.

How much time and effort are your staff, administrators, students, and parents putting into the process?  

By taking the time to work through and weed out the problems and solutions with your current process, you'll help speed up the transition to FinalForms!

Don’t throw out your old forms!

So you're switching to FinalForms and you can't wait to pitch your old filing cabinet – but wait! That information may be helpful in your transition.

• Contact names
  
• Building names, addresses, and grades
  
• First days of school
  
• Building or sport-specific requirements

This information helps us get to know exactly what you need. 

Will I have to manually enter data from my old registration into this system? 

We're not the DMV, we pride ourselves on saving you time!

Nobody wants to type in the same data, over and over again. During our build stage, we will provide guidance and help so that if you have to manually enter anything at all, you only have to do it once. 

FinalForms distributes the responsibility so that parents register students, coaches manage rosters and equipment, athletic trainers manage injuries, and you, the AD, can oversee it all and communicate as needed with anyone, at any time.

Who has access?

One great feature of transitioning to online registration is accessibility.

With FinalForms, accessibility is permission based so that the right people have access to the necessary information.

Administrators view a variety of interfaces and statuses throughout the system regarding compliance, signatures, time-stamps, and expirations.

Parents access their child's account and update information any time, from any device, in any language 

Students, similar to parents, sign and complete forms from their phones. Easy!

Coaches view rosters, take attendance, view medical information, access emergency contacts, and communicate via email about practice, buses, schedules, and more.  Need help convincing coaches with this transition? Check out this article on how FinalForms has helped coaches with athletics.

How can I help parents with the transition?

Getting busy parents to buy into a new system may seem difficult. But trust us as well as administrators at districts large and small, urban and rural, public and private; it is easier than you think.

"Thanks to FinalForms, Bellevue has experienced increased enrollment in clubs, athletics, and groups at both the high school and middle school levels," says Jeff Lowell, District Athletics and Activities Director at Bellevue City Schools in Washington.

Parents may be frustrated when they hear about change, but rest assured when it they understand FinalForms improves safety and communication – and saves them time by eliminating duplication, they're all in!

To avoid backlash, try some of these tips for talking to parents about tech. 

In addition, our team provides your school with a parent playbook that details how parents can create an account, sign their child up for sports, and complete forms. 

Pre-Launch: Get ready to lift off!

One small step for you, one giant leap for your school. Before you launch, you might have some anxieties. Rest assured, our team has you covered. 

We will let you test out your site for accuracy and have you get your staff acquainted with the website.

Our trainers will reach out to you and together, you'll discuss your specific training needs and questions. 

Finally, we will go through a "health check" to ensure that your stakeholders are adopting the system and that you don't have any more questions or issues. 

Additional Resources

Have questions about the platform? Contact us here, or email us at support@finalforms.com.