The reason why we went with GameSheet is because all of the other demos that we saw, either didn't have the reporting mechanisms that they have in place, didn't have the professional image or didn’t have the same guarantee of support. GameSheet promised to look after us and that was our experience. There are other products on the market but GameSheet is not just another one of them. They are the premier version of what's out there.

When running the pilot, specific regions were chosen that we knew were open to innovation and the adoption of new processes. We also chose one region that is very underserved in terms of its volunteer base. We knew that it would be a good region to target because GameSheet could streamline their processes and reduce the burden placed on those volunteers. These groups clearly saw GameSheet’s value and became champions of the platform.

The benefits were immediate—accurate records, streamlined processes, and much enthusiasm from those using the system. There was cross pollination between regions as well. Many people who weren't part of the pilot were able to experience GameSheet at tournaments or exhibition games and they loved it. Additionally, GameSheet’s broad presence in North American hockey meant there was already familiarity with the platform.

After the pilot program, people were very excited aboutGameSheet. Various stakeholders had been able to interact withthe system and see the benefits first-hand. This, along withGameSheet’s record of success in hockey, made it an easydecision to go province-wide.

GameSheet’s professional appearance advanced the OLA’s image. It's customizable to our organization's color scheme, it automatically integrates with our existing website, and it’s easy to display the information that we choose to everyone who's a fan of lacrosse. I can't stress enough how much GameSheet raises the professionalism that we want to bring to the game. Having this information available publicly and available immediately makes the OLA look good.

Before GameSheet, we didn't have data that could help us plan for the future. The data that we did have was anecdotal and incomplete. For example, we think that there is a lot of a certain type of penalty so we're going to make that penalty a focus infraction for our referees and a focus drill for our coaches. We want everyone to play safe. But, again, it's anecdotal and it's incomplete. There were large gaps in our data so we were focusing on the wrong areas.Additionally, certain organizations within the OLA were more precise with their record keeping than others and there wasn't a sport wide standard for how information became available. WithGameSheet, we have an accurate record of the games played within our organization, and we are confident that the goals, assists and penalty statistics are correct. They're entered in realtime, and this information is available to everyone.

GameSheet gives us the complete picture. The reporting tools allow us to pinpoint key issues and make informed decisions about the future of our organization.In the past, we would manually transcribe paper game sheets into electronic databases following the game and we would do it differently based on each region because there was no standard. This was very time consuming for our volunteers and led to mistakes in transferring information from one format to another. With GameSheet, there's one copy. It's both official and public. There's no transfer of data and no opportunity for error unless theerror happens at the game. The referee or timekeeper might make an error, but that error existed whether it was paper or GameSheet. What we're confident in is once the referee has signed off at the end of the game, that's the record. And it's now publicly available to everyone.And when there are errors that happen in-game, they’re easily corrected by administrators following the game through the dashboard, which only league-approved representatives have access to. This improves our accuracy and our management system.

• For players, there is an increasing focus on individual statistics at age appropriate levels.In the long term athlete development model when we get into the “train to compete” and“train to win” levels, we want to allow athletes to know what their statistics are game-to game and cumulatively over a season. GameSheet gives players access to these statistics in real-time.
• Coaches also reap the benefits of real-time statistics. With GameSheet, they can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their team, identify key areas for improvement in specific players, and monitor opponents. This has leveled the playing field for teams because the information is publicly accessible for everybody
• For fans, it is important to have the ability to follow games, either when they are not at the game or at a game but also interested in another game that's going on. This is most important during playoff matches, where your team is playing a game but you’re also interested in the outcome of the other game because that may determine who you play next or whether or not you move on. With GameSheet we have that information and it's accurate and available in real time which is great.
• Referees can be confident that that information is getting to the right place and to theright people. With paper copies they sign it and don't know where it goes after that,especially when it comes to report submissions. Because of GameSheet’s integratedreporting, the right administrators are receiving reports automatically through thedashboard’s flagging system.

The Festival is a huge event. It happens very, very quickly. There's three hours in between game times to determine who's advancing and who's going home. That information needs to be accurate, it needs to be available, and there's zero room for error. In our first summer using GameSheet province-wide we saw how well it handled tournaments throughout the season which gave us confidence regarding how it would run at the Festival. In the past, we have had, depending on the day, between four and six volunteers entering information into an electronic database that allows us to determine our tiebreaker format. This year, it was one person. And all they were doing was double checking to make sure that GameSheet was accurate. Zero mistakes from GameSheet this year, with almost 800games played in just ten days. GameSheet’s reliability at the Festival instilled in us immense confidence with the system and we will be reaping the benefits for years to come.

The Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) exists to improve, foster, perpetuate and governthe sport of lacrosse within the province of Ontario. In addition to coordinating theadministration and operation of the sport, the OLA provides informative resources,technical development programs and additional supplies for those interested indeveloping the “fastest game on two feet.” The OLA is a member of Lacrosse Canada (LC),the national governing body for lacrosse in Canada. They operate in 66 associationsacross 13 leagues.Jeramie Bailey the Executive Director brings 19 years ofinvolvement in the sport and eight seasons of direct experiencewithin the OLA's office. He has played a crucial role in promotinglacrosse in Ontario, notably as the OLA's Promotions Directorsince 2015. He has a strong background in officiating and eventcoordination. Jeramie is leading the OLA through its postpandemic reset and rebuilding phase, overseeing policies,programs, and community relations.