- Is the NEPL really going “paperless”?
A. Actually no, but we are reducing the cost of paper by issuing less commitment forms with the commitment for the upcoming Basketball season. We also will reduce our ink & toner costs related to the printing of the forms and the use of less paper is more environmentally beneficial. We will also reduce the time spent by volunteers collating the materials. Much of this is necessary because as the League grows our director base is shrinking. Directors come on board and gradually assume different duties which may lead to becoming full board members. Remember the League is staffed entirely by volunteers. Persons interested in helping the NEPL should address their inquiries to a current board member or a division director.
- Is this really necessary?
A. Yes, in addition to the cost savings the benefit of the time spent sorting and entering the information from handwritten commitment forms. Now the data is downloaded in our format from the information you enter and is less subject to data entry errors because YOU will be entering the information into the database. If there is an error you it will likely be because the correct information was submitted wrong. This will also allow us extra time to write and check schedules because the information will be more readily available and in the format we need.
- Is it difficult to enter teams(s)?
A. Not at all. In many ways it will be much easier to submit a team and do it at your leisure and you do not have to enter your teams at the same time. The form is simple to fill out and several fields have convenient drop down menus where you merely select the field you want such as game start time, Day of the week, age etc. In our past experiences we're still receiving incorrect submissions. Duplicate entries with the wrong sport or age group. For example the by not being careful some browsers retain the previous form entries and by not checking we received the 9-10 softball entris from a club. Not too bad except two of them were supposed to be baseball teams.
- Are there any special requirements?
A. We would ask that a responsible person be submitting his/her clubs forms, such as the club Athletic Director. Coaches should not be submitting their forms individually. Also, we are requiring the following information on all forms such as your organizations President, Athletic Director & Baseball or Softball Commissioner such as name, e-mail and telephone number. This information will be required and may cause commitment forms to be rejected after they are submitted. Another important point is to make sure your information is correct prior to submitting a team.
Also, If possible try not to commit a team untill all your information is at hand. For example dont' submit a team and say it has no coach yet and then submit the form with the coaches information at a later date. use all of the time allowed to "get your ducks in a row".
- Anything being done to reduce the errors?
A. The form is being changed slightly to have less fields e.g when you select an age group it will contain the sport also. No longer will you have to select the age division and the sport seperately.
- Why do I have to fill out those number upon each submission?
A. That's called Captcha. It serves two functions, One is to stop SPAMMERS from flooding us with needles submissions. Secondly, some internet connections are slower than others and people naturally become inpatient while making a submission and click the submit button multiple times. This prevents a person from commiting that team more than once by putting it in a spam folder.
- What about blocked dates?
A. There is a field for blocked dates and comments box. This field is the only one not requiring any information to be submitted. You may use this for Entering any blocked date AND for entering alternate field/court data, any comments you would like noted can be entered into this block.
- How many forms do I have to submit?
A. One form per team just like the old paper form.
- Will this really make it easier?
A. Yes, along with not having to trek out to a commitment night at some location it can all be done from your home, work or other place with an internet connection and most importantly at your leisure.
- What is the deadline for committing teams?
A. The form will no long be available online after Sunday November 14, 2010. As you complete a team form you can submit it immediately or enter the information at your leisure.
- How do I get to the form to fill it out?
A. The link to the form is on the Peanut League Web Site HOMEPAGE. WWW.NEPL.NET It will be available on March 6 through March 21, 2010. Only during this period can a club submit teams.
- What about filling out a paper form?
A. The NEPL will not be accepting any paper commitment forms this year.
- Any other suggestions?
A. Some internet connections are slower than others. After clicking submit, if everything is ok, you will be thanked and moved to another page. Do not click the button a second time as this may delete your original correct submit.
If you have any questions direct them to WebMaster@NEPL.NET
- Can I get a confirmation of each team I commit?
A. Unfortunately, at this time no. However you should verify prior to hitting the "SUBMIT" button on the form. If you are confident this information is correct after rechecking. Click the File button on the top of your Browser. Select PRINT from the options on the drop down menu. Print the page. You now have a hard copy of what you committed to us. Then press the submit button.
- Can I make this any easier for you guys in the NEPL?
A. Actually, yes. If you don't have a coach for a team hold off on your submission until the last day or until you finalize who will be coaching. Other than that you've been doing a great job.