New members of Cedarbrae’s pickleball program sometimes find it difficult to register in drop-in programs through Signup Genius.
The purpose of this post is to show you how to increase your chances of registering successfully. And since I get asked about this by members several times per week, I wanted to created a link that I can send players which will save me from having to explain it over and over and over again in individual emails.
The Background
Players who have been playing at Cedarbrae definitely have an advantage over new players because A) they know how the system works, and B) many coordinate with their friends to ensure that they can all play together.
My job, as Head Coach, is to ensure that all players — old and new — have a level playing field because the last thing I want is to is invite new players to buy a membership only to have them complain that they are unable to register and play.
TIP 1
The first thing you have to understand about registering for drop-in programs is the clock.
New programs become available to register exactly eight days before they are scheduled to run. So if the program you want to register for is scheduled for 9:00am on Tuesday the 10th, then registration for that program will open at 9:00am on Monday the 2nd.
This program will most likely be full by 9:01am on Monday the 2nd.
So if you want to participate, then you have to be sitting on your phone, tablet, or PC ready to register at 8:59am on Monday the 2nd. You need to be looking at the little clock in the bottom right corner of your screen waiting for it to turn to 9:00am. The moment it does, you need to register.
Tip 2
One of the reasons that old members at Cedarbrae are able to register more often than new players, is that the old players look after each other. Let’s use Karen and Susan as an example (not real people).
Karen and Susan will both try to register at 9:00am. Each will register for two spots. If only one of them is successful, they will offer their extra spot to the other. If both get in, they will each offer their extra spots to other friends.
This is how alliances are formed at Cedarbrae. People who want to play together book spots and share them with their friends. So my second tip is to consider booking the maximum number of spots that you are allowed and then sharing them with your friends. If you do this regularly, people will start saving spots for you in return.
Tip 3
Faster internet connections lead to faster registrations. So while it can be difficult to book quickly on your Wi-Fi connected phone, it can be super easy to do on your cable-connected PC at home.
Tip 4
If a particular spot is important to you, then it’s worth setting a reminder for. Whether you set a repeating alarm on your phone or use the reminder app on your iPhone, this can be the key to playing regularly.
What happens with most people is that they eventually give up trying. So the pressure on the most popular times tends to ease up over time. A few months of aggressively booking your preferred spots will eventually drive slower competitors away and you will soon be an insider who is able to book spots and trade spots with other regulars in that time slot.
Alternatives
Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. Cedarbrae has the option of configuring Signup Genius a different way. If they choose to, they can configure Signup Genius to allow players to book 28 days ahead instead of just eight. They can also choose to limit the number of bookings that individuals can make so as to better share time slots and not force people to play the cutthroat game I have described above.
As a member, you have the right to ask them to open the system up to make registration less cutthroat. Simply send an email to info@mycedarbrae.ca and politely request changes.
And if you are not happy with the answer you get from the frontline staff, you can always go directly to the Board member who is responsible for dealing with community feedback — the Vice President at vicepresident@mycedarbrae.ca. Or if you prefer a direct approach, you can attend a board meeting on the second Wednesday of any month and appeal directly to the Board in person.
As the Head Coach, it is not my business to tell Cedarbrae how things should be done. But as a dues-paying member, it is unquestionably your business. I’m just here to help point you toward the right person to speak to.