I’ve recently stumbled on a site that I think is in the same domain as Cheer Resource, CheerInCollege.com. It doesn’t solve all the problems that I’m proposing to fix, but it does do the basics of getting users connected to the site; finding out about various college teams; and showing their skills.
The general site and navigation need a ton of work. They use a radio box where tabs should be placed. Saving is a bit confusing, and I still don’t know how to connect with anyone, but the concept is solid. People cheer in college, they want define their skills and see the skills of people on their programs.
While this site isn’t really a big threat for Cheer Resource, it is making me rethink a couple of things. I need consider the difference between a person and a user. Every user has a person, but not every person has a user. For example, Jeff Webb is a big player in the cheerleading world. He plays a major role in UCA and Varsity. He might not have an account on Cheer Resource, but he would still be someone who I would want a page on.
The other big take away for me is that people are so important. Programs and teams are factor of who is involved with them. People need to be a part of the site from the beginning. The first official release of the site better have a way for people to join a program or team.
One other item from the site: if cheerleading programs/teams are about the people on the, college teams shouldn’t be that different form all star programs/teams. Rec teams shouldn’t be different from high school. I’m very much considering expanding the original concept of the site.
The sad news is that while all of these feature ideas are interesting, I still am not any closer to giving you an actual version of the site. I’m working my way through a rails + google maps book, but haven’t written much in terms of actual site code in a while. I will try and change that soon!