Medicine Hat Minor Hockey: Developing life champions.
Medicine Hat Minor Hockey
The Medicine Hat Minor Hockey Association is a volunteer non-profit organization with the responsibility to promote, govern, and improve organized amateur hockey in Medicine Hat.
Challenge:
The Medicine Hat Minor Hockey Association was looking to improve the functionality of their dated website. Their requests included some very specific details to improve their internal processes and streamline the user-experience of their website. The requests included:
- The ability to add and calculate division game statistics and team standings, in real-time.
- Segregate user login access per division and team (eg. limit access to the backend of the website for specific team members.)
- Create easy-to-navigate and update documentation for their bylaws, procedures, and policies manual.
- A news feed to consolidate announcements with the ability to organize by division so users can easily find content relative to them.
Approach:
The MHMHA was currently using a sport-specific platform to host and manage their website that wasn’t quite achieving the robust and specific functionality they were after. In addition, their current platform was clumsy to operate causing frustration internally and the templated design layouts were limited and generic.
They were looking for a long term, easy-to-manage solution that was adaptable enough to be maintained and updated season to season.
Solution:
The redeveloped website is built on a CMS platform, allowing for easier access to the back end so that staff, coaches, and board members are able to easily and quickly make updates and add content, as needed. User accounts are restricted so that each user is limited to only the areas they need to access on a regular basis, making it easier for them to utilize and keeps the backend of the website more secure.
The structure and site-map of the website was of critical importance due to the overwhelming amount of information that needed to be organized. It was essential to have all the information structured in an easy-to-navigate format, with a hierarchical framework to emphasize the most used areas conveniently. The main menu has been simplified to six main headers, with two of the headers, “Divisions” and “Info”, leading to drop-down mega menus. Simplifying the menus, creating structured layouts, and using design to emphasize hierarchy, makes the menu simple and easy to navigate, reducing frustration for users looking to find specific information quickly.
In addition to a design and layout overhaul, we also implemented an advanced league management plugin to the website. This is a reliable and economical way to achieve the game statistic and team standings functionality they were after. It also allows for custom design of the plugin so that it fits in seamlessly to the aesthetic of the website. In addition it allowed for management of all the website functionalities and updates in one consolidated place. Creating a seamless, automated, and beautiful website experience for users and managers alike.
We are ecstatic with our new website, and so excited with the possibilities of growth in the future. On behalf of MHMHA, thank you!
Spencer Schutte
