Little League Football Officers' Manual

36 LOCAL LEAGUE WEBSITES

Refer to

Web sites for local Leagues
Several Leagues now have their own sites and these are very popular with the players and managers, as well as being helpful to families looking for somewhere for their children to play football.

We hope the notes below are helpful to anyone wishing to set up a site for their League – but all comments and ideas will be very welcome.

How to learn coding
We can’t teach you that, but there are many books available in the shops or the library.  Magazines such as Practical Internet have regular features on web design.  Some software packages make life much easier, but you will still need a basic understanding of the coding.

The website http://www.htmlgoodies.com/nontechintro is a very good introduction for the non-technically minded and doesn't blow you away with jargon.

Software packages Various packages are available such as Microsoft Front Page, Dreamweaver etc.  Some are more expensive than others.  It is possible to create web pages using Word or Publisher, but these are limited in scope.  It is also possible to create pages on-line through web design internet sites such as www.netobjects.com , and 1 & 1 who can be found at http://www.oneandone.co.uk
Using an online suite can at least buy you some time to develop your skills.

Hosting
Several companies offer to register your domain name and host the site.  They vary in price and facilities, so check what they offer.  The cheapest site for registering your name may prove a lot more expensive in the long run.  A good host can also provide filtering for junk or virus laden emails sent to you via the site.  Some Internet service providers (e.g. Telewest, Pipex, Demon) offer a certain amount of web space for free, while others such as 1 & 1 do charge a set up fee of about £40 and a monthly charge of about £6. But for this they will also provide some photo and web creation packages for you, as well as automatic anti-virus software.

Design
Up to you … but the most common criticisms of web sites are: -
It takes too long to load for those without broadband.
It’s difficult to find what you’re looking for.
The site isn’t easy enough on the eye.
N.B.  People view web pages at only three-quarters of their normal reading speed.
There are web design sites that offer useful advice such as:
http://www.webstyleguide.com/index.html
http://its.med.yale.edu/wdd/index.html

Content
You’ll be guided by what the League Committee want to see, and checking out other Leagues’ sites can be helpful.  Links to these can be found at www.littleleaguefootball.com/links
Bear in mind that your initial burst of enthusiasm may not last.  Agreeing to update results and league tables every week can become a bind – is there someone else who can share this commitment?  Don’t forget to pin up the league tables at your ground – not everyone has internet access.
Please include a link to National site – www.littleleaguefootball.com – and let us know so we can include a link back to you.

Concerns
Do not attach kids names to photos without parental permission.
Do not include children’s addresses or phone numbers.
Do not include a chat room or a notice board open to the public.
Don’t let kids register on site.  We need signed parental permission anyway, and should not encourage children to reveal their details on web sites.
Main headings should have an ® after the words ‘Little League Football’ and Little League Football should be spelt out (for trademark reasons).
Viruses – make sure you keep your anti-virus software up to date.
Check your work on various PC’s using different browsers to make sure what looks great on your PC doesn’t go pear shaped on an older PC or one not using Internet Explorer.