My personal experience - why RML was built.
Prior to the development of RML I administered a travel league (ENYTB) in upstate NY for 10 years. The tools of my trade were: spreadsheets, handouts at meetings, phone calls and email. The information burden became extraordinary when we reached 80 plus teams - phone call after phone call asking me to repeat the same information again and again and scraps of paper everywhere. To save my League from being crushed by the burden of its own information requirements, I partnered with a couple of professional website developers to design and develop a complete website from the bottom up that satisfied all of my needs as efficiently as possible and in the process, created a "physical" place where all League participants could go to obtain information about the League and their team. An RML website is like an interactive newspaper, devoted entirely to your League. We had a good product the first year, a much better one the second year and an even better one after the third year.
ENYTB members are much better informed about the League and what is happening inside the league as a result of RML. The website is a beehive of member activity throughout both the pre-season and regular season. The system runs itself entirely on member input once the regular season is underway. Teams seem to really enjoy watching the action on a daily basis, knowing where their team stands at all times, what's coming up and what matters most. This is particularly true as the regular season winds down and the pennant races are being decided. My League membership was exceptional in entering their scores in a timely manner as well as keeping their rosters and schedules current. Virtually all members performed all required tasks on a regular basis, proving the overall viability of RML. With three years of heavy duty real world operational experience behind us, you can rest assured that all the major software bugs have been discovered and fixed as well.
The website has brought the league closer together. RML has even made it easier to find others willing to help with league administration. It also makes it possible for several individuals to work collaboratively to administer the League. League administration is a manageable process again and administrative requirements no longer threaten our league's survival or even limit our ability to accommodate new growth.
