In an effort to stay on top of the newest technologies, as well as to make things easier for everyone, Kreppert Kompusport Software has implemented several new changes for the fall 1999 cross country season.  This includes Weather Resistant Tags, Weather Resistant Labels, Hip Numbers and E-mailing Rosters to us.

Weather Resistant Tags

Sample Blank Tag

Sample Cross Country Tag

Although Kreppert Kompusport Software was formed in 1994, it's owner, Fred Kreppert was using a computer to do timing and scoring of cross country meets as far back as 1983 at Yorkville High School.  He began using bar codes in 1989.  In 1994, Kreppert Kompusport Software was formed and he began doing it at as a business, working at more than just a couple of meets each year.

From 1984 to 1990, the athletes clipped paper tags to their jerseys during the race.   In 1991, tyvek tags replaced the paper tags.  This greatly helped when it rained, but the bar code labels were still printed on paper labels.  Late in the 1995 season, polyurethane varnish was found to help protect the labels and has been used ever since.

Late in the 1998 season, the idea of using a different type of tag was investigated.   It was found that instead of using a dot matrix printer to print the bar coded tags, a different type of printer could be used.  A whole new type of tag could then be created that would withstand any type of weather and not require attaching labels.   The printer would print directly onto the tags themselves.  The cost could also be kept to the same price as the tyvek tags.  Thus, using these new tags would not increase the cost of a school hosting the meet.  These new tags are definitely the most interesting improvement since the use of bar codes began in 1989.

These custom designed tags are 4" wide by 1" tall.  They have a hole at both ends, one to place the safety pin through on the athlete's jersey, the other to place the tag onto the string at the conclusion of the race.  A perforated line at the end of the tag where the hole used to safety pin the tag to the athlete's jersey allows the tag to easily be collected in the chute after the race.  The tags will resist being destroyed by any type of water or sweat, and mud can simply be wiped off.  Writing name changes on the tags is also not a problem with either a pencil, pen or marker.  Since they can not be torn, they will withstand any abuse they are given either before, during or after the race.  The bar code and other printing on the tags can also not be rubbed or scraped off the tags, thus making them always readable.  In essence, they are almost indestructible.

These new tags are meant to replace the tyvek tags we have used in the past.  They are only obtainable from Kreppert Kompusport Software.  They can even be used with bib numbers.  If this is done, the bib numbers should be ordered without the pull tags at the bottom.  One of the safety pins that is used to hold the bib number on the jersey can also be used to hold the tag in place.  In this way, the additional time it takes to place adhesive labels on the pull tags is not needed.

These new tags can also be ordered with lines to manually enter athlete names, school names, ID numbers and gender.  These are useful for smaller meets that you may have, such as dual or triangular meets.  They can also be used when KKS XCountry software is not used at the meet.

Weather Resistant Labels

One of the problems has consistently been, how to make the bar code labels stand up in all types of weather, especially rain.  The answer in previous years has been to use standard paper address labels and spray them with a layer of polyurethane varnish.  This has been very inexpensive and has worked very well.  Unfortunately, it is also very time consuming and very weather dependent in order to spray and dry the labels outside.

The best solution all along was to use a different type of label, one that will hold up to being wet.  Such labels have been available for years.  The problem is that they are a lot more expensive.  In the past, Kreppert Kompusport Software has simply absorbed the cost of the labels, thus the above procedure seemed like a better option.

Beginning in 1999, Kreppert Kompusport Software will begin using a new weather resistant label.  They are made of the same material as the Weather Resistant Tags.  This means that they will withstand all types of weather, and yet cannot be torn or ripped either.  Just as with the tags, they can be written on with a pencil, pen or marker.  As they do cost more, we will have to charge for them however.

Please note that these labels are not needed when using the Weather Resistant Tags.  These labels are only needed when using the tyvek tags or bib numbers with pull tags.

Hip Numbers

Hip numbers have been used in cross country when fully automatic timing systems are used.  This type of system has typically only been used for determining place order in races with high volume finishes, such as regional or national meets.  Hip numbers must be used when using this system in order to be able to identify the athletes in the computer generated image of the finish.

Kreppert Kompusport Software now has the ability of printing these hip numbers.  The numbers used for cross country are usually 6" wide by 4" tall.   These are twice the size normally used at track meets.  This larger size allows for numbers to exceed 2 digits.  In fact, 4 digit numbers can easily be printed.  The athlete's name, school and bib number can also be printed in small print so that you can be certain the right athlete gets the right number.

Standard hip numbers used for track meets in the spring and summer can also be printed by Kreppert Kompusport Software.  These hip numbers measure 3" wide by 4" tall.  Instead of selling the numbers in preset quantities, Kreppert Kompusport Software sells them in whatever quantities you need.  This often saves you a lot of money.  Preset quantities are usually sold in sets of 1-9.  On an 8 lane track, how often do you use the number 9?  If you have only a 6 lane track, you don't use 7-9 very often, yet you must buy all of those numbers.  With Kreppert Kompusport Software, you can order only the numbers you need.  If you have a 6 lane track, only order numbers 1-6.  For the same money, you will end up with a lot more sets of useful numbers.

E-Mailing Eligibility Lists

Although this was a new feature in 1998, we would like to place emphasis on it again this year.  As more and more schools become wired to the Internet, this should become a lot easier each year.  The idea is that instead of faxing the eligibility list to the host school, you can e-mail it.  The names can then be imported directly into the software.  Once this begins to catch on more, it leads the way to several other features in the future.  This includes sending acknowledgments to schools that their roster has been received and allowing changes to be sent almost up to the last minute.   By allowing changes to be sent via e-mail, coaches will be saving themselves time at the meet by reporting those changes ahead of time.  They simply need only pick up the changes that they requested be made instead of actually taking the time to make them at the meet.

For 1999, only receiving rosters via e-mail is being implemented.  The other items mentioned above are only being considered for the future.  If you have any other suggestions or ideas on how this can make things easier, please e-mail them to us.

In order to use e-mail to receive team rosters, the following guidelines must be followed:

1. If an attached file is used, it must be an ASCII text file.  The file can not be a spreadsheet, word processor or database type file as we may not be able to read the file with any program that we have.  If such a program is used by the coach, you will need to export the data to an ASCII text file before sending it.  If it is not in ASCII format, it will be considered as if you did not send it at all.
2. The subject line of the message should contain the name of your school and the date and name of the host school where the meet will be held.  A sample subject line might read "Aerobic H.S. roster for Sept. 17 River Valley meet".
3. The data must be in one of three formats.  It can be either coma delineated, tab delineated or fixed length.  For any of them, each athlete should be on a separate line, ending with at least a carriage return (a line feed is optional).  The order of each line should be as follows:  First Name, Last Name, Year in School (either 9, 10, 11,12 or Fr, So, Jr, Sr) and sex (either b, g or m, f or male, female).  Coma delineated means that a coma separates each field, such as first name, last name, year in school and sex.  Tab delineated means that tabs separate each field.  Fixed length means that each line is the same number of characters in length, and each field begins at the same point on each line.
4. You can either e-mail your roster directly to us, or e-mail it to the host school.   If you e-mail it directly to us, you should copy the host school with the same e-mail.  This way, they will know that you sent it to us and will not keep calling you to have you send it to them.
5. Rosters should be e-mailed to rosters@kompusport.com.   Please note that this e-mail address will only exist from August through December.

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