The City of Anniston’s Parks & Recreation Department has long served as a community anchor in northeast Alabama — connecting generations through youth sports, aquatics, and fitness programming. But as participation surged and expectations grew, the department faced a growing challenge: how to continue delivering quality experiences with outdated tools and a limited team.
With only two full-time staff managing 750+ kids across year-round athletics, the city turned to Daxko to modernize operations, streamline registration and communication, and get staff back on the field—where they make the greatest impact.
The Challenge: Managing 750+ Kids with Pen, Paper, and Highlighters
For 17 years, Darren Spruill, Athletic Director for the City of Anniston, has led the charge in growing youth sports programs. But as his responsibilities grew, so did the inefficiencies of outdated systems.
Before Daxko, I had highlighters out, all the rosters spread out in front of me. I had to split up teams manually by age group, carpool requests, everything. We were operating in 2024, but managing our programs like it was 1996.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
The department relied on flyers in Friday school folders to promote registrations and used Excel and manual sorting to manage teams. Payments required in-person visits to city hall or community centers, and weather cancellations were handled by word-of-mouth or late-night texts.
Meanwhile, families expected fast, mobile-first communication and easier sign-ups — needs the department couldn’t meet with its manual processes.
The Solution: Daxko’s Integrated Suite for Parks & Rec
The City of Anniston adopted Daxko’s integrated solution, combining:
- Daxko Operations for online registration, payments, and member management
- Daxko Engage for mobile notifications, emails, and community outreach
- Playerspace (Daxko’s league management solution) for scheduling, team assignments, and program coordination
It’s not a big learning curve. I’ve been happy with how straightforward everything is. I just wish we could’ve started before the busy season hit…. The communication piece is huge. Being able to send out reminders, weather cancellations, or registration info instantly — it’s a game-changer for us.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
These tools immediately addressed the city’s core pain points — replacing pen-and-paper systems, improving visibility into programs, and empowering staff with real-time communication tools.
The Impact: More Time in the Community, Less Time at the Desk
For the City of Anniston, Daxko changed how the team works, engages, and connects with families across the community. Daxko’s impact on Anniston’s operations has already been transformational.
Significant Time Savings
With team assignments, registration, and communication now centralized and automated, Anniston’s small-but-mighty staff can shift their focus from spreadsheets to the sports fields. Tasks that once took hours — like manually sorting rosters or coordinating schedules — are now handled in minutes through the platform. This gives staff the time and energy to be more present with the families they serve, supporting games, guiding volunteers, and creating memorable moments for kids.
Daxko has cut down the time I spend in front of the computer. I can be out on the fields supporting coaches, kids, and parents — that’s where I want to be.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
Better Communication with Families
Instead of relying on paper flyers sent home through schools — a method that often-left families in the dark — the department now uses mobile alerts and email reminders through Daxko Engage. This change has helped reduce no-shows, improve program awareness, and give parents peace of mind with timely updates about cancellations, registration deadlines, and new opportunities.
We used to rely on paper flyers in Friday folders. Now, with notifications, we can reach parents instantly.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
Online Payments Increase Accessibility
One of the most meaningful shifts has been the introduction of online payments. Previously, families had to visit city offices in person just to enroll in a sport. Now, they can register and pay from home or on the go — reducing barriers and making programs more inclusive, especially for working parents and caregivers.
Moving to online payments has made participation more accessible. No more trips to city hall just to register.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
Support for Small Teams with Big Missions
With just two people overseeing hundreds of participants across multiple programs, operational efficiency is essential. Daxko gives Anniston’s Parks & Rec staff the tools to do more with less, without burning out. From youth sports to aquatics to fitness memberships, the department can now manage growth with confidence, knowing their systems can support it.
Our Parks & Rec department is just two people handling 750+ kids. Daxko has been a game-changer for us.
Darren Spruill
Athletic Director, City of Anniston
Looking Ahead: Scaling with Confidence
As basketball season gets underway, Darren is using Playerspace to assign teams and manage league communications. He’s eager to expand the system’s use across Anniston’s four community centers and aquatics facilities, building a consistent experience across departments.
With a digital foundation in place, Anniston can now scale programs confidently, attract more families, and respond faster to community needs — all without growing its staff.
A Playbook for Parks & Rec Modernization
Anniston’s journey is a blueprint for municipalities facing the same challenge: how to do more with less. With Daxko’s integrated platform, small teams like Darren’s can modernize without sacrificing the heart of their work — building community through connection, access, and engagement.
Daxko’s technology is helping Anniston deliver the future of recreation — one program, one family, one community at a time.