The Regina Youth Flag Football League (RYFFL) is one of the city’s most popular sports leagues, and Monday morning marked what was supposed to be the beginning of spring registration.
And while thousands of families waited to get a spot for their kids, some were left with error screens and trouble registering.
RYFFL convenor Mike Thomas took to social media later in the morning to address some of the issues the league and families are experiencing.
“I want to express my sincere apologies and disappointment regarding the registration process this morning,” Thomas said. “Today was meant to mark the beginning of our 2024 season, bringing joy and excitement. Unfortunately, that was not the case for everyone. While some individuals successfully registered, others find themselves on the waitlist.”
Some people who got through to registration were forced to make multiple payments in order to register. As a result, many players were put on a wait-list due to teams being full.
“This situation is not ideal, and I acknowledge that there shouldn’t be a significant number of waitlisted players,” Thomas’s message wrote. “The problem stems from system issues causing multiple registrations (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 times) for some individuals. Rest assured, we are actively addressing these issues as I type this message.”
Jay Maharaj, the CEO of TeamLinkt, the site responsible for the registration, said the team is currently working on rectifying the problem with any duplicate registrations.
“We at TeamLinkt extend our deepest apologies for the challenges encountered during today’s registration process,” Maharaj said in a social media post. “We fully recognize the disappointment and frustration that this has caused within the RYFFL community, and we fully own these issues.
“We assured Mike and his team that we had taken every measure and were confident we were prepared for the expected surge in traffic as parents join this valued program.
“Regrettably, it became evident that our efforts fell short of expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.”
As of 12:55 p.m., RYFFL said they have begun the process of reimbursing people and taking duplicates off the waitlist.
In 2023, RYFFL was named the NFL Flag Football League of the Year. The league has well over 5,000 kids involved and continues to expand in offering programs for all ages and genders.
“We share your enthusiasm for having your kids participate in our league, and we genuinely want them to be part of it,” Thomas said. “Please give us some time to work through these challenges, and we will resolve everything shortly. I deeply appreciate every parent who took the time to provide feedback and assistance to others today. For those who sent emails, we will respond to each of you as quickly as possible.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these challenges. We truly value your commitment to being part of our league this season.”