case study

Every year in America parents spend $50B a year on their children’s rec sports, yet 80% will never play again after they graduate High School.

The NFL, the most profitable league in America only grossed $18B its most profitable year in 2022. So if this is such a market opportunity why hasn’t it been solved yet?

It’s not easy……

Understand why 85% of high school athletes never compete in team sports again and build a solution that allows more adults to compete

The strategy began with gaining a deep understanding of, “Why 80% of teens don’t carry sports into their adult lives”. Once this User Research was achieved, after months of interviews, observational research, and third party data, I was able to develop the foundations for a never before seen solution to the problem.  

The User Experience and Design work resulted in a software application called The Recess App, that allows you to schedule any game or event with your busiest friends within a few clicks and a few hours. Against another team that matches your select skill level and availability.  The App has garnered partners like YMCA Denver and others and is weeks away from launch! 

App Showcase

See Recess’s unique approach to scheduling team sports.

App Showcase

See Recess’ unique approach to keeping score without an organizer and how you can schedule a match as a substitute.

Marketing Challenge

Create engaging social media advertisements to gain signups and investors for the app. All of the ads are under 15 seconds and the scripts we’re written, performed, edited and produced by me. I learned early on that User Experience starts with strategically marketing how the product is introduced to Users.

UX Research Study

Take a look at the foundations for the Recess app, which started with a strong understanding of the User and Existing Alternatives.

User Experience and Design

Take a look at how I took the pain points discovered in my User Research, and converted them into Jobs to be done for the app solution. Then look at how those Jobs to be done are addressed in Recess’ Hi-Fidelity Design Flows.

Project Management

After raising an early round for the Recess app and gaining partners like YMCA Denver, I worked with a local Development Shop called FlywithHive to develop Recess’ Coded MVP, which is almost finished. During this 7 month process I worked as the product owner and project manager. I learned from this experience the real life constraints of balancing, Cost, Quality and Speed of a project.

Partner Testimonials

The takeaway

The Founder of Blackstone said in his book “What It Takes” “the harder the problem, the more limited the competition. If something’s easy, there will always be plenty of people willing to help solve it. But find a real mess, and there is no one around. If you can clean it up, you will find yourself in rare company.”

Even though after years of Research and Development, Capital Raises, and months of Software Development, to this day their still isn’t a solution to the massive problem effecting young adults as they try to stay active in competitive team sports.

For me that’s great because as my patent attorney’s Vance Van Drake and Ashley Earle agreed, “Solutions to hard problems are easier to protect”

Through this process I got to really hone in on my User Research, UX Design, Marketing, Presentation and Sales skills, as well as negotiation and project management. But most of all I’ve been able to learn how to handle uncertainty and stress.

What I’m most grateful for, from this project, is a strong understanding of who I am and the ability to use my voice to communicate, inspire and collaborate effectively. With knowledge of self I can be the differentiator the world needs.

Follow The Recess App’s progress as it’s released this fall at RCSports.app!