Georgia HS athletics is dominated by an unusually intense football culture — particularly across metro Atlanta — alongside strong basketball, baseball, and track programs. Lightning for Schools is built for GHSA athletic directors: FERPA-compliant student-data handling, 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras, and a recruiting portal integration matched to the recruiting density of Georgia HS sports.
Built for GHSA
Governing Body
Georgia High School Association (GHSA)
Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support GHSA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference:
www.ghsa.net.
Compliant with FERPA + Georgia student data protection standards
Student Data Privacy
FERPA + Georgia student data protection standards
Student-athlete records in Georgia public schools are governed by FERPA plus Georgia data security and breach-notification standards. Vendors handling GA student-athlete data must meet FERPA's third-party handling requirements. Lightning's data-handling practices are built to meet these requirements; a vendor that can't speak to your state's privacy framework should not be on your shortlist.
What Georgia athletic directors actually deal with
- Metro Atlanta HS football (Buford, North Cobb, Mill Creek, Westlake, Grayson, Hughes, Lowndes) operates at semi-professional scale — Georgia HS football recruiting density rivals Texas and Florida per capita, particularly through 6A and 7A classifications.
- GHSA's 7-classification × 8-region structure creates a particularly complex bracket and scheduling workflow that programs work through annually — different from enrollment-only-classification states.
- GHSA's multiplier rules for private schools (Marist, Westminster, Pace Academy, Greater Atlanta Christian, Wesleyan) generate recurring competitive-balance discussions — public-private classification debates run year-to-year.
- South Georgia and coastal region programs (Camden County, Lowndes, Valdosta, Colquitt County) operate with unusual football intensity for population size — annual SEC recruiting attention pulls toward those programs disproportionate to metro size.
What Lightning for Schools includes
10 coach seats included
Flat $150/yr base includes 10 full coach seats. Need more for a big multi-sport department? Add extra seats anytime at 50% of the coach-tier price.
Roster + eligibility
Per-sport, per-season roster management with eligibility tracking, transfer documentation, and out-of-season practice limits.
Recruiting portal integration
Your student-athletes' Lightning profiles roll into a searchable college-coach portal — recruiting attention without leaving the AD platform.
DPA-compliant data handling
Aligned with FERPA + Georgia student data protection standards requirements. Documentation available for your district's procurement review.
Stat verification
Coach Verified and Tournament Verified stats flow into the recruiting layer automatically. Reduces manual roster-update workload for AD staff.
Multi-season scheduling
Fall / winter / spring sport scheduling in one tool — facility allocation, transportation requests, official assignments.
Built for athletic departments across Georgia
We're looking for our first partner departments in the state. If you're an AD in one of these areas and want to talk through a pilot:
Metro Atlanta (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett)
Savannah area
Augusta area
Macon area
Columbus area
Athens area
Talk to Christian directly
I'm the founder. Georgia athletic directors who want to talk through a pilot or just get specific questions answered can reach me directly: [email protected] or (443) 996-6563.