Illinois has one of the strictest student-data privacy frameworks in the country — SOPPA, the Student Online Personal Protection Act — alongside the operational complexity of IHSA's section-based structure and the recruiting density of Chicago-area HS sports. Lightning for Schools is built to meet SOPPA out of the box, with 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras and a recruiting portal integration matched to the IL HS sports reality.
Built for IHSA
Governing Body
Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support IHSA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference:
www.ihsa.org.
Compliant with Illinois SOPPA + FERPA
Student Data Privacy
Illinois SOPPA + FERPA
Illinois's Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA, 105 ILCS 85) is one of the strictest student-data privacy laws in the country. It requires written agreements with school districts before vendors can access student data, prohibits sale or targeted advertising, and mandates breach notification. Combined with federal FERPA, this creates a high compliance bar for any vendor working with IL public schools. 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 Illinois athletic directors actually deal with
- Chicago Catholic League (CCL) — Loyola Academy, Mt. Carmel, St. Rita, Marist, Providence Catholic — operates as one of the most football-recruiting-dense conferences in the country, running parallel to public school programs within IHSA. CCL programs produce annual D1 recruiting at scale.
- Chicago Public League (CPL) governs Chicago Public Schools athletics within the IHSA umbrella — specific operational rules for CPS programs (including transfer rules and eligibility verification) that differ from non-CPS Illinois programs.
- IHSA's traditional March Madness boys basketball state tournament has been culturally definitive — Public League versus private/Catholic brackets pair with broader IHSA tournament rhythms, including the unusual late-March downstate finals scheduling.
- Illinois SOPPA (Student Online Personal Protection Act, 105 ILCS 85) is one of the strictest student-data laws in the country — required written agreements before vendor work begins, plus ongoing breach-notification and audit obligations.
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 Illinois SOPPA + FERPA 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 Illinois
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:
Chicago Public Schools
Cook County suburbs
Lake County
DuPage County
Springfield area
Rockford area
Talk to Christian directly
I'm the founder. Illinois 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.