Indiana HS athletics is defined by its unusually strong basketball culture combined with deep football and baseball traditions across the state. Lightning for Schools is built for IHSAA athletic directors: FERPA-compliant student-data handling, 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras, and a recruiting portal integration matched to IN HS recruiting density.
Built for IHSAA
Governing Body
Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA)
Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support IHSAA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference:
www.ihsaa.org.
Compliant with FERPA + Indiana data protection standards
Student Data Privacy
FERPA + Indiana data protection standards
Student-athlete records in Indiana public schools are governed by FERPA plus Indiana's data security and breach-notification requirements. Vendors handling IN 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 Indiana athletic directors actually deal with
- IHSAA basketball moved from single-class to four-class tournament structure in 1997 — the cultural memory of Hoosier Hysteria still shapes how schools, fans, and coaches relate to the tournament.
- Indiana HS basketball produces unusually high recruiting density across the state, with both Indiana University and Purdue running deep in-state pipelines.
- Indiana HS football, particularly through 6A programs (Center Grove, Carmel, Penn), operates at a national-recruiting level that ADs need to support operationally.
- IHSAA strict transfer rules (including the "transfer to gain athletic advantage" provisions) generate recurring eligibility-review work that lighter-touch states don't face.
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 + Indiana 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 Indiana
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:
Indianapolis metro
Fort Wayne area
South Bend area
Evansville area
Bloomington
Lafayette
Talk to Christian directly
I'm the founder. Indiana 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.