First Step Athletics is based in Maryland. Lightning for Schools was built to fit the operational reality of Maryland public and private HS athletic departments — MPSSAA eligibility rules, the Maryland Student Data Privacy Act, and the per-coach cost trap that incumbent platforms force on MD athletic directors running multi-sport, multi-season programs.
Built for MPSSAA
Governing Body
Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA)
Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support MPSSAA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference:
www.mpssaa.org.
Compliant with Maryland Student Data Privacy Act
Student Data Privacy
Maryland Student Data Privacy Act
Maryland's Student Data Privacy Act (Education Article §4-131) requires vendors that handle student personal information to limit collection to what's needed for the contracted purpose, prohibit sale of student data, and provide security safeguards. 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 Maryland athletic directors actually deal with
- MPSSAA governs Maryland public schools while MIAA (Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association — note: shares acronym with Massachusetts MIAA but is a separate organization for MD private/parochial schools — Calvert Hall, Gilman, McDonogh, Loyola Blakefield) governs private school athletics. ADs at the public/private boundary navigate the two-body landscape.
- Maryland HS lacrosse is one of the top recruiting markets nationally — Big Ten (Maryland, Rutgers), ACC, and Ivy programs recruit MPSSAA and MIAA athletes heavily, particularly through Baltimore/Howard County clusters.
- Howard County athletic departments (River Hill, Centennial, Marriotts Ridge, Long Reach, Wilde Lake) face unusually strong parent engagement around academic-athletic balance — schedule scrutiny is higher than typical MD districts.
- Maryland Student Data Privacy Act (Education Article §4-131) compliance is required — MD school district procurement actively reviews vendor data-handling practices before contract execution.
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 Maryland Student Data Privacy Act 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 Maryland
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:
Howard County
Montgomery County
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore County
Frederick County
Carroll County
Talk to Christian directly
I'm the founder. Maryland 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.