Grayson College

Introduction

At Grayson College, a small athletics department means wearing more than one hat.

The two-year college supports four sports and between 80 and 100 student-athletes each year, with rosters that include local Texas talent, Division I and Division II transfers, and international student-athletes.

For Compliance Officer Albert Monge, supporting the athletic department extends well beyond compliance. He manages eligibility and academics along with much of the department’s day-to-day administrative work, while also serving as a consistent resource for student-athletes navigating their college experience.

Having gone through the junior college experience himself before transferring to a four-year institution, Albert understands how important that support can be. He wanted student-athletes to know they had someone they could turn to with questions, and coaches to have a consistent place to find the information they needed. But creating that kind of environment required a more organized foundation behind the scenes.

The Challenge: Bringing Disconnected Processes Together

Before Albert took over compliance, many of the department’s administrative responsibilities were distributed among individual head coaches. Each program managed its own documentation, transfer follow-up, eligibility requirements, and other responsibilities, with much of that information living in paper files.

As Albert began bringing those responsibilities and documents together, he moved more of the department’s tracking into digital formats. But without a centralized system, staying organized meant managing different spreadsheets for different needs.

When I first started, everything I did was a different spreadsheet, and I had to track so many different things that I couldn’t keep them all in one place.

– Albert Monge

For one administrator overseeing compliance, eligibility, academics, and much of the department’s day-to-day administrative work, those disconnected processes added up quickly.

Albert needed a more centralized approach, one that could bring important information together, give coaches greater access to what they needed, and provide the flexibility to fit the way Grayson actually operates. That need ultimately led Grayson to Spry.

More Support Than Expected

As Grayson began transitioning its processes into Spry, Albert was not only introducing a new platform to the department. He was also navigating his first experience managing compliance from the administrator’s side. What stood out from the beginning was the level of support that came with the transition.

I was not expecting it to be as supportive as it has been. I was blown away by the consistency. Anytime I had a question, I could get an answer quickly or know that someone was working to find one for me.

– Albert Monge

Spry worked closely with Albert to help him understand the platform, explore how its different capabilities could apply to Grayson, and build the knowledge he needed to bring the rest of the department along with him.

That support helped Albert become an internal resource for his coaches, giving him the confidence to introduce new workflows, answer questions, and show each program how Spry could fit into what they were already doing.

I was put in a position where I could tell everyone all of the features and everything that we could do in the software that could benefit us. The only reason that happened was because the Spry team was so willing to help me.

– Albert Monge

And as Albert began introducing Spry across the department, one of the clearest signs of success came from a coach he initially thought might be more hesitant to make the transition.

Making Technology Work for Coaches

Grayson’s women’s basketball head coach has been coaching for 25 years. With decades of experience and established processes already in place, Albert initially expected him to be one of the coaches who might take longer to embrace a new platform.

Instead of asking him to completely change the way he worked, Albert started by understanding what he was already doing and showing him how Spry could bring those responsibilities together. The response surprised him.

When I explained to him what this platform could do for his program based on what he was already doing, he immediately jumped in. Now everything he does flows from Spry — their schedule, their communication, their class schedules are all in there.

– Albert Monge

What once required a combination of spreadsheets, printed calendars, and different communication methods now lives in one place.

For Albert, the experience reinforced the value of meeting coaches where they are. Rather than asking them to reinvent their routines, Spry gives coaches a more connected way to manage the work they are already doing, making adoption feel like a natural extension of their day-to-day.

One Source of Information for the Entire Department

As coaches became more comfortable using Spry, the benefits extended beyond individual programs. Information that once lived across paper files and separate spreadsheets could now be housed in one centralized platform, giving both Albert and Grayson’s coaches greater access to what they needed.

That accessibility is particularly valuable at the two-year level, where coaches are constantly managing movement in both directions, recruiting student-athletes into their programs while helping others move on to their next opportunity.

That’s the thing I’m most grateful for — being able to manage our rosters and put all of the important information in Spry, not just for me, but for our coaches too.

– Albert Monge

Instead of relying on Albert every time they need roster or eligibility information, coaches can now find many of those answers themselves.

For Albert, that means fewer routine requests coming through one person. For coaches, it means quicker access to the information they need. More importantly, it supports the kind of department Albert set out to build: one where important information is not isolated in a single office but accessible to the people who rely on it.

A Platform That Fits Grayson

Centralizing information was important, but Albert also needed a system flexible enough to reflect the way Grayson operates.

As a two-year college, the department has its own workflows, requirements, and responsibilities to its national governing board. Rather than adapting Grayson’s processes around a rigid system, Albert can customize Spry around what the department actually needs.

The ability for me to adjust things in Spry to fit what we need versus what someone else needs — that’s been a huge benefit.

– Albert Monge

That flexibility has helped make required compliance preparation easier while giving Albert the ability to continue refining workflows as the department’s needs change. Instead of simply moving existing processes online, Grayson can build workflows around how its administrators and coaches actually work.

A Partnership Built on Listening

For Albert, the value of Spry extends beyond the technology itself.

Throughout Grayson’s first year with the platform, the relationship has been defined by open communication, whether Albert needs help working through an existing process or has an idea for something Spry could do differently. Even when the answer is not immediately available, the conversation does not simply stop.

Instead of just shutting it down and saying, “Well, this is not something we offer,” it’s, “Okay, let me talk to someone and see what the possibilities are.” I think that’s huge for me.

– Albert Monge

Albert has also had opportunities to share his perspective on where the platform could continue evolving, drawing on his experience both as an administrator and former college coach. That willingness to listen has made Albert feel like an active part of the conversation rather than simply a user of the platform. For someone who places a high value on relationships and open communication, that has become just as meaningful as the technology itself.

Results and Looking Ahead

In its first year with Spry, Grayson has built a more connected foundation for how its athletics department operates.

Information that once lived across paper files and separate spreadsheets is now centralized in one place. Coaches have greater access to the information they need, compliance processes are easier to manage, and workflows can be adapted around Grayson’s specific requirements.

Just as importantly, Spry has become a platform the department can continue building on. As new needs arise, Albert can refine existing workflows, explore new ways to use the platform, and work alongside the Spry team to find solutions that make sense for Grayson.

For a small department where one person carries many responsibilities, that ability to adapt matters. Spry gives Albert the structure to manage what is in front of him today, while creating room for the department to continue improving how it supports coaches and student-athletes moving forward.

And for Albert, the experience so far has reinforced that Grayson has both a platform and a partner it can continue growing with.