JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Air Force Sports, managed by the Air Force Services Activity, recently launched an online application system to make it easier for Airmen athletes to apply for Air Force sports teams.
APPTRAC, an online application system that automatically tracks an athlete’s application, replaces the Air Force Form 303, Request for USAF Specialized Sports Training, said Tech. Sgt. Giselle Stone, NCO in charge of Air Force Sports.
“The tool streamlines the application process, improves status visibility and enhances communication to leadership. It’s efficient and centralizes all applications submitted in one location,” said Stone.
Athletes, supervisors and unit commanders must create accounts to submit, approve or reject applications.
The process is simple: an athlete submits an application which is then automatically sent to both the supervisor and unit commander for approval or disapproval. After input at the leadership level, athletes receive notifications to let them know the results of their application.
“If an athlete sees the application is still pending at the supervisor or unit commander level, they can take steps to find out why it hasn’t been approved or disapproved,” said Stone.
Once a package is approved and complete, the system pushes it to the Air Force Sports section in AFSVA’s Operations Directorate for review. Action officers are assigned as primary contacts for each sport and monitor applications as they come in.
Coaches and trainers also submit applications through APPTRAC. Once selected as a coach, that person is granted access to review applications from athlete candidates. The coach determines an athlete’s qualifications based on his or her level of competitions, results and experience in the sport. The coach submits his or her recommendations to Air Force Sports for consideration.
Those selected to join the Air Force Sports program receive an APPTRAC message providing details concerning requirements for upcoming permissive temporary duty stations. They’ll also receive an email from their new coach.
The APPTRAC system also generates a message to non-selectees. Those individuals may contact the Air Force Sports office for recommendations on the skills they need to improve for the following year. Air Force Sports coordinates with coaches to provide feedback to the athlete.
The U.S. Army began using the tool six years ago and it was recently expanded to include all branches of service through a grant offered by the Department of Defense.
“Our main focus is taking care of our customers, in this case it’s the athletes, supervisors and commanders,” said Maj. Austin Pruneda, AFSVA chief of fitness, readiness and reserve affairs. “As we navigate the new system and climb the learning curve, we are ready to make adjustments to make the process even more user-friendly.”
To learn more about the Air Force Sports program or to apply for a spot on one of the teams, visit http://www.myairforcelife.com/Sports/.