Established 1996 • Built by GaleForce Tech

From 5th Grade Brackets to Building a Better Way to Play

The story of a 30-year streak, an obsession with spreadsheets, and why I finally built my own platform.

The Commissioner's Resume

The StreakActive since 1996 (with a 2020 asterisk).
The Record0-30. I have literally never won my own pool.
The MissionNo gambling junk. No sportsbook ads. Just sports.
The TechNext.js, real-time syncing, and zero data-selling.

The Early Days

Most kids in 5th grade are worried about recess. In 1996, I was worried about whether my classmates had turned in their bracket sheets on time.

That was the year I ran my first March Madness pool. It started with a stack of messy, photocopied brackets and a notebook where I hand-wrote every single point. I didn't know it then, but I was basically starting a 30-year obsession with sports pools that eventually led me to build Pool Admin AI.


A Streak Only "The Madness" Could Break

Since that first pool in elementary school, I haven’t missed a single year of running a pool. Through high school, college, and starting my career as a dev, the tournament has been the one thing always on my calendar.

There’s only one asterisk on that record: 2020. When the world stopped and the tournament got canceled, it was the first time in 24 years I didn’t have a spreadsheet open.

"But here’s the kicker—the most 'me' stat of all: In 30 years of running these things, I have never once won my own pool. I can build the site, I can automate the scoring, and I can fix the server, but I still can't pick an upset to save my life."


Why Most Pool Sites Kind of Suck Now

As a developer, I’ve tried every site out there. These days, most of them feel like you’re walking into a digital casino. They’re covered in "Bet Now" buttons, sportsbook ads, and gambling junk that just feels... greasy.

If you’re trying to run a pool for your office or a professional group, those sites are a total nightmare. They look unprofessional, they’re distracting, and honestly, HR usually hates them. You just want a clean place to see who’s winning the bracket, not a constant sales pitch to lose your shirt on a parlay.


How it Works (The Simple Version)

01

Create Your Pool

Pick your tournament and set your rules in seconds.

02

Invite the Crew

Send out a simple link to your friends or coworkers.

03

Watch the Chaos

We handle the scoring and the live standings automatically.

AI Trash Talk

Our built-in AI keeps the group chat moving, highlighting upsets and calling out the person whose bracket just went up in flames.


A Note from the Dev (The Techy Stuff)

I didn’t just throw this together with a template. As someone who spends my days consulting on BigCommerce and custom server setups, I wanted Pool Admin AI to be rock solid.

I built this using a modern stack focused on speed and security. We're talking real-time data syncing so you aren't hitting "refresh" every five seconds during a buzzer-beater. Plus, because it’s built for a professional environment, I made sure the data privacy is actually legit—no selling your email to a sportsbook the second you sign up.

Join the Tradition

Running a pool shouldn't be a second job, and it shouldn't feel like a trip to a Vegas bookie. I built this to take the headache out of being the admin, so you can actually enjoy the games.

Let's get those brackets moving