Case Study: GSHL & Xsyte
How a small pickup club has run sustainable weekly hockey for 15+ years
Small Club, Big Longevity
GSHL: A Pickup League That Refuses to Burn Out
GSHL is proof that you don’t need a huge organisation to run great hockey. Since 2011, this small pickup club has been running a weekly 1.5 hour game that feels like a real league, not just a casual skate. With Xsyte handling invites, payments, and game credits in the background, the board can focus on what they actually love – hockey, not spreadsheets.
15+ Years Partnered
Xsyte has been partnered with GSHL since 2011, helping them evolve from a simple pickup skate to one of the most sustainable pickup leagues in Australia.
Drafts & Best-of-7 Series
Every seven weeks, GSHL runs a fresh draft, creates new team identities, and plays a best-of-seven series – keeping pickup hockey fun, meaningful, and never stale.
Run by People With Real Jobs
The GSHL board are volunteers with full-time jobs. Xsyte automates invites, tracking, and payments so they can run a proper league without a second career in admin.
Structured Pickup That Still Feels Like Pickup
Captains, Drafts & Series
GSHL selects two captains from their member base, runs a draft, and sets up named teams for a best-of-seven series. It’s still pickup – but with storylines, rivalries, and a reason to care every week.
Refereed, Game-Like Experience
Every pickup night has a referee on the ice, so games feel like organised league play rather than a loose scrimmage. Xsyte provides the structure around it – fixtures, lineups, and game records.
From Chaos to Click-and-Play
How Xsyte Handles Pick-Up Admin So GSHL Doesn’t Have To
GSHL used to rely on locker-room cash collections and endless messages to see who was playing. With Xsyte, game invites, RSVPs, subs and payments all run in the background – so the league just… runs.
Automated Game Invites & RSVPs
Xsyte blasts weekly invites to the usual suspects, tracks “yes” and “no” replies, and gives organisers a live view of who’s in – without chasing texts or emails.
Deep Player Pool for No-Shows
When regulars can’t make it, GSHL taps into a wider pool of players in Xsyte. Subs can be invited with a click, keeping numbers healthy without last-minute panic.
Volunteers Get Their Evenings Back
Board members no longer spend game night chasing fees or filling holes in the lineup. Xsyte takes care of the admin so they can focus on playing and running a great night.
Game Credits: No More Cash-and-Ledger Nights
What used to be a weekly locker-room slog – collecting cash, making change, chasing IOUs – is now a simple digital flow. Players pre-buy game credits online, GSHL burns a credit when they skate, and everything else is automatic.
Every credit purchase is logged. Players see their balance. Organisers get clean reports instead of messy notes. Bundles encourage prepayment, boosting cash flow and almost eliminating unpaid games. Once you’ve run pickup this way, it’s very hard to go back to coins and scraps of paper.
Effortless Pickup, Real League Feel
01 Format That Keeps Players Engaged
Drafted teams, named rosters and best-of-seven series give pickup nights structure and stakes – without losing the relaxed, social vibe players love.
02 Digital Game Credits Instead of Cash
Players top up online using card, Apple Pay, direct debit or even Bitcoin. GSHL burns a credit when they play, making every game paid without awkward chasing.
03 Transparent Payments & Reporting
Every transaction has a record. Players get receipts, organisers get real-time reports, and there are no more “I’m sure I paid you last week” conversations.
04 Volunteer-Friendly Operations
GSHL’s board members have full-time jobs. With Xsyte automating invites, subs, and payments, they can run a long-term, sustainable pickup league in just a few minutes a week.
05 A Model for Small Clubs Everywhere
GSHL shows what’s possible when a small club combines a simple, clever format with the right tools. With Xsyte handling the heavy lifting, they’ve built one of Australia’s most sustainable pickup operations – and any club can follow the same path.