Johanssen O.As we mark World Youth Skills Day, JAY4T is celebrating the young innovators turning their skills into impact. Alex, a mobile and backend developer on the LigiOpen team, shares his experience of helping build a platform that connects sports communities while growing his own technical expertise along the way.
When I was called upon to work on LigiOpen, I thought it would be easy at first since I had completed several projects successfully before. I expected this one to be similar. The first days were indeed straightforward, as I focused on setting up the basic architecture common to most projects. Then came the real challenge: the league and competition scheduling module.
I once saw someone on X remark that creating a school timetable without clashes is incredibly difficult. While I cannot speak from a teacher’s perspective, I found the comparison fitting. Organising the flow of leagues and competitions proved to be one of the most demanding tasks I had encountered.
Thankfully, support arrived when we partnered with The Frequency Collaborative (TFC) for three months. Their team of young, skilled developers and designers helped us refine our database and design a solid league structure. Building on that foundation, I developed the league and competition system that powers LigiOpen today.
LigiOpen is now available on the Play Store, and work on the website continues. Although features such as ticketing and the merchandise shop are still in development, I can confidently say that the most difficult milestones are behind us.
I believe LigiOpen will grow into an organisation that provides both employment and entertainment for many people, and I am grateful to have played a part in building it.
Through Alex’s story, we learn that meaningful skills are forged through real challenges, collaboration, and persistence. JAY4T is a community of young people creating solutions that strengthen their communities and shape the future of work.