Team Rally: Sanford Students Create App to Connect College Students

Rally addresses a challenge many college students face: the transition to campus often separates them from the teams and pickup play that once made friendship and belonging feel natural. “Friends in college, including my older brother Rahul ’24, kept telling me how hard it was to find people to play sports with,” Ajay explains. “What they really missed was the sense of belonging that sports gave them in grade school. That’s how we came up with Rally.”

The app organizes on-demand games, verifies users through school ID, matches players by skill level, and partners with local facilities to offer discounted access to courts and fields. “Even when students want to play, finding open space can be really difficult,” Ajay notes. “So one of our key features is partnering with local sports facilities to offer discounted access. That way, students have places to play, and facilities can fill unused space during off-peak times. It ended up being a win for both sides.”

Over several months, Team Rally built a working app, developed a business plan, and created a financial model. They interviewed students and facility managers, consulted an advisory board, and pitched their concept in a Shark Tank-style presentation. “None of us came in knowing how to build a pro forma, use advanced Excel tools, or code a full app,” Ajay recalls. “We mostly learned by just trying things, making mistakes, and figuring it out as we went. When we finally saw the projections come together, Rally started to feel like a real business instead of just an idea.”

The Diamond Challenge, powered by Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, gives high school students the chance to develop real-world skills in entrepreneurship, collaboration, critical thinking, finance, and technology while connecting with mentors, judges, and fellow innovators.

Collaboration was central to the process. “We all brought different strengths, but there were never any egos or drama,” Ajay says. “It was exciting knowing we were building something that could actually help college students. Pitching the idea to facilities and other stakeholders and seeing them get excited about it gave us a lot of motivation to keep pushing it further.

Their work on Rally is a wonderful example of how when Sanford students identify challenges, they take action to address them. In this case, the solution reflects a core community value: meaningful connection that reaches beyond our own circles.

Ajay had some advice for students thinking about competing in the Diamond Challenge in the future: “First, don’t wait for the perfect idea. Start with a real problem that you actually care about solving.  Pick teammates who complement your strengths.  Finally, be willing to learn new skills.” Students interested in learning more about the Diamond Challenge are encouraged to reach out to Ajay, Claire, or Mia. It’s never too early to start collaborating on the next big, change-making idea!