Sports Resources > Running a club > Club/business strategies > Does Your Club Have A 1, 3 Or 5 Year Plan?

Does your club have a 1, 3 or 5 year plan?

I was speaking with a sports club the other week and at one point in the conversation I asked the club, does your club have a strategic plan? To my surprise, from this successful club the answer was no! This club has approximately 400 members and ever season looks for new ways to grow their club, though they have no big goals on club numbers, structure - anything! All they know is that they would like to go up divisions in the sport, but with no plan on how to achieve this.

Does this sound familiar?

Personally, I think sports clubs need a similar structure to small businesses. As with any business, if you have a good board or senior management team, the business is 9 times out of 10 doing well. Whilst if there is poor management, the business is usually 1 pay run away from closing the doors. Similar can be said for clubs, even at the elite level. Hawthorn Football Club a few years ago had a number of management issues and now look at them today - at the top of the ladder! A well structured committee with clearly defined tasks and roles is something simple that can make a big difference to your club.

Sporting clubs must continually look for innovative ways to attract new members and develop. There is too often a change in committee though, with a plan and vision for the club, the committee is able to continue the good work going forward. Below I have outline some questions to assist your club in developing a vision.

1. Marketing: Who is your target market? What is the current demographic of the existing members? What marketing initiatives have been successful in the past?

2. Survey existing members: Have you conducted a survey of existing members to get their ideas where they see the club going in the future? Report on findings in the club newsletter.

3. Communication: How do you communicate with your members? (Email/SMS/Letters/Website)

4. Members: What has your growth been over the past 5 years? If these trends continue, where will the club be? How can the growth be improved?

5. Finance: What are they key expenses? Is the club viable?

This are a few questions at the very tip of the iceberg!

I would be interested to get your thoughts and feedback regarding your clubs structure and vision. Please email me at carina@sportingcentral.com.au.

Add your comment

Name:
Email:
Comment: