tennis club development
TRANSCRIPT
Draft Club Development
Programme to Support Clubs’ Strategic Plans
“Increase Membership, Improve Profitability and Support Player
Development”
UBTI -Club Strategy & Club Development
Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland Strategy
•“Promote tennis as a healthy sport for life, developing
friendships & enhancing communities.”
•Strategic Objectives
•Increase Number of People Playing Tennis
• 4.5k-2009 to 8k- 2015
•„Clubs/Parks-Councils/Schools
•Develop a Top 100 World Class Player
•„Player pathway programme- Club/Regional/Dev- Centre of
Excellence‟
•„Improve & Increase Tournament Competitions‟
•Increase Revenues to Support Player Development & Improve
Facilities
•Replace New Playing Surfaces & New Covered Courts
•„Club Development/Sponsorship/Partnerships & Fund Raising‟
Growth:
4.5k new
members
Extra £617k pa „Play & Stay’
Programme
For all members
Team/Coaching/
Player Pathway
Increase
Revenue
Subs and Levys
£150-£200
Extra £433k pa
Cost
Reduction
“Pay as you use”
Cost Recovery
Extra £25k pa
Fund raising
Sponsorship
Extra £50k pa
UBTI Strategic Objectives“Extra 4.5k Players/Extra £1 million income”
Support Player Development
Productivity
Court Utilisation
Target 150
members
per court
Club Development PlanIntroduction
• Objective: Promote tennis in the community• All ages/abilities/social groups• Healthy sport for life and great fun
• Why Club Development is so important• Foundation of tennis• People are recruited to the game via the Clubs and retained via
competitive/social play
• Club committees vital: hard working volunteers runClubs. The plan is aimed at supporting their effortsby providing ideas to stimulate development.
Growth Strategy Integrated into Committee Minutes & Performance Reviewed Monthly
Club Strategic Objectives“Extra 100 Players/Extra £30k profit”/Player Development
Growth:
100 new
members
Extra £12.5k pa„Play & Stay’
Programme
For all members
Team/Coaching
Increase
Revenue
Subs and Levies
£125-£160
Extra £10.5k pa
Cost
Reduction
“Pay as you use”
Cost Recovery
Extra £2k pa
Fund raising
Sponsorship
Extra £5k pa
Court Utilisation
Target 150
members
per court
“From 200 to 300 Members”
“Breakeven to £30k Profit”
Parks Tennis Northern Ireland Supports Club Development
•Parks Tennis started in the USA 40 years ago to
bring tennis to a wider socio-economic group.
•Wimbledon champions Arthur Ashe and the
Williams sisters came through Parks Tennis.
•Introduced in the Republic of Ireland 30 years
ago•In 2009, 22k young people took part in the
programme.
•ROI figure of 22k suggests that NI should target 8k by
2020 giving significant support to the UBTI new
strategy.
•„Opportunity to support our Community
Outreach and Club Development Programme‟
Strategic Review:
Clubmark Audit Club Programme - Audit Accounts
- Profitability- Memberships/Subs
In place but perhaps could be improved
Currently in disrepair or not started
Play & Stay needs ongoing review
„Use review process to help formulate 1 page Strategic Plan‟
Club nights
Summer Camps
Internal Leagues
League Teams
Retired and Veterans
Tournaments
Coaching Programme
Families
Juveniles
Juniors
Parks
Schools
Tennis Club Management
Equity
Club Strategic Review:Structure to Support Strategy
Checklist: Functions/Roles
Leadership and Management
x Tournaments
- Chairman Sponsorship x
- Secretary Fundraising x
- Match Sec Club Nights x
- Treasurer x Minute Secretary x
- Membership Sec x Communication
- Tennis Director & Programme
x Website x
Child Protection PR x
Coach Juniors
Health & Safety X Juveniles
Maintenance x Equity & Equality x
“Each role per person & agenda to support plans”
Review, Refresh & Strengthen Leadership
• Key roles –need to recruit and evolve– Note: Expect lots of phone calls to get one committee member
• Recognise there are ~20/25 different roles (Committee- all Talents)
• Can be covered 1-2 years but 2-10 year plans: need wider committee or sub-committees
• Review needs and seek help
• Element of trial and error – if person doesn’t work out don’t worry – reshuffle/try again
• AGMs – don’t work anymore- Need ongoing co-opting
• Organising an event, coffee morning/children’s coaching/social function- to recruit for committees.
• Role for each post holder (21 roles)
• 12 mthly meetings (set time: 7-8pm, 1st Monday of month)
• Sub-committees report via post holders
• Monthly review of activities – instigate corrective actions. KPI’s to drive performance- numbers being coached/clubnights, etc
• Phone/persuade people to help
• Deploy Minutes/agenda/communications
Review, Refresh & Strengthen
Leadership/Committee
Membership - Profile
(D)
40% play
1 x month
(C)
40% play
2 x month
(B)
15% play
3 x week
5% play
1 x week
(A)
Frequency of play – trade off
Court utilisation (250 per court)
Extra income: 10 new members @ £200 average sub = £2k; 100 @ £200 = £20k
80% court time taken up by 20% members (survey and target segments C&D –minimal impact/maximum contribution)
Peak Time 7pm-9pm – Spread Programme all day
Increase Club Membership
200 to 300 Extra 100/£12.5k• Increasing membership is an ongoing need
– Circa 15% member lapse each year (exams/university/golf/move away)
– More members, more fun, more income
• Target and plan increase in membership– Current 20: Yr1 50; Yr2 100; Yr3 150
(plan 250 members per court)
– Measure progress each month
• Mailshot campaign/posters (see appendix 1 for sample leaflets)– Try tennis – free – four club nights trial
– Junior coach programme pay £1: Sat a.m. (cup of coffee for parents); children joining encourages family membership
• Tiny Tots Programme- 3 to 5 year olds (ensure Club rule changed to accommodate)
• 8 weeks free coaching (cost covered by balloon race/sponsored walk.)
• Touch game inside service courts- 4 each side to improve volleying & angles (Shankill, Dublin)
• Ladder Type- Challenge Internal League.• 5 people in each section, 2 go up, 2 go down each month. Men and women play each other- based on ability
(Sunday Wells, Cork)
Increase Club Membership
200 to 300 Extra 100/£12.5k
• Club Brochure (see appendix 2 for example- Downshire)
• Link with Parks Tennis-“Community Outreach”/Schools/Councils- “Active Communities Coaches”
• Invite a friend or neighbour to join (bring 5 new members – 50% free reduction one year)
• Recruit teachers to invite class etc
• PTAs/Churches/other sports – badminton clubs and GAA Clubs
• Build on “Wimbledon factor” advertise club via posters and “open days”
• Plan 3 Open Weekends Per Year (see appendix 3- Wimbledon Day Posters)
– March/June-Wimbledon/Sept
– Plan an event on Friday night, BBQ /Pizza & fun tournament also Sat & Sun- something for all ages and spread to avoid wet day failure
• Tournament- Plan to host a tournament (see good practice notes from Munster)
• Interfirms League- (Waterford)- Profit £10k per year
• Website – advertising club and PR Campaign
• Groupon Deal- Good practice in outreaching to community and increasing membership (appendix 4)
• Club programme requires ongoing review- Club nights/coaching programme/league teams/internal league/social events- Fundraising
• Provide a welcome/introduction: cup of coffee
• Reduce leakage in membership by phoning “lapsed” – ask what’s wrong/encourage return and payment of subs etc
Children
• Introduce via coaching programme and link to Club Development
• Specified time to play (before 6pm weekdays)
• Fun mornings (5-12 year olds)
• Junior club tours (weekend away trip)
• Summer holiday programme (12-4pm each day Jul/Aug; tournament each Thurs); parents to help on rota basis
• Tournament programme – all year
• League teams
• Talent spotting and intro senior teams
• “High Flyers” in Player Pathway Programme- Ulster Squads/Ireland Squads- Dev.
Cater for all ages/abilities
• Children as discussed
• Young mothers- coffee mornings & Cardio
• Adult beginners coaching
• “Non-league” players- internal league
• Retired: programme- arranged- play and tournaments
• Wheel chair tournament
Teams
• General principle: encourage as many league teams as possible
• “number of league teams – indicator of health of club”; people who play together stay together
• Match secretary: selection committee, team captains (organise)
• Captains to organise players and subs plus after match drinks/meals/emphasis social aspect
• Enter teams in tournaments weekends/friendly matches
• B&D League: all year event programme (juniors, singles, doubles, mixed, veterans)
Club Nights
• Set times: start with one night then extend on demand
• Rota control and court timing
• Sub-committee of leaders who provide welcome and introduction
• Cup of coffee etc
• Review options for mixed ability
• Advertise club nights – mailshot, posters in shops etc
• Run four open nights per year: new members welcome –come and try our Club – “free” etc
Coaching & Coaching programme
• Appoint coach (full time or part-time to start)
• Agree coaching programme
– Age categories: 3 to 5 years/ 6 to 8 years/ 9 to 11 years/ 12 to 15 years/ 16 to 18 years, senior
– Coaching programmes must include Club membership increase & improved profit as well as player development
• Adult beginners
• Personal coaching
• Team coaching
• High performers – development/pathway
Social: Events Programme linked to Fund Raising
• Club dinner
• Team Dinner
• Quiz Night
• “Open Club Night”- “prospective members”
• Family tournament and BBQ
• American tournament
• Treasure hunt and BBQ
• Captains Day and BBQ
• Coffee mornings
• Halloween Disco
• Christmas- fun tournament
• Annual planning stressed to be important and strong sales team, visiting clubs and signing up players, 4/6 weeks before the event and phoning Club secretaries and chairmen to seek help in increasing participation. (This seems to work well because of mutual dependency- you support us and we will support you.)
• Clubs tend to use satellite courts, with 10 mile radius, private houses and council courts.
• Munster seem to have a points based system like UBTI- Junior Development
• “Information was obtained from various conversations and advice- it requires validation, but at least charts a direction of a methodology for player, club development and profitability.”
Tournaments – Munster Model
• “Munster Tournaments are frequent, great fun, combining competitive
play with friendship and are profitable for Clubs.”
• Programme of tournaments- each week from end May to Oct. In 2000 there were 8 tournaments, in 2010 there are 23
• Open events start on Sunday and end on Saturday/Sunday (working around anyone involved in the Munster League, matches held on Sunday afternoons
• Veteran events start on Thursday and end on Sunday (some Clubs run both open and vets on the same week.)
• Clubs are queuing for slots to run tournaments because they are profitable for the club- circa £2k and they attract entertainment for members- Sat dinner at 20 Euro per person followed by sing song, etc. Local sponsorship usually covers cost of balls and prizes.
• How to increase Profitability and Number of Tournaments in Ulster?
Tournaments – Munster Model
One Page Summary of Club Development Plan
Membership Growth & Court Utilisation Improvement
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Amount 120 150 180 200 220
Key Actions:
1.
2.
3.
Increase Subs
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Amount (£) 100 120 130 140 150
Key Actions:
1.
2.
3
One Page Summary of Club Development Plan
Cost Reduction & Recovery
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Extra 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Key Actions:
1.
2.
3.
Fund Raising & Sponsorship
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Amount (£) 1000 1500 2000 3000 4000
Key Actions:
1.
2.
3
One Page Summary of Club Development Plan
Improve ‘Play & Stay Programme’
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Members Retained ? ? ? ? ?
Key Actions:
1.
2.
3.
ProfitImprovement
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Amount (£) ? ? ? ? ?
Key Needs:
1. Covered Courts
2. Resurface Courts
3. Player Development Programme
Conclusion
• Plan provides blueprint for development (5 years)
• Each slide can be used to support/focus on your club needs
• Don’t be overwhelmed- pick a slide/segment/start
• Ask for help: Lauren Smythe (phone/visit/club visit)
• Largest issue to overcome is recognising what stage your club is at and how best to proceed
• Don’t be afraid to try some aspect and fail
• Remember success is never measured where you start- “it’s where you finish”
• Contact Lauren Smythe on 07540466750 or George Lucas on 07802338938 for further information.
Good luck with your plans!
Appendix 1-Leaflets/Mail shots
Downshire Lawn Tennis Club
Example
Larne Bowling & Lawn Tennis
Club Example
Parks Tennis
Example
Appendix 2-Club Brochure
Downshire Lawn Tennis Club
Example
Appendix 3-Wimbledon Open Day Poster
Portadown Tennis Club
Example
Appendix 4-Groupon Deal- Windsor Example
Please find below details of the Groupon Scheme recently entered into by Windsor Lawn Tennis Club
in Belfast as a method of good practice in outreaching to the community and recruiting new members.
Windsor Groupon Deal- 76 new members in 48 hours - £2k Profit
• 72 registering plus 4 late registrations accepted.
• Groupon displays a different deal every day comprising of a main deal and 3 other small
deals. These are sent to the email of everyone who is a member of the website automatically.
• The Groupon website works in those opting into the scheme have to give 50% off the normal
„product‟price to be eligible.
• Clubs/Sellers can choose to do a 24hr deal or a 48hr deal.
• To undertake the longer deal Clubs/Sellers have to give a greater reduction, so the Windsor Club
reduced their fee by 61% (£100 3 month membership for £39).
• Buyers sign up to the deal and pay for it immediately online.
• Buyers then receive a voucher with a code. This voucher and code is printed off and brought to the
Club/Seller to show they have paid for it.
• Windsor Tennis Club have advised that the age range for the website is mainly 20-45 yr olds, and
out of the first 20 buyers who have validated their voucher to date, only 1 was over 45.
• In terms of income, Windsor have indicated that they have received 76 x £39 which is £2,964 and
had to pay Groupon £792 (72 x £11) so have made approximately £2k profit .
• Furthermore, Windsor have the possibility of making a greater profit if some or most of those
registering join after their 3 months membership has expired.