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All over Australia strange things are happening at our sports clubs. The goal posts are shifting.
Club membership is stagnating and in an effort to attract and retain members changes must
be made. But what can you do?
These days there are more entertainment choices, more sports, and more demands on our time
and our money. Our population is changing and we have very
different lifestyles, yet against this backdrop there has been a spike in sport participation.
Not through clubs but through things like running with you iPod, social group cycling,
going to the gym, or seeing a personal training. So how do you, as a club, get a bigger slice
of this increasingly fractured market? To find out what influences people’s decisions
around club based sport, the Australian Sports Commission and GfK Blue Moon did some research
with both adults and kids. With adults we found most people fall into
ten basic groups when it comes to sport; the Loyalists; the Socially-Engaged; the Sport-Driven;
and the Apathetic Clubbers. Then there’s the Sidelined Sportsters; the
Club Wary; the Ponderers; the Self-Focused; the Sport Indifferent; and the Sport Atheists.
40 per cent of non-club members aged 14-65 belonged to a club at some point, so there’s
a chance to re-engaged with these people on some level, and a quarter of Australians aged
14-65, who aren’t members of a club, have expressed interest in joining one.
That’s 3.8million people who potentially want to be part of club sport.
So how do you tap into them? Firstly, you need to understand the main concerns
adults have with club sport. One is inflexible schedules, clubs being too cliquey; leaving
people feeling excluded. Another is the cost, and limited opportunities for beginners.
When it comes to kids in sport the research identified six basics types; the Social Loyalists;
the Sports Driven; and the Apathetic Clubbers. And then you have the Thrifty Enthusiast;
the Ponderers; and the Sport Resistant. Over 50 per cent of kids who aren’t club
members now were once part of an organised sport and 46 per cent would think about joining
a club if activities were better suited to what they wanted. These non-club members make
up 1.1million potential new recruits. The research found while some kids love the
competitive side of sport many others don’t. So to attract and retain kids to your club
here’s some stuff to keep in mind. Create an environment based around fun, enjoyment,
and being with friends. Value each and every player, and give everyone
a chance to join in regardless of ability; and offer flexible membership options for
kids and their parents. So how can this research benefit you? Well
it might help you think outside the box to improve how your club operates.
Be flexible; cater to different groups by developing new ways to get people involved.
Create alternative forms of your game that focus on fun and enjoyment rather than competition.
Changing the rules might be one way of doing this.
Let friends play together if that’s important to them, rather than trying to separate them
based on talent. Schedule your sport at different times of
day and week; more teenagers might get involved on a weeknight than a Sunday morning.
At your end of year presentation have a social night to celebrate participation and your
volunteers as much as you celebrate success. Ask your members about any issues at your
club. By addressing the concerns you can start to focus on the opportunities. Small changes
now can make a big difference to your club later.
Need some help with your ideas? Visit ausport.gov.au/marketsegmentation to access research and support materials including
presentations, fact sheets, and case studies. The goal posts for clubs may be shifting but
armed with knowledge, ideas, and commitment your club can kick some serious goals well
into the future.