Some key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship, and Athletics and Sports. While not everyone can go on to play in college and the professional levels, many individuals go on to start their own Sports Clubs. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Could You Start A Sports Club?
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Thinking of starting up your own sports club? Here are a few of the steps you may need to consider to make your club a reality.
Get qualified/licensed
Some sports are governed by an official body – to teach these sports you may need to obtain a license or teaching qualification that is officially recognised. For example, you can’t teach skiing without completing a ski instructor course, whilst you can’t coach a swim team without registering with USA Swimming as a coach. Even in sports where qualifications aren’t necessary, taking some kind of course can be beneficial for helping you to understand the process behind running a club.
Know your competition
Before starting up a club, you may want to check that there aren’t any other similar clubs locally. You may find it difficult to get people to join your club if there’s already a well established club in the area teaching the same sport as you. If you’re starting a club that’s part of a national organisation, you may even be restricted from starting up a club if there’s already one in the vicinity. Either way, make sure to do your research.
Shop around for equipment/venues
You’ll need certain essentials such as equipment and a venue. Shop around to find something that suits you need – you should weigh up factors such as cost, availability and practicality. You may want to design your own equipment in some cases such as custom basketball jerseys. Also consider whether you may need a van to transport equipment in – this may not be necessary with a pilates class but could be much needed if you’re running an outdoor boot camp.
Work out your running costs
On top of upfront costs of equipment, you’ll need to consider the running costs of renting a venue and possibly insurance. Make sure that you’re going to be making enough money to cover these costs. If you’re not making money from your club or only planning on breaking even, you’ll need to to ensure that you’ve got a job that supplies you with a source of income large enough to afford your club’s running costs.
Consider the commitment
A club is a big responsibility. People will expect you to show up and run the club each week, so make sure that you’ve got the time and the personal drive to do this. Quitting the club could let down any members who you build up – it should be something that you plan to be in for the long run.
Do your market research
Market research will help you to understand the demographic of the people that live locally to you and the people that are most suited to your club. If you’re going to be charging high fees, you need to be sure that people in the area are wealthy enough to afford your club. If your club is aimed at children, you may want to check that there are a lot of schools in the area and therefore a lot of kids to market to. This will all help you to realise how feasible your sports club is.