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.