Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
Launching your own sports club can be a great way to enhance your fitness, support your local community and expand your social network. Group training sessions can give people the motivation they need to stick to a fitness regime and playing sports together can be good fun too!
However, you will need to do a little prep work before you can get started. With this in mind, take a look at these six things to do before starting your own sports club:
1. Get Funding
No matter what type of club you want to start, you’re going to need some form of funding. From venue hire to the cost of equipment, there are hidden expenses that will crop up when you’re organizing group activities. By getting funding in place from the start, you can ensure that your group activities won’t come to an abrupt halt due to cash flow issues.
Fortunately, there are a variety of fundraising ideas for clubs and sports groups, so you won’t be stuck for inspiration. With GiveButter, you can even use a free, end-to-end fundraising tool to streamline and simplify the process. To explore your options, check out this blog post on fundraising ideas for clubs now.
2. Set Up a Committee
As the founder of your sports club, you’ll probably want to take an active role in running it. However, you’ll need people to support you and undertake tasks that you can’t do yourself. Most clubs will have a treasurer to oversee the financial management of the group, for example, while a club secretary handles admin, a chair is responsible for the overall management of the group.
When you’re setting up your committee, aim to include people who have the skills and experience required to run the group with minimal disruption. Remember – committee members may be active members of the sports club, but they don’t have to be regular attendees, so choose people who can contribute to the management of the group, rather than the most active participants.
3. Enroll in First Aid Training
When you’re running a sports club, you’ll need to make sure that you have someone with first aid training present at every session. It’s not unusual for people to succumb to injuries when they’re playing sports or exercising, which is why obtaining a first aid certification should be a top priority.
Although you might be intending to attend every group session, unexpected issues could arise that result in your absence. Due to this, it’s advisable to have multiple people with first aid certifications, so that someone can take your place if you’re unable to attend.
4. Find a Venue
The type of sports club you want to start will determine which types of venues are appropriate. In some instances, you might want to train outdoors, or you might be traveling to different locations to train. It’s important to consider what you’ll do when bad weather strikes, so have an indoor venue ready to use as a backup plan.
If you’re starting a rock-climbing club, for example, you might visit nearby outdoor sites in the spring and summer but switch to indoor climbing venues during fall and winter. This will ensure that you can still meet regularly, regardless of poor weather conditions affecting outdoor activities.
5. Take Out Insurance
If you’re hiring a venue to host your group sessions, you might find that their public liability insurance provides the cover you need, but it’s essential to check this out in advance. In some cases, you’ll need to take out your own insurance coverage, so seek advice from an independent professional and make sure you’re not opening yourself up to any unnecessary liabilities.
Luckily, sports club insurance can be obtained relatively cheaply, so this shouldn’t significantly increase your running costs or prevent you from moving forward with your plans. Instead, it will give you the legal protection and peace of mind you need to launch your new club safely.
6. Attract New Members
Every sports club needs one thing: members! Consider how you’re going to attract new members to your group and start spreading the word via local noticeboards, online messaging sites, and social media. You can even create your own website to make it easy for people to learn more about the group and provide useful information regarding meeting times.
Are You Ready to Launch a Sports Club?
Starting and running your own sports club can seem like a lot of work, but you can get a great deal of satisfaction from launching your own club too. With the potential to encourage others to learn a new skill, share your love of a particular sport and provide people with an opportunity to get together, starting your own sports club can be a great way to spend your time!
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
