Membership

Every club welcomes new members but finding them and keeping them is not always easy.

Communities have never been in greater need of the support and friendship a sporting club can give. At the same time, the spare dollars for memberships are harder to come by.

Being a Good Sports club means you have a policy in place that covers your commitments to your members. This is a big bonus in the eyes of members and their families when they are looking around for a club to join.

It tells people thinking of joining:

• you have a safe and welcoming club environment
• you don’t welcome bad behavior on field or off
• you care about members’ health and wellbeing
• you have all your legal rules and regulations sorted.

That’s a pretty good sales pitch.

Get the fundamentals right and you stand the best chance of hanging in there until the good times return. And they will.

Everyone welcome

Welcome all comers. It doesn’t matter if they can’t bowl, throw, catch, swim, kick, dribble, pass or run.

There is a place for everyone in a Good Sports club and a Good Sports club is a place for everyone.

With mental and physical health never more important, you might find folks are just looking for a place to be with people who will welcome them.

Trophies aren’t everything. There are plenty of opportunities front of house and behind the scenes. Make a list of openings and put people’s strengths and enthusiasm to work.

Spread the word

After a disrupted year or a long break between seasons, rounding up the usual suspects can be difficult.

It can really help to let everyone know you are back in action. Tell them about the club’s plans, put out a call for members and volunteers. Include several sets of contact details and answer all queries.

Ask everyone to spread the word – at work, with friends, at your kids’ school, social media. Make connections with local migrant or refugee groups. Good Sports has assembled a toolkit for helping you get the message out.

A place to call home

Sometimes it’s the simple things that keep members coming back. Especially a sense of belonging.

Sharing food as a club has an important impact. It brings people together, helping to improve mental health, connection and even club revenue.

Here’s a great example.

Learning from Bundoora United FC

Good Sports club Bundoora United, in north suburban Melbourne, has come a long way in recent times and happy food has been key to their success story.

The club started DA Kitchen (named after the head chefs Dennis and Alex). What began as a barbecue dinner designed to feed hungry players and parents after the Friday night game, quickly became a cheerful community institution.

We spoke to Bundoora United Football Club about DA Kitchen and how the food has helped to improve the club’s culture and bring the community together.

A healthier revenue stream

Financially, DA Kitchen has also been super for Bundoora United’s bank balance. The club limits food wastage by encouraging members and guests to RSVP via the free mobile phone Team App if they plan on buying a meal.

They also encourage sponsors to attend the event. This helps to strengthen the relationship, giving local funders a chance to interact with the club community. It shows them what their money is achieving.