0:00:04.250,0:00:10.650 All over Australia strange things are happening at our sports clubs. The goal posts are shifting.
0:00:10.650,0:00:16.309 Club membership is stagnating and in an effort to attract and retain members changes must
0:00:16.309,0:00:18.800 be made. But what can you do?
0:00:18.800,0:00:24.310 These days there are more entertainment choices, more sports, and more demands on our time
0:00:24.310,0:00:27.920 and our money. Our population is changing and we have very
0:00:27.920,0:00:33.940 different lifestyles, yet against this backdrop there has been a spike in sport participation.
0:00:33.940,0:00:38.620 Not through clubs but through things like running with you iPod, social group cycling,
0:00:38.620,0:00:44.629 going to the gym, or seeing a personal training. So how do you, as a club, get a bigger slice
0:00:44.629,0:00:49.910 of this increasingly fractured market? To find out what influences people’s decisions
0:00:49.910,0:00:55.879 around club based sport, the Australian Sports Commission and GfK Blue Moon did some research
0:00:55.879,0:01:00.379 with both adults and kids. With adults we found most people fall into
0:01:00.379,0:01:07.379 ten basic groups when it comes to sport; the Loyalists; the Socially-Engaged; the Sport-Driven;
0:01:08.439,0:01:14.979 and the Apathetic Clubbers. Then there’s the Sidelined Sportsters; the
0:01:14.979,0:01:21.979 Club Wary; the Ponderers; the Self-Focused; the Sport Indifferent; and the Sport Atheists.
0:01:24.229,0:01:31.229 40 per cent of non-club members aged 14-65 belonged to a club at some point, so there’s
0:01:33.119,0:01:39.680 a chance to re-engaged with these people on some level, and a quarter of Australians aged
0:01:39.680,0:01:44.590 14-65, who aren’t members of a club, have expressed interest in joining one.
0:01:44.590,0:01:49.829 That’s 3.8million people who potentially want to be part of club sport.
0:01:49.829,0:01:54.820 So how do you tap into them? Firstly, you need to understand the main concerns
0:01:54.820,0:02:01.820 adults have with club sport. One is inflexible schedules, clubs being too cliquey; leaving
0:02:01.829,0:02:08.829 people feeling excluded. Another is the cost, and limited opportunities for beginners.
0:02:10.489,0:02:17.360 When it comes to kids in sport the research identified six basics types; the Social Loyalists;
0:02:17.360,0:02:24.360 the Sports Driven; and the Apathetic Clubbers. And then you have the Thrifty Enthusiast;
0:02:24.690,0:02:30.410 the Ponderers; and the Sport Resistant. Over 50 per cent of kids who aren’t club
0:02:30.410,0:02:36.360 members now were once part of an organised sport and 46 per cent would think about joining
0:02:36.360,0:02:41.700 a club if activities were better suited to what they wanted. These non-club members make
0:02:41.700,0:02:48.250 up 1.1million potential new recruits. The research found while some kids love the
0:02:48.250,0:02:53.989 competitive side of sport many others don’t. So to attract and retain kids to your club
0:02:53.989,0:03:00.440 here’s some stuff to keep in mind. Create an environment based around fun, enjoyment,
0:03:00.440,0:03:05.260 and being with friends. Value each and every player, and give everyone
0:03:05.260,0:03:11.409 a chance to join in regardless of ability; and offer flexible membership options for
0:03:11.409,0:03:15.989 kids and their parents. So how can this research benefit you? Well
0:03:15.989,0:03:20.650 it might help you think outside the box to improve how your club operates.
0:03:20.650,0:03:26.970 Be flexible; cater to different groups by developing new ways to get people involved.
0:03:26.970,0:03:33.620 Create alternative forms of your game that focus on fun and enjoyment rather than competition.
0:03:33.620,0:03:36.299 Changing the rules might be one way of doing this.
0:03:36.299,0:03:40.879 Let friends play together if that’s important to them, rather than trying to separate them
0:03:40.879,0:03:44.290 based on talent. Schedule your sport at different times of
0:03:44.290,0:03:48.970 day and week; more teenagers might get involved on a weeknight than a Sunday morning.
0:03:48.970,0:03:53.780 At your end of year presentation have a social night to celebrate participation and your
0:03:53.780,0:03:59.549 volunteers as much as you celebrate success. Ask your members about any issues at your
0:03:59.549,0:04:05.610 club. By addressing the concerns you can start to focus on the opportunities. Small changes
0:04:05.610,0:04:09.180 now can make a big difference to your club later.
0:04:09.180,0:04:16.180 Need some help with your ideas? Visit ausport.gov.au/marketsegmentation to access research and support materials including
0:04:19.209,0:04:24.990 presentations, fact sheets, and case studies. The goal posts for clubs may be shifting but
0:04:24.990,0:04:30.020 armed with knowledge, ideas, and commitment your club can kick some serious goals well
0:04:30.020,0:04:30.779 into the future

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