Club Resources
5 Cross-Sport Insights from Leading Clubs
Sprocket Sports recently brought together a dynamic group of soccer and volleyball clubs for REV on the Road SoCal Edition, a regional version of our annual conference for youth sports clubs. REV on the Road gave our Southern California club leaders the chance to network and share cross-sport insights and best practices.
Our roundtable discussions on revenue growth, coach development, club metrics and improving the member/coach experience yielded some important takeaways:
Supplemental programs are the key drivers of club growth
“If your club isn’t offering extra camps, clinics, training, etc., another club will" - and you put your club at risk of losing core program players
- Designate a club “owner” of supplemental programs and give them a financial incentive to grow the business
- Invest in targeted marketing (social media & paid advertising) to reach new players in addition to existing club members
- Create targeted programming – younger ages, beginners, positional camps, ID camps, college/pro team collabs, etc.
Sponsorships are a significant source of potential incremental revenue but can be difficult to maximize
- Network – during registration, ask parents to indicate the name of their employer
- Again, it’s important to assign a club “owner” of sponsorships – e.g., a staff member or Board member to take the lead and give them an incentive.
- Leverage technology – showcase sponsors on the mobile app. Parents are on the Sprocket mobile app 1-2x per day!
Measurable club objectives are critical for sustained club success
- Prioritize defining long-term clear goals and measurable KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for club leaders – that do not change with the season or with new Board members
- Player Retention is a top goal and critical KPI for most clubs – "leading indicators" for Player Retention include metrics such as Net Promoter Score, practice attendance, etc.
The most valuable coaches excel both on and off the pitch/court
- Top coaches are hard to find, recruit and develop: tracking “Coach Performance” deserves as much focus as “Player Performance”
- “Coach Performance” should take multiple criteria into account: on field/court observations, parent surveys, player retention, etc. are just as important as wins/losses.
Leverage the club Mobile App to elevate the member and coach experience
Parents and coaches are on the Sprocket app 1-2x per day so it’s the best – and safest - place to engage them:
- “Polling” is a new Sprocket feature being rapidly adopted: “Where should we go for dinner after the game?” for example
- Sprocket’s new “Ask Coach John” chatbot shares expert parent education on demand.
- Other app tools to engage and amplify: club news, team content, sponsorships, IDPs, Player Progress