How fast can your Club react?
The importance of training and readiness for a heart emergency at your Club.
The local sports club is the heartbeat of every town and village in the country. Plus, the people are the heartbeat of any club. So are we doing enough to protect that heartbeat?
This is the first in a series of blog posts by ClubZap in relation to awareness of heart health in local sports clubs, the level of training given and how to improve awareness.
There are striking outcomes from our research in this area that tell the story that we’re not where we want to be when it comes to responding to heart health emergencies.
A Defibrillator
We conducted separate surveys of:
- Club Administrators
- Members & Supporters
Based on the results, we have designed a fitness health checker which we would advise you to fill out and share with your members.
Current State Of Play
Here are the most notable findings from our surveys:
From Club responses
- 86% of clubs we surveyed have a debibrillator.
- 41% of clubs have no health and safety procedure.
- 24% of clubs have no representative in charge of health and safety.
- 11 respondents have said their club defibrillator has needed to be used in the past. Out of 78 responses this is obviously concerning.
- 58% of clubs have said that there is either nowhere that members can find out who is trained to use defibrillators or that they don’t know if members can find this information.
From Member responses
- 173 people (45%) said that their club does not have a defibrillator or that they don’t know if it does.
- 55% have said that they have no idea who to contact, in their club, in an emergency.
- 3 in 10 people have received training on how to use a difibrillator. This is obviously not a priority in terms of day-to-day operations but we believe every attempt should be made to have training sessions for members.
- 21 people have been in a situation where a defibrillator has needed to be used.
- 75% of club members say that they don’t know what to do in an emergency.
- Finally, 330 people have stated that they have a confidence level of 5 or lower out of 10 when it comes to taking charge in an emergency. This lack of confidence is prevalent even with people who have been adequately trained and have attended refresher training courses. It suggests that people are afraid of taking charge in a situation and would much rather have somebody else take the reins.
There are lots of things we can use here in terms of gaps in training and raising awareness.
What Can We Do?
A friend of mine once said it was one of the skills she was most grateful for when she encountered a cardiac arrest a few years ago. It was literally the difference between life and death. I hope you never have to use it, but know how to use it and protect heart health. Push yourself and your club to get trained up.
What did we want to achieve from the campaign and why?
We undertook this campaign because we started noticing from conversations that club members didn’t know how to react in the event of someone needing cardiac help or going into cardiac arrest. While many clubs have defibrillators and good training in place, we thought it would be very useful for clubs to be more aware of this and do what they need to do.
We have also created some very interesting videos around this area. We had a very interesting discussion with Doctor Robert Kelly, who is a cardiologist in the Beacon Hospital and Martin Conlon, who is a Health and Safety Officer at Shannon Airport.
Thanks a million to everyone who contributed to this campaign.
#defibaware
What is my role as Club PRO?
Club Communication is Key.
So your club achieved something big. That’s great, but club communication is your next step.
The role of a PRO has many facets. It stretches so much further than just sending out a few social media posts and e-mails. Communication with various parties both internally and externally is massively important.
In the past, channels of communication were very limited. Local newspapers were the main media for updates but this also provided a lack of PRO control in terms of what was printed. There are endless channels through which to spread your message but the more channels you choose to work with, the more work it entails.
A successful club is not just one who wins titles. It’s also one that shows vibrancy when someone looks up their digital presence or when people drive through the gate for training. Clubs have more and more competition from other codes so it’s important that they portray a professional presence both with facilities and online presence in:
- attracting new members, and
- keeping the members they have.
The role of the PRO is of great importance in portraying this image.
The role also affects how members engage and play a part and is the glue that holds your community together. It’s no secret that the digital world has taken over in the last few years through social media and smart phones. However, these tools only enable club communication to be even more efficient and widespread.
The image that PRO’s portray online can affect their ability to get sponsorship deals. A lot of sponsors nowadays look for a return for sponsorship. The PRO needs some analytics to say x amount of eyeballs are visiting the website and seeing ads.
The breakdown of roles include:
Internally
Fundraising Committees
Identify a cause that you need to improve in your club. Who are your fundraising committee? Why do you need the money? Once you have established this, people will be more likely to give if they see that the money is going to a worthy cause but regular meetings here are key.
Engage with other officers
It is pivotal to have regular communication with other officers. It is the easiest way to keep abreast of updates yourself. Whether it be financial performance, fundraising events or even annual general meetings with all members, you play a central role in making sure everybody is aware. The more you engage with them, the more likely they will be to help you and keep you updated.
Engage with team managers
While it is obviously important for PROs to attend fixtures and events, it is impossible for them to attend everything. This is where you need to build up relationships with team managers. The more you’re on their side, the more they can assist you in providing match reports and regular updates. You will need them.
Players
Without players, there is no club. Members are not only key to competing but also are the main source of revenue through membership. A good PRO must always keep members updated with fixtures, results and news. This even applies to fundraising events and getting members to get involved.
Other PROs
Are there any regional PROs that you need to provide results to in a timely manner? You have the responsibility of keeping these individuals up to date with your activities as they have the task of updating to a wider audience.
Volunteers
It is important to keep regular communication and give credit to volunteers who selflessly give their time for the good of the club. These people play a massive role in day-to-day organisation so make sure you give something back.
Historical Documents and Media Pieces
These can make for very effective social media posts as well. People love a memory. Remember the time we won the cup? Or documents from when the club was founded? It gets people talking and reminiscing. You can even post articles and pictures on the walls.
Externally
Guest Visits
We regularly see trophy visits along with interviews with big names. This attracts people who are not even members. It’s up to you to welcome people and make them feel at home. Portraying a goodimage can lead to new members in the future who would like to play for somebody that knows what they’re doing and is professional.
Supporters
Supporters are also members and are obviously very keen to keep up to date with events. Your role here is to ensure they are kept up to date. The easiest way possible is through our purple app. Imagine if these updates were as easy as writing a text message. Well they are that easy!
Parents
It’s vital to keep parents informed of all fixtures, training and any activity that requires a child’s attendance. They are also obviously responsible for their child’s membership payments and a lot of travel so you do not want them on the wrong side. This can also help word of mouth promotion and increased juvenile membership. Parents talk to each other.
Media
Obviously a great channel for promotion to a large audience, the media includes national and local newspapers and specific magazines covering your sport. Clearly this is a massive opportunity to portray updates to a very large audience.
Think outside the box
Finally, think outside the box. What events are happening in your locality that you can get involved in?
Why Club Memberships are Not Paid
Reasons why members can be slow to renew their annual membership.
Dusting off the old cobwebs in January is hard. The weather is woeful, the bugs are doing the rounds and the thoughts of returning to sport can bring a cold sweat.
If you are running a club the New Year might bring fresh challenges like membership renewals. Membership fees are life blood of any sporting organisation but getting all the members to pay up is another story!
Things don’t run like clockwork and members don’t always pay their dues – some folks need an extra push. So why is so hard to get people to pay in time?
No Incentive
Hitting members with a whopping bill this month is a blunt and brutal welcome to the New Year! The silly season and January sales can empty most coffers so people are not exactly flush right now. The ‘early bird’ option gives an incentive by giving a discount on the renewal. Clubs should offer a discount of perhaps 10%-20% on the annual price in October or November for the following year to get some cash in early and give people a chance to budget accordingly.
Carrot and Stick
Ease of structured payments
Having to fork out a few hundred euro on a family membership right after Christmas is unpalatable as already mentioned. Clubs should offer a direct debit option of paying off the fee over the year. A few quid a month via Direct Debit will be easier to commit to. It’s better than dodging the club registrar for a few months. Also, having a Direct Debit in place will make it easier to renew year on year.
Different rates
A ‘one size fits all’ won’t suit every club. Different membership rates should apply to players and non-players, for students and the unemployed. The old lad in the club bar should only be paying a reduced social membership – a few drinks tokens with the membership are always welcomed. There should also be a group discount for families. The more kids you have in the club, the bigger the discount should be.
Some clubs start the juvenile membership year to coincide with the return to school in September, instead of starting with the calendar year. By splitting the renewal for children and adults it might ease the financial burden for some families.
One size does not fit all
Nominate someone to collect
It can’t be the sole responsibility of the club registrar or committee members to chase down stingy members, most people want to avoid conflict – especially with neighbours or family friends etc.
Perhaps an easier way is for the manager of each team to do this on behalf of the club or else ask the captain to do it? Getting the players to row-in will make it less acceptable to avoid paying up. Peer pressure can be used in a positive way.
Also, committee members are not familiar with all their members – only the managers know the identity of the players under them. Five or six players on the juvenile team that I manage are born the year before the rest. When our juvenile registrar is tallying up the membership figures by year of birth he misses out on those members, as he assumes they are on the team from the year below.
And if that doesn’t work… No pay, no play!
Members should be given a cut-off date for renewal. For example, if your renewal is January the cut-off date should be the end of the month so that members will have enough money to spend after their first pay check of the year. The registrar needs to work closely with the nominated collector to have an accurate list of the fare dodgers.
Failing that, players who have not paid should not be allowed to train or compete in matches.
There are two reasons for this:
- It is not fair on those who have paid.
- In a lot of cases, the player is not covered by insurance.
No pay, No play!
Simplifying club communication and driving engagement levels – Case Study
Club sees increased engagement with supporters via direct communications.
A study on how a local sports club in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland has increased engagement levels with their supporters by 20X since they established a direct channel of communication with their followers free from other distractions.
Fundraising Ideas For Your Club
Kick start your club's new year fundraising efforts.
With the start of a new year, sports clubs all over the country are making their plans and budgets for the busy year ahead. Sports clubs often have various expenses such as jerseys, gym equipment, facility maintenance and upgrades, travel costs, coaching staff salaries, and more.
For this reason, fundraising is crucial to any club as it plays a fundamental role in supporting the overall sustainability and success of the club! So, we decided to look at the various fundraising events a club can host to raise these valuable funds!
Table Quizzes
One of the most popular ways to raise funds for any club is through a table quiz as it provides a social and entertainment value to its participants. The inclusivity and social aspect of table quizzes can attract a wide range of participants, maximizing attendance and may also even benefit the club bar. Funds are raised through teams (usually made up of 4-6 people) paying an entry fee.
The benefit of this form of event is the low overhead costs that are involved. Primary expenses may include the printing of quiz material and small prizes for the winning teams. Prizes can even be donated by local businesses or sponsors further reducing expenses.
Be sure to be creative and not just use questions that can be easily accessed through the internet. Keep some questions localised and relevant to the club to keep a strong community aspect.
Finally, remember to promote the quiz well in advance through social media, websites and leaflets, to ensure you have as many tables participating as possible.
Table Quiz
Donated Cans and Plastic Bottles
A trend that clubs have started to embrace is recycling schemes. These schemes provide clubs and the local community with an excellent opportunity to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans.
Some recycling companies have schemes where they will pay clubs for every full bag of bottles and cans they collect from your clubhouse. It’s a great way for the whole community to get involved in raising money for the club while it also encourages children to think green. It can be convenient for parents to simply drop up their empty cans or bottles when they are dropping their children off at training or attending a home game.
The best way to promote this scheme is through your club’s social media channels and websites, mainly after holiday periods!
We want your plastic
Raffles
Raffles involve selling tickets to the public for a chance to win prizes, and the proceeds from the ticket sales go back to the club.
The benefit of raffles is that it is usually a low cost per entry which attracts a broad audience. This makes it a versatile fundraising option for sports clubs.
To encourage ticket sales, sports clubs can offer attractive incentives to do with local businesses or the sports club itself. Some GAA raffles have even offered a house as its first prize, but we wouldn’t expect you to go that far!
Make sure to promote your club raffle through social media, local businesses, and even ask all teams within your club to sell tickets as they will most likely be the beneficiaries of the donations.
Win a House Raffle
Combined Fundraiser
Not the most traditional form of fundraising but there are examples where it has worked very well for both clubs involved.
A perfect example of this type of fundraising is when Raheny GAA and Clontarf GAA, both of Dublin, collaborated and ran an extremely successful fundraiser called “Go The Distance”. Both clubs competed to see which club could cover the most distance in one day.
On the 23rd of May 2020, Raheny and Clontarf GAA club members, walked or ran as many miles as they could and ended up raising over €100,000 for St. Francis Hospice!
The two clubs promoted the campaign through posters, social media and promotional videos featuring high-profile players to drive awareness. The whole event was covered on social media and showcased club members who took part, how much was raised, and most importantly which club was ahead in the competition. The results were better than either club expected, far outdoing their initial goal of €10,000!
Go the distance
Supermarket Bag Packing
This involves club members assisting customers in packing their groceries in exchange for donations, in a local supermarket.
The benefits of this form of fundraising are the low setup cost involved while also allowing sports club members to engage directly with the local community and potential supporters. Club members can hand out leaflets with information on how to donate or they can simply have a bucket at the end of the till where customers can donate cash. It also provides an opportunity to share information about club activities and upcoming events.
The important thing to remember with this type of fundraising is organising a time of day in the supermarket when it is likely to be busy as this may lead to higher donations. It is also important that all members are wearing their club gear as it makes it easier for customers to establish who they are donating to.
Club Lotto
As we have said in our previous blogs, the club lotto has become a significant source of income for sports clubs in recent years.
To encourage participation, it is important to ensure that the jackpot is high as this will increase the participation levels. Importantly, when jackpots are won and return to the starting or lower jackpot, we tend to see a lot of people drop off. To protect against this, it is essential to get your players on recurring payments, so they are in every week irrespective of the jackpot amount.
Important to note is that you must obtain a license and renew it every two years when setting up a club lotto. Clubs have had their lotto shut down in the past by letting their license expire.
Finally, make sure to promote your lotto through social media and include important details such as the jackpot, prizes, and what day and time it takes place!
To learn more on how to set up your club lotto, read our blog post.
Club Lotto
Sponsored Activities
Sponsored activities such as club walks, runs or cycles can be effective and enjoyable in raising funds for sports clubs.
These events are a more inclusive style of fundraising as they include people of all ages thus building a strong sense of community and promoting physical activity.
Participants can pay entry to the walk or even source sponsors for themselves to complete the activity and after, donate the proceeds to the club.
Once again it is important to promote the event through social media, leaflets and local newspapers.
Finally, create an easy-to-use online registration system where participants can sign up for the event.
Fun Walk
Special Participation Events
Participation activities that are similar to TV programmes like The Cube, Strictly Come Dancing, Stars In Their Eyes, or even white-collar boxing can also be popular fundraisers for clubs.
These events tend to be fun, sociable and entertaining with high attendance rates coming out to see participants doing something outside of their comfort zones.
Important to note with this fundraiser is that it might have high input costs due to paying for venues and other 3rd parties bringing the whole event together.
The key is to promote the night as much as possible and recruit a good MC who will make the night entertaining for all.
Strictly Come Dancing
So, we hope you found our list helpful and we wish you the best of luck with your club fundraising activities for 2024. If you have any other fundraising ideas, be sure to let us know!
How to Attract Sponsors and Provide them with Value
Tips on how your club can gain long-term partnerships with your potential sponsors
Sponsorship plays a crucial role in the success and sustainability of sports clubs. The financial support provided by sponsors can contribute towards covering a club’s expenses such as jerseys, gym equipment, facility maintenance and upgrades, travel costs, coaching staff salaries, and more.
Successful sports club sponsorships often result from building strong, mutually beneficial relationships.
So let us take a look at how your club can attract sponsors and provide them with value!
Choosing Who to Approach
First things first, choose carefully who you approach to sponsor your club. It’s important to research and develop knowledge of all the potential sponsors. Choose a sponsor with positive customer reviews that you feel fits the ethos and values of your club and won’t damage its name. Possibly look for sponsors with an interest in sports, health or simply the development of the community.
Most sponsors will get involved because they want to support their club and local community rather than for purely commercial reasons. Local business owners who have a connection to the club or may have relatives currently playing could be the most interested in contributing to the club. So maybe it’s best to approach local businesses first before you start targeting multinational corporations!
If your club is looking for several sponsors, be sure to avoid those that may directly compete with each other in the same market. Finally, seek financially stable sponsors who may be interested in a long-term relationship rather than a short-term one.
Talk About Your Club
It’s important for any sponsor to know the history of your club and what it does. Tell them valuable club information such as its history, achievements, number of members and supporters and the club’s role in the community and how the sponsorship can be part of this contribution.
It’s important to put together a presentation outlining the different sponsorship packages available to accommodate various budgets. The presentation should include the club’s goals and objectives while also listing out all the different benefits that will be attached to the sponsorship and in turn what you will need from them.
Remember you may be competing with other local clubs looking for support, so it is important that you really sell your club’s idea to the sponsor.
Showcase Your Sponsors on the ClubZap App
With a digital platform like ClubZap, you now have clear indicators of how many times a sponsor’s name and logo are seen. This creates an incentive for a sponsor to come on board with your club because in most cases the target audience for a sponsor are the people in a club. With ClubZap, clubs can now provide engagement metrics from their digital platforms back to their sponsors.
Provided you are an administrator for your club, you can manage sponsors and adverts in the ClubZap app. There are 4 advertising slots available at the top of your ClubZap website for promoting events, membership and your sponsors. Each club can see monthly app opens on their dashboard so if they have a sponsor on the top of their newsfeed, the app will be able to tell how many times a brand has been seen. This is also similar in the news article section of our app.
Clubs can also promote sponsors on the ClubZap app, providing value for the sponsor, club, and its members. See below how Ballyboden GAA promoted its sponsor, Sports Surgery Clinic.
The sponsor’s logo can also be presented at the foot of your ClubZap website with an interactive link to their website or social media page.
See here more information on how to manage sponsors and adverts on your ClubZap website and app.
Utilise Your County/Elite Players
Using local stars/role models from your club can be an effective strategy in announcing and promoting your club sponsor. These stars will tend to have a strong connection to the local community and have a positive image which can help to build credibility for your sponsor. Utilising these stars through a launch or announcement can be a great way to show your sponsor that your club acknowledges and appreciates their contribution to the club.
Be sure to promote the launch through your club’s social media channels and other local media like newspapers and radio stations. Also, conduct engaging videos and interviews with your local stars where they can illustrate how the new sponsorship will have a positive effect on the club and the local community. This will only create a positive brand image for the sponsor while having a more meaningful resonance with the sponsor’s target market. These interviews and videos can then be shared to your local star’s social media channels thus increasing reach and engagement for your sponsors.
Use Experts Within Your Club to Add Value
We are now living in a world where digital creation is at the fore with the advancements in technology, creative tools, and online platforms. The younger generation especially, has adapted to these digital technologies and acquired the skills to create engaging and expressive content across their personal and professional platforms.
Every club will most likely have members who are skilled in videography, photography, designing, etc. Be sure to utilise these members to add value to your club and its sponsorship. Creating high-quality promotional videos or images leverages the partnership between your club and sponsorship. The visually appealing content can also resonate with your members, encouraging them to interact with both parties.
Highlight Benefits Sponsors will Receive
Even though local businesses may support your club out of goodwill and because of your club’s attachment to the local community, it’s still important to outline the benefits they will receive from their sponsorship. Benefits can be through logo placement on jerseys, advertising boards at the club, access to tickets to club events and other promotional benefits.
Also, make sure to utilise your club’s social media and website in showcasing the sponsors by regularly featuring their logo, highlighting the support they give to the club and sharing updates on the partnership.
Finally, emphasise how supporting your club will enhance the sponsor’s brand image and recognition, and reach a broader audience based in the community. Sponsoring a local sports club can also contribute to positive public relations and showcase the business’s ambition to support local initiatives!
Treat Them Well
Once you have secured a sponsorship, it is important to treat them well. A well-treated sponsor is more likely to be a committed and supportive partner in the long run.
Provide them with tickets to matches or invitations to special events and always acknowledge their contributions. This can be done through various media, such as newsletters, social media and the club website.
Also, it is important to give sponsors regular updates on how their money is being spent while making sure to provide them with reports based on exposure, engagement, and any other relevant metrics.
It’s also important to keep sponsors informed about the club’s activities, achievements, and upcoming events. Regular communication helps strengthen the relationship and keeps sponsors engaged. Express your appreciation for their support and demonstrate the impact their sponsorship has had on the success of the club.
Overall, the benefits to sponsors in sports clubs extend beyond mere financial support, providing opportunities for enhanced visibility, targeted marketing, community engagement, and positive public relations. Successful sponsorships are often those that benefit both the sports club and the sponsoring business.
So, let us know how your club embarks on getting a club sponsor!
Attracting new members to your club
Tips to grow the number of playing members and volunteers in your club.
Growing your sports club membership numbers is essential to the long-term sustainability and evolution of your club. A thriving sports club continuously attracting new members from diverse backgrounds and ages, while maintaining existing members, ensures the club can maintain a strong presence in the local community and promote their sport for generations to come.
Increasing your club’s membership also contributes to the financial sustainability of the club. Membership fees provide clubs with revenue for various expenses such as jerseys, gym equipment, facility maintenance and upgrades, travel costs, coaching staff salaries, and more.
So, let’s check out the tips we have for your sports club to attract new members.
Engage With Local Schools
As the saying goes, “Start them young.” By engaging with schools and their students, your sports club can attract new members from the next generation and their families, which may result in valuable lifetime members.
Reach out to school principals and PE teachers with the potential to introduce your sports club to the school’s students. When speaking to students, identify what sets your club and its sport apart from others and communicate the benefits of joining your club.
Also, offer the school and its students coaching during their PE classes. Schools will be eager to promote physical activity and sports participation among its pupils, so this collaboration with your club should be a win-win for both parties. It will also give students first-hand experience of playing your sport, while providing them with a vision of what becoming a member of your club will encompass.
Engaging with local schools will also give your club access to communicating with parents and guardians. Here, you can provide them with information about your club and address any concerns they may have. It’s also important with parents to emphasise the positive impact of sports participation on children’s physical, social, and emotional well-being.
Online/Social Media
Utilizing online sources and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, can also be a great way to recruit new members to your club. Create a club website that is user-friendly including information about your club’s history, facilities, teams and age groups, and importantly, membership options. Ensure you do some research regarding search-engine optimisation for relevant keywords to the sports your club plays and its location. This will help your club appear higher up the list when people are searching on Google.
Social media platforms can also be an efficient source for recruiting younger members to your club. Clubs should highlight that they are actively looking for new members and highlight the benefits of joining. Share engaging content regularly, including updates on club events, photos and videos of club activities, positive testimonials from existing members, and other club-related news. Through these posts, you can promote your club as an important cog of the local community thus attracting new members.
Leveraging targeted ad campaigns through Google and social media can also help your club reach individuals who may potentially match your ideal member profile. These ads could reach people who have recently moved to the area and are actively looking to participate in sports and join a team. These targeted ad campaigns can be created to target people based on demographics, interests, locations and behaviours.
Volunteer Opportunities
Becoming a member of a sports club does not have to be associated with being an active player on a team. These types of members could get involved in club activities or volunteering roles such as coaching underage teams, umpiring or match officiating, collecting gate receipts at matches or being stewards at a sponsored event. Though they will not be actively playing for any of your club’s teams, they will feel a sense of belonging, purpose and satisfaction.
Attracting volunteers can be achieved by clearly communicating the positive impact they will have on the club and the community. Acknowledge their efforts and celebrate their achievements publicly through the club website, social media, and local newspapers. By creating this environment, you can attract dedicated volunteers who are passionate about contributing towards the success of the club.
Membership Benefits
It’s important to highlight the benefits associated with being a member of your club when trying to recruit new individuals. Offer attractive membership packages with benefits such as access to exclusive events and discounts on merchandise. Family membership discount packages can also be an incentive for families who have recently moved to the local community to become members of your club. Family membership packages also provide opportunities for parents to volunteer, take part in coaching training sessions, and actively be a part of their child’s involvement in the club.
Offering free trials also allows children to try your club’s sport first-hand without having their parents complete sign-up fees beforehand. It gives children the opportunity to see if they enjoy the experience before committing to membership.
Community Outreach Programmes
It’s important for a club to engage with groups that may be underrepresented in the local community, such as women, ethnic background minorities, and individuals with disabilities, to promote diversity and inclusivity within the club.
Clubs can offer these specific individuals tailored training sessions that are more focused on inclusivity and the element of fun rather than that of a competitive nature. A great example of these inclusivity programmes is the Raheny All-Stars which was established by Dublin-based club and ClubZap user, Raheny GAA. This special initiative was set up for children with special needs aged 9 – 12. The goal of this initiative was to include children who could not take part in a typical team game, assisting them with the skills of GAA in a fun and safe environment.
Another great example of introducing members to clubs was the Gaelic4Mother&Others initiative which was to introduce mothers and other women to playing Ladies Gaelic Football in a fun, non-competitive and social environment. The initiative provides an opportunity for women to get their weekly dose of exercise while meeting other mothers in their local community.
So, let us know how your club gets on with attracting new members to your club!