Recently, SportsRecruits conducted a survey of its users who are on club teams to gauge their opinions on a variety of subjects. The goal of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the decision processes families use when selecting clubs, and what their expectations of organizations.
One of the most interesting data points that came from the survey: Only 1.75% of respondents selected “price” as a major factor of joining a club, while over 59% cited coaching and recruiting expertise as their main factor.
In the club sports space, one of the major concerns of directors and owners is keeping their prices at a level that will not scare families away. Taking this point further, the main goal is to ensure the perception that costs are or will not rise. However, it seems this may be an overblown concern.
Families have begun to view club sports as an expense that will ultimately result in finding a collegiate home. Considering the exploding costs of a college education, families view a $1,000-$5,000 per-year cost as an investment.
With budgets and costs on the minds of most club owners and directors, it is interesting to note that price does not seem to be such a determinant factor. While there certainly exists a yet-to-be-calculated ceiling on what a family will pay, it does not seem to have been reached yet.
This leaves room for infrastructure and other investments into what families do seem to care most about, which per our numbers are recruiting and coaching expertise.
The macro trend in small businesses – like club sports – seem to indicate technology investments are both wise and lead to an increase in profits (1). With this in mind, it would be prudent for clubs to consider investments that can add a substantial amount of value for at a limited price increase – an increase that families do not seem particularly concerned with.
_______________________
(1)Gregersen, Kirk. Survey Finds Technology Is Critical For Small Business Owners But Many Have Yet To Adopt Cloud Solutions.” 15 May 2014. Microsoft Office Blogs.
http://blogs.office.com/2014/05/15/survey-finds-technology-is-critical-for-small-business-owners-but-many-have-yet-to-adopt-cloud-solutions/
_______________________
Follow us on Twitter:
@SpikeMal
@LacrosseRecruit
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SportsRecruits