Survey Results: Takeaways and Trends for Your Club

“It is all about college – getting into a better one.”

“[Redacted] is horrendous about recruiting unless you are one of the coach’s favorites or play for the high school team. They did not even help with my older son who now plays [in college]. [Redacted] is a cash machine for the owners. They hate parents. This is the primary reason why we switched [clubs].”

Takeaway Data Point

59.27% of respondents (339 of 572) noted that they chose their club team primarily for the coaching and level of recruiting expertise.

Analysis

It is interesting to see a number behind what has been anecdotally true for many years: Families are relying on their clubs for guidance in the recruiting process. College will be the most significant investment a family makes outside of a house.

Looking at the respondents’ answers, we can see that negative feelings toward a club’s handling of the recruiting process can directly lead to them leaving an organization. This feels like a logical step when considering that over half of the families surveyed are choosing a club primarily for recruiting assistance.

Considering families are choosing clubs for their recruiting acumen, it is vital that organizations have a bulletproof system and/or the technology in place to handle these needs effectively.

Losing a family can be a real issue as an organization attempts to scale. As we know from our recent look at customer churn, it would be wise for clubs to continue doing everything in their power to keep their families happy.

The idea of customer churn – a fancy way of saying how many customers a business loses – is simply that an organization will be unable to grow if they are simply replacing customers as opposed to retaining them.

Depending on how many age groups a club supports, 85-90% of revenue organizations see each year comes from renewals, while only 10-15% are from new players. Thus, simply replacing families means losing the revenue that can be gained from keeping them on board.

We will revisit this question a bit later to explore another interesting trend in the answers provided.

Again, you can learn more about churn here.

Question #2

Which of these people would you say you rely on the most in the recruiting process?

Respondent’s Answers

“Both the Coach and Recruiting director have been very helpful.”

“None of the above as they are all one person and not particularly hands-on with the recruiting process. We rely on friends with older children who have gone through this.”

“Really none, I feel alone in this, and I need help because it feels like it’s getting late.”

Takeaway Data Point

85.96% of respondents (508 of 591) noted that a club staff member (director, coach or recruiting coordinator) was relied on the most for needs in the recruiting process.

Analysis

Taking the first question and digging deeper, we can see just how much families expect from their club staffers, notably as it relates to recruiting assistance.

When breaking down some of the respondents’ comments, it was also interesting to note how many said they felt lost in the process or were simply not getting what they thought was adequate assistance. This suggests that a gap exists between expected and real value when it comes to guidance in the recruiting process from a club.

We recently discussed the topic of adding recruiting value, noting it was an important step in keeping families happy – and these numbers would certainly add credence to this idea.

Investing in technologies, speakers or other ways to add recruiting value to your club’s infrastructure can then be viewed as a solution to meet the continued demands from families on an organization.

Question #3

Which of the following most accurately reflects why you chose your current club program?

Respondent’s Answers

“Well run program. Good reputation for players and development.”

“Coach philosophy and expertise are topmost.”

Takeaway Data Point

Only 1.75% of respondents (10 of 572) selected “price” as a major factor of joining a club.

Analysis

As promised, we are back to this question, which provides another interesting point.

Given the rising costs of playing on a club team – things like event fees and travel expenses alone are astronomical – it is interesting to note that price is not a major factor for our respondents when choosing an organization.

While this at first appears surprising, it should not be. 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.

Other than buying a house, sending a child to college is one of the largest costs a family will incur. As such, it is not surprising that they are willing to invest in club sports as a way to potentially offset costs later via scholarships.

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.

If you are a club not making investments in your business when it comes to technology and infrastructure, families will find and pay a premium for those that are.

Said another way, there is no reason for an organization to cut corners or to invest in things like technology, personnel or other value-add improvements if price is not a deterrent for families.

Question #4

Have you in the past or would you consider changing clubs in the future?

Respondent’s Answers