Inspired by the post-Covid boom sustainability thread, I'm curious to hear advice, tips, and warnings about building and sustaining your local club, running tournaments, cultivating volunteer and sponsor support.
I've been a part of three clubs:
One in a small town that definitely punched above its weight, four tournaments a year, intra-club competitions, strong course maintenance and upkeep activity. Strong intergenerational participation and leadership with plenty of municipal relationships.
The second was a small club in a huge urban metroplex that basically served as a way for the old heads to hang out, win some friendly cash off each other, maybe run an unsanctioned tourney for themselves and a few hangers on every year or so. Deep community but pretty insular. Most local tournaments were run by DG companies as opposed to clubs.
Third was a club in a small city with multiple leagues, quarterly tournaments, a few old old traditions and maybe some grudges too. Huge participation, especially post COVID, old guard and newcomers figuring each other out, plenty of drama for better worse. Almost combative relationship to city authorities but enough go along to get along.
I think it's great for different clubs to have different goals, but I'm particularly curious how to create the first model and how to keep the third model functional and thriving amidst some of the change over the past couple of years.
I'll start:
Use registration money to serve lunch instead of building out the players pack at tournaments. We all know what discs we like and have more than enough towels and chalk bags. Lunch builds community and saves me money. Extra points for post tourney beer sponsor.
Handicap leagues allow progress over to time to be witnessed more clearly and allow lesser players to compete with everyone else.
I've been a part of three clubs:
One in a small town that definitely punched above its weight, four tournaments a year, intra-club competitions, strong course maintenance and upkeep activity. Strong intergenerational participation and leadership with plenty of municipal relationships.
The second was a small club in a huge urban metroplex that basically served as a way for the old heads to hang out, win some friendly cash off each other, maybe run an unsanctioned tourney for themselves and a few hangers on every year or so. Deep community but pretty insular. Most local tournaments were run by DG companies as opposed to clubs.
Third was a club in a small city with multiple leagues, quarterly tournaments, a few old old traditions and maybe some grudges too. Huge participation, especially post COVID, old guard and newcomers figuring each other out, plenty of drama for better worse. Almost combative relationship to city authorities but enough go along to get along.
I think it's great for different clubs to have different goals, but I'm particularly curious how to create the first model and how to keep the third model functional and thriving amidst some of the change over the past couple of years.
I'll start:
Use registration money to serve lunch instead of building out the players pack at tournaments. We all know what discs we like and have more than enough towels and chalk bags. Lunch builds community and saves me money. Extra points for post tourney beer sponsor.
Handicap leagues allow progress over to time to be witnessed more clearly and allow lesser players to compete with everyone else.
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