Racquet sports are booming in the US. Pickleball is no longer a niche sport; it's the fastest-growing sport in America. With the USA Pickleball Places2Play Database (places2play.org) reporting an impressive increase to 11,885 known locations. Padel, the new racquet sport on the block in the US, has seen 26% growth in courts in 2023 alone. The number of total US tennis players grew to 23.8 million, up another 1% from 2022. As racquet sports continue to expand, it's crucial for new clubs to find their footing and thrive in this competitive landscape. Here are some essential considerations for building a successful racquet club.
Sell a program and community, not just courts
When starting a racquet club, it's important to remember that you are not just selling court time; you are selling a comprehensive program, a vibrant community, and a distinctive brand. People are looking for more than just a place to play—they want a place to belong. While your club may be the closest club to their home now, what will keep them coming back to you when a club opens up closer to them. Creating an atmosphere and program where members feel part of something bigger will set your club apart from the rest.
Choose your revenue model wisely
Selecting the right revenue model is a critical decision that can shape the success of your club. Below are some of the different models being used.
All-Inclusive Membership Model: With this model, you may offer higher membership fees that give access to facilities and services for a flat monthly or annual fee. In this case, you can guarantee predictable monthly revenue and you can create a sense of exclusivity and community among the members. The downfall of this model is that your membership cap will be limited by your space and offerings. If a member is paying $250/month but the courts are getting so crowded with reservations and programs, they will no longer see the value in their membership. Increasing overall revenue in a significant way means higher membership fees or adding court space.
A La Carte Payment Model: To build a healthy club means to build a large, active customer base. Opposed to the all-inclusive membership model, this model works well for clubs aiming to attract a large and diverse membership base. By charging for individual court bookings, clinics, and events, you can maximize revenue per court and make your club accessible to anyone in your vicinity looking to play. Not only can you offer athletic activities but you can also use food and drink to draw people in. Combining bar food and drinks to go along with the activity can help draw rentals from people and businesses that wouldn’t otherwise participate in the sport. While you do not have the guaranteed, predictable monthly revenue of the above model, you have a large pool of customers that will pay for court time, clinics, lessons, open plays, tournaments, and more.
Hybrid Model: A hybrid approach can offer the best of both worlds. In this case, clubs can charge a basic membership fee that provides certain perks such as advanced booking windows and discounted pricing, while also offering court time, clinics, lessons, and other services and events on an a la carte basis. This flexibility can guarantee minimum monthly revenue and create a sense of community among the members while remaining accessible to new customers.
Facilitate Social Connections
One of the greatest appeals of racquet sports is its social aspect. It’s important to make it easy for players to meet and connect with one another. Leverage technology to allow members to share court bookings and events and connect with players of a similar playing level. Your club should organize social events, tournaments, and mixers that bring people together. It’s crucial to develop a developmental program that guides beginners through the learning process until they are confident and ready to join regular programming. This will ensure that you continue to expand your pool of players that are loyal to your club. Creating opportunities for social interaction will help foster a strong sense of community within your club.
Choose the Right Club Management Platform
When running your club, it’s important to work smart. Rather than paying subscriptions for all sorts of different softwares to help you with every part of your business, choose a software that can handle all of your club operations. For example, clubcloud offers a full suite of services that includes court reservations, management of clinics and events, flexible membership templates, point of sale for selling racquets, balls, drinks, and more, an integrated email marketing module so you can easily communicate with your customers, a branded member app to book courts and sign up for events, an instructor app for managing schedules and rosters as well as taking attendance and booking lessons, and advanced reporting so you have a clear view of revenue, court utilization, member visits, instructor hours, and more.
Diving into the minutia of your tech is important. You want your technology to conform to your business, not the other way around. Does it have waitlist functionality? Can you configure peak and off people pricing? Can you set up member and non-member late cancellation fees and booking windows? Can members split the cost of court time and does it take into account their membership type? Finding the right platform is key to allowing you as a club owner or manager to stay focused on growing your community and brand.
The Personal Touch Matters
In a world dominated by digital communication, the personal touch can make a big difference. It goes a long way to reach out to members with personalized text messages to invite them to clinics and events and show them appreciation by thanking them for their participation. Offer perks to founding members and recognize their contributions. All of these small gestures can significantly enhance member satisfaction and loyalty to your club.
Building a successful club is about more than just providing courts—it's about creating a thriving community. By focusing on offering a comprehensive program, choosing the right revenue model, facilitating social connections, and adding a personal touch, you can set your club apart from the rest.
