Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Program at the High School and Club Level

The Academy Opened September 2014 Year 1: 36 Teams, 1 Location Year 5: 102 Teams, 3 Locations Girls, Boys, Beach, Summer Camps, Little Spikers, HS Summer League, Satellite Camps, Coaches Clinics…

Zionsville HS Increased Match Attendance Started Junior Eagles Feeder Club, grew to 120 players Increased number of Athletes playing at all levels 150% increase in wins per season Improved quality of coaching staff Greatly increased number of athletes playing in college

Learning Objectives Create a Program and Brand Worth Growing Know Who You Are Work on Your Weaknesses Get a Mentor (or Two) Build Your Village Scale and Grow Your Program Let Them Get to Know You Reach Outside the Walls Marketing 101 Analyzing Growth Opportunities Add the Finishing Touches Know When to Pivot Make it Fun

Reminders You are unique! Don’t grow, just to grow Think long-term Research and learn from others, but build something that is uniquely you. Don’t grow, just to grow Know why you are growing and how the growth helps you reach your goals. Growth without purpose can waste resources and distract you from your ultimate goals. Think long-term Change and growth doesn’t happen overnight How does what I’m doing now, get me to where we want to be in 3, 5, 10 years. Stay focused… learn to say no!

Know Who You Are New Club/Program Existing Club/Program Who do you want to be? What plays to your strengths and personnel? What does the market need? Existing Club/Program Who are we now? Or what are we inheriting? What do we want to keep? What should we change? How are we going to get our message across? Marketing, Branding and Promotions

Know Who You Are Training Family Club-wide Curriculum Monthly Coaches Meetings Online Resources Mentor Program #TrainYourGame #Academy Strong Family Volleyfest Sister Teams Customer Service Player-focused Social Media #AcademyFamily #Ohana #WeAreOne

Work on Your Weaknesses Personal Development Know What You Don’t Know Get Better Hire Your Weaknesses Program/Club Where are You Most Vulnerable? Potential Obstacles Have a Plan

Get a Mentor Experienced Coach Another Club Director Athletic Director Take the Time to Get a Mentor Learn from Someone Else’s Mistakes Benefit from an Outside Eye Experienced Coach Another Club Director Athletic Director Another Business Owner Business Consultant AVCA Match Point Program

Build Your Village You CANNOT do this alone! Delegating is Not a Bad Thing Build Your Village early and often Train and Delegate Can include: parents, players, coaches, staff members, friends Street Team Create something people want to be a part of and it will be easier to Build Your Village!

Let Them Get to Know You Social Media Facebook Live Instagram Stories Have personal and professional accounts Post often and stay on brand! Facebook Live Instagram Stories Email Distribution List Parent Info Meetings Low Cost, Low Commitment Opportunities Get out and get to know them. It’s all about relationships!

Reach Outside the Walls Community Involvement is Critical! Youth programs, Middle Schools, etc. Boys & Girls Clubs Church Programs Offer to help train youth league coaches Community Parades or Festivals Planting seeds

Marketing 101 High School & Middle Schools Industry Specific Email Distribution List Host a Community Event Mailchimp, Constant Contact Yard Signs HS/MS Coaches High School & Middle Schools “Influencers” Game sponsors Social Media Tailgating Facebook, paid ads Hand out t-shirts Twitter Industry Specific Instagram Stories Be a Guest Speaker Facebook forums/groups Podcasts Community Exposure Guest Contributions to magazines or publications Parades, festivals, newsletters Magazine highlights and articles Event Fliers

Analyzing Growth Opportunities Do you have the… The courts The coaches The demand The resources If not… what will it take to get those four things? And… what is your return on this investment?

Know When to Pivot What obstacles could get in your way? What can we do now to plan for them? How will we know if what we are doing isn’t working? Do we have goals and evaluation tools in place to constantly monitor our progress?

Make it Fun Return on investment doesn’t always have to be about money… College Bus Trips Big Sister/Little Sister Team Dinners Theme Nights at Matches Volleyfest & Coaches Cup Create something people want to be a part of!

Bonus #1: Grind The harder you work, the luckier you get. You have to outwork your competition. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it!

Bonus #2: Stay Humble You never know what lies ahead. In this game, you need to build relationships… other coaches, other clubs/schools, parents, families, players. Remember your Village! Stay humble… you never know when you’ll find yourself in need of a helping hand.

Bonus #3: Taming the Parents You can’t avoid them completely! If you don’t find a role for them, they will find their own role. Clearly define the role and expectations. Help organize apparel Plan team dinners or outings Organize Spirit Nights Work concession stand Organize a Charity event Get to know them & show your appreciation!

Questions? emily@theacademyvolleyball.com