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

2. 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…

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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!

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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!

11. 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
Distribution List
Parent Info Meetings
Low Cost, Low Commitment Opportunities
Get out and get to know them. It’s all about relationships!

12. 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

13. Marketing 101 High School & Middle Schools Industry Specific
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

14. 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?

15. 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?

16. 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!

17. 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!

18. 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.

19. 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!

20. Questions?