If what you are looking for is advice on the best way to found a club, and the legal framework that it has to comply with, we recommend that first of all you read our post on how to create a sports club.
Yes, for On the contrary, you have already ventured to create the club, today, we are going to guide you in your beginning as a sports manager.
Once you have created your sports club, these are the first steps you must take to launch yourself in this incredible adventure.

1. Do not rush. These are the first steps to follow

1.1 Choose the name and color of your club

First of all and as in any company, the first thing you should consider is the name of your sports club. Of course, you should note that it has not been used by another club before, since they cannot be repeated at the time of registration.
There are thousands of clubs with different names. And there are different approaches to naming your club:
Originality prevails
Every project has a story behind it, so you can take advantage of this to base your club name on it. Here you have a multitude of curious names that some sports clubs have chosen . Surely someone inspires you.
Use names related to the origin of the club
In the name of the club, the name of your locality or province may appear, so it will be easier to identify it to the time for your promotion.

The most important thing. A simple name
Stop weird things. The most important thing is that it is a name that is easy to name , simple and short, so it will be easy to memorize it.
Once you have it clear, you will be able to consult it in the Registry of Sports Associations. Being registered in this Registry is essential both to join a Federation and to be eligible for State aid or subsidies.
On the other hand, you should also consider the colors of your club. It is not a trivial decision. Colors represent emotions , they represent feelings. Colors transmit.
Keep in mind that, as your club becomes known, people will associate it with a color (among other things).
To get an idea of ​​what each color transmits, you can take a look at this post about color in sport.
In short, a sports club without a suitable name and a color according to what it wants to convey, is already starting on the wrong foot.

1.2 Set your club’s goals

A crucial part of creating a sports club is setting the goals you want to achieve.
One of the great problems of starting a project is the lack of definition of the objectives. And we do not mean to put them down on paper and keep them in a folder. Rather, these objectives must be defined, and an action plan must be designed in the short, medium and long term to achieve them.
All this sounds very nice, but it is very difficult to carry it out. cape. More even at the beginning of a project, where you probably have a multitude of unsolved questions.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What do you want to achieve with your club? The answers can be several. Maybe you want to be a reference at a regional level. Perhaps what you are looking for is to promote the practice of a specific sport in your area. Perhaps, with a more social character, you want to create a meeting point between people who share the same passion.
Be that as it may, this decision will mark the next steps you will take in the creation of your sports club.
Regardless of the goal you have set for yourself as a club, keep in mind that you are starting from scratch. Be patient and make sure you don’t skip stages. Prevention is better than cure, and it is not worth doing a job that you will have to discard in a few months or years.

1.3 Name the people responsible for your club

You have to choose the people who will accompany you along the way. This decision is probably one of the most important you will have to make when starting your sports club.
For your club to function properly from day one, you will need several people by your side. Each one with different responsibilities.
Creating a sports club is not easy, so you will need to have other people to help you on this path. You do not want to do everything yourself, greed breaks the bag.
At a minimum, you must have the members of the Board of Directors: A president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and member. Each one will have specific tasks, especially related to the organizational part of the club. However, in the beginning, these people will probably collaborate on other tasks related to the club.
You will need coaches or monitors for purely sports matters. Ideally, you should hire these technicians early on. But we all know the difficulties of assuming large costs at the beginning of a project. So the best idea in the first place is probably to have a number of volunteers who are willing to collaborate with the club.
Volunteers tend to be committed and loyal to the particular club during years. Therefore, it is important that you recruit and retain volunteers so that you can better distribute the tasks.
You can, of course, select one person to take on various roles. But the best thing is that you are clear that each person should have a role. And as far as possible, to achieve this goal.

1.4 Write the club’s statutes

If you have created an Elementary Sports Club, the statutes are not mandatory (but recommended). If, on the other hand, you have founded a Basic Sports Club, the statutes are an essential requirement.
In short, a statute is a formal guide for clubs.
This guide should highlight specific issues relevant to the club. It is crucial to keep these documents to consult them during the meetings of any committee during the season.
In most grants or aid that you are going to request, having up-to-date statutes will be essential.

2. Plan well your club expenses

As in any company, a club must be viable over time. If it is not, it will hardly be able to survive over time. Finances are one of the most delicate parts and one of the parts where directors tend to have less training.
A sports club is a non-profit organization , and therefore should not have the treatment of an organization that does.
However, even if the club is not for profit, it needs to have a minimum income for the survival of the club itself.
Running a sports club is expensive, therefore That is necessary to be efficient with the expenses that you have and the possible sources of income that you can choose. And it is that, despite the efforts of the directors to reduce the general expenses of the clubs in the long term, the initial investment is quite high.
This is where the importance of having different sources of income lies for the sustainability of your sports club. There are a multitude of ways you can earn income for your club. Not without first forgetting all the possible expenses that your club may have and how to avoid them.

2.1 Installations

Creating a sports club is in itself a huge expense. You have to take into account the annual cost of renting or acquiring facilities. This is the most difficult part, since you will have to get them yourself, unless you already have facilities on your own.
If you are one of the lucky few who has their own facilities, congratulations! You can skip this point. You will only have to worry about the maintenance of these (which is not little).
If, on the other hand, you are not that lucky, you have two main alternatives:
Look for public facilities
In many cases, the city council yields to clubs and sports entities their facilities. There are cases in which the price is subsidized. There are even city councils that give up the space at no cost to the club!
Depending on the sport, you will need some facilities or others. The complexity of a riding club is not comparable to that of a running club. Take this into account when estimating the time you will dedicate to this task.
Search for private facilities
You will always have the option of renting private facilities, but this alternative will be more expensive. You will be paying for better maintenance and potentially better cared for land, but this is not always the case.
As a recommendation, we suggest that you try to save the cost of the installations as much as possible, at least for the first few years. It is better to “not offer the best of services” for a while, but to have a sustainable project, than to want to offer an excellent service from day one. As events progress and your club continues to grow, you will make changes that improve the user experience of your athletes .

2.2 Civil liability insurance

It is highly recommended that a club have civil liability insurance. This insurance can allow you to protect yourself against incidents that occur in the activities organized by the club.
To request grants and aid from public organizations, it is essential in most cases.
Like any sports club, you have a duty to take care of your players, coaches, volunteers and, in general, all members of the club. That is why it is so important to have insurance, as it will cover them in the event of injury or negligence.
Similarly, if your club needs to hire third-party fields or facilities, you must take into account the insurance’s liability coverage hired.

2.3 Equipment equipment and materials

You will agree that having a kit that differentiates you from the rest of the clubs, with the colors, the logo, the names of the athletes, and sponsors is essential.
You may be thinking that your athletes pay for their kits and materials, and in this way, save important money for your club. It is a good alternative. Either way, you probably have to advance an amount. From experience, we can assure you that charging your members will be one of the most tedious tasks that you will face throughout your life as a sports director. (We have some tricks for you, anyway 😉)
As we said, having personalized kits is a necessary expense for your club, but you can get an agreement with a company to give you discounts or special prices. Many times, the sponsors themselves bear the cost of the kits in exchange for a sponsorship agreement. Learn how to close a sponsor deal before closing your club kits.
On the other hand, the material for your sports club is also essential and of great importance. Your club must have the necessary material for its proper functioning.
We are not going to tell you to invest a very large amount in material, but think that trying to reduce material expenses may be counterproductive in the future. Think of this expense as a long-term investment.

3. We know the expenses, it’s time to think about the income

Obviously, you will need to have income to sustain your club over time. Earning an income is one of the most difficult challenges any sports club faces, but it is essential to its survival. Let’s get to it!

3.1 Collection of membership fees

It is the main source of income for a club. It is an income, usually “small”, but with the great advantage that it is recurring. What does this mean? While you trust your member, you will have an income in your checking account.
Some clubs opt for annual fees (or registration fee) and others for semester or quarterly fees. But the typical thing is usually to charge monthly. In this way, the amount received by the members is less, but the sum of all the fees is higher than a single payment that you could collect.
Imagine. You ask one member to pay € 30 / month, and another member you plan to pay € 250 in one go. People are probably much more scared of having to pay € 250 than to pay € 30 a month. But in reality, you are earning € 110 more a year!
Another very interesting trick is to offer installment payments, dividing the registration fee into 2 or 3 payments. Actually, what you are doing is creating semi-annual or quarterly installments.

3.2 Punctual payments

This point is not the most important, and in most cases, it will be an income that does not exist. We mean making a profit on some payment that members make.
If, for example, the members have to pay for their kit which costs € 43, you can charge them € 50 and thus obtain an extra income for other matters relevant to the club.
Another example is tournaments, competitions or travel . If instead of charging the exact amount, you “throw it high”, you will have a surplus.
However, we understand that a club is non-profit making, and the main objective is to offer the best of services to athletes. We raise this income to make other investments in the club such as facilities or other discounts.
For both fees and one-time payments, we recommend that you take a look at our post so that you can decide the correct method to charge your members.

3.3 Website

Even if you don’t think about it at first, the website is one of the most important tools for raising funds. Not directly, but you have to present your website as the showcase of your sports club. You must treat it like a business and it is a channel that you can take advantage of to increase the income of the club.
It is the first place where many potential members go, or possible sponsors and collaborators.
If you have a successful design and focused on conversion, you may be able to get new members to join your club with little interaction with you. Only by seeing the value that your club offers and informing themselves through the different pages, will they be able to fill out the registration form, and at a stroke, get an additional recurring income. Voila!

3.4 Sponsors

In point 2 we talked about the cost of the kit and how the sponsors could pay. Sponsorship income can raise your income by considerable levels.
You can offer sponsorship to brands by disseminating them on your social networks, your website, posters and fences and sports equipment. Remember that there are many types of sponsors in a sports club, so keep in mind that it does not always have to be based on direct monetary remuneration.

3.5 Special events or camps

Creating events in your sports club brings together more people with a social purpose, so it is also an opportunity to generate valuable income for your club.
A very typical activity of sports clubs is to organize campuses in parallel to its main activity. You should take advantage of the location and facilities that are not used on certain dates to increase your income. In addition, you will not only earn money in the short term, but if you organize these events well, you will be able to attract new members and grow your sports club.
You can also choose to organize tournaments or competitions. You can raise money with registrations, attendees or other services you can offer such as food, drink or merchandising.

3.6 Grants

Obtaining grants is not a difficult task in terms of complexity, but it is difficult in terms of the time it takes.
There are many grants, and each one is awarded by different agencies. From aid from the city council, to regional, state or European subsidies. There are also grants from private entities.
The concepts for which such grants are granted also vary. There are grants for professional clubs, for clubs that promote a sports school, for clubs with inclusion sections, for women’s sections, for minority sports … It is a matter of being alert, and completing all the required documentation in a timely manner.

3.7 Club store

You probably don’t want to make money selling kits to your members. But what about selling equipment and merchandising to fans? This is a very good way to generate income, and to get more people to know the club. Since, if people wear the club shirt, or wear a cap on the street, it is more likely that people who did not know about your club, now have at least a slight idea that you exist. It’s already a step!

4. Let’s go for sports issues. It’s time to find athletes!

It is clear that no club can sustain itself without athletes. The members of a club themselves are the foundation on which a sports club stands. Therefore, it becomes one of the crucial parts when starting your club, and sometimes it is somewhat complicated.
You should focus on trying to ‘sell your club’ mainly in your area. If people are not aware of its existence, then it will be almost impossible for them to come to it. But, what are the best techniques to publicize your club and attract new members?
We are going to tell you 5 tricks to attract new members for your sports club:

4.1 Local SEO

Local SEO is a branch of SEO that deals specifically with search engine optimization for local companies, that is, it helps you optimize the searches of people who are close of your club.
One important thing to know about Google is that its main function is to help people find what they need. That is, an SEO campaign will be effective if a user types the keywords that match those of your sports club.
One way to make your club appear in the first Google searches is to put the contact information, Specific details about your club, such as prices or hours, including photos and comments from your own members on Google My Business. It can also be interesting add the location of your club to Google Maps so that people know exactly where they can find you. Without this, your online visibility will decrease considerably.

4.2 Social networks

Everyone with a mobile phone is likely to have access to social media and the Internet at their fingertips, so being there should be one of your priorities.
The good thing about social media is that allows you to post almost anything that has to do with your club, be it information, videos or images of your club.
In addition, social networks allow you to interact with your community of members. Tag people in your posts, use hashtags and encourage feedback with your followers to get as much interaction as possible, getting them to share your content.

4.3 Local and door-to-door trade

The traditional way to promote your club is by posting advertisements in local newspapers or magazines, as well as handing out advertising brochures or posting posters in places near your club. Typically, you will need to ask local businesses for permission to put the posters up in their windows.
To attract younger players, talk to nearby colleges and universities. Not only to put up posters, but to give talks and give you permission to talk to parents. Another effective method can be to advertise your club on their websites and on any social media platform the schools have.

4.4 Open days

On the other hand, you can take the opportunity to promote an open day in your club so that they can try a free day. Tryout sessions are a great way to engage people with your club and get more people’s attention.
It is important to make these days fun so that potential members do not get discouraged and want to come back again. You should also think about what time of the week will be the most appropriate to hold these types of sessions. Weekends will be preferable, as this is when people have more time. Another good time might be in the afternoon, after the children have finished school.

4.5 Referral strategy

Another method that works well for clubs that want to attract new members is to offer discounts or special prices for “bringing a friend.” Some initial members will be needed for this, but word of mouth between trusted people is one of the most used and effective strategies so far.
You can, for example, make a 25% discount on the registration fee of the new member, and a 10% discount on the monthly fee of the member who has brought his friend.
If you still want to know more in detail the keys to attracting members in your sports club , we recommend you read this article we have for you.

5. Plan the communication structure in your club

Usually, people tend to do a lot of things and put them all in motion. Either because you have done it alone, or with the help of a group of people, all these improvements and actions of your club must be communicated.
What is the use of planning the registration of new members, if nobody knows how it does. How are local businesses going to find out that you are looking for sponsors if it is nothing more than an idea that came out in a meeting?
What we want to tell you is that having good communication with the members of your club is a determining factor. It is important that you communicate efficiently with both members and people outside the club.

5.1 Know your members

It is not the same that your members are 7-year-old pre-youngest, teenagers or masters over 50. It seems obvious, but in practice, many clubs do not take it into account. In each of them, the communication process has to be different.
While with young people you will have to deal with parents to get their terrible WhatsApp groups under control, with teenagers it is probably enough to talk in training and send a reminder WhatsApp or post a notice on a platform. With the most veteran, you may need to call them all one by one! In short, take into account the characteristics of your members. What works with some may not work with others.

5.2 The key: simple communication.

The Internet has changed habits and the way people interact. Given the large amount of information we are exposed to, people tend to pay little attention. But the reality is that your club needs your members to read and make decisions through your communications.
You must have an easy procedure and as comfortable as possible for them. Complicated and overly elaborate communications end up unread. Using a specific app for your club’s communication is not a good alternative.
Try to use a single channel that all your members already know, such as WhatsApp or email. It will be the most sensible decision you can make.

5.3 Study the different channels to communicate with WhatsApp

The communication channel most used today. It offers agile and immediate communication. As a disadvantage, we are often exposed to too many messages, and the relevant information is lost in a group.
While individual posts tend to be quite effective, groups don’t work well for formal topics. An alternative is to make a distribution list, but if a member does not have your phone saved, they will not receive the message.
Email
This channel is ideal for parents, as they are more used to using it and it is more likely to read your communications. For most adults, email is the staple of daily communication, especially for more professional subjects.
One drawback of email is the large amount of spam that is received throughout the day, as this channel has been used for years to send intrusive emails.
It is important that your email stands out above the others, use a good title or make them appear important. But be careful not to go overboard with the amount of emails you send.
Specific communication apps
The idea of ​​having an app to communicate between club members is great. And many clubs have tried to get it started. What is the problem? In practice, it is impossible for all your members to download, install, register, learn to use and effectively use a new app.
More than half of Spaniards use less than 4 apps a day. Do you think one of them will be the new app you just found? Let’s face it, a communication app would be great, but not all members would use it. So you should leave people out of communication or double your efforts.
Website
The content of your own website can be another method of communication, although it will be less effective than the previous ones.
Usually general news content is uploaded, but it is difficult for our members to get into the habit of frequently checking the website.
This communication channel should not be used for urgent things, and should have a more general approach, understanding that many of the visitors to the page will be people outside the sports club.
You can also have a calendar of your own page so that they are informed of the next events or matches that are played. There must be a constant flow of content that reaches all the members of your club, as well as the people who are interested in it.
If you want more information, we leave you here 5 tricks to improve communication in your club .

Let’s see. You have taken the first steps. You have studied the expenses and raised the income. You already have the members and you are able to achieve more and organize the activities and communicate with the current ones. Everything is ready!
You just have to work hard to take your club to the top. Your sports club has a long way to go, but it will fill you with satisfaction when you see that your goals are being achieved.
The next step is to give importance to the daily management of your club. Because even if you have a memorable start, you don’t have to forget that this long-term project needs daily control and monitoring. Probably, it will not hurt you to know all these tools to improve the management of your sports club.