Recruitment and Retention

We are frequently asked about how to build membership at the club.  We have implemented this program at clubs with terrific results.  At one four-sheet club, they were stuck at 100 members and having financial difficulties.  After two years of recruiting and training, membership jumped to 250.

This brief section may help you work through the two things that are important when working through a plan. With the exposure created by television coverage at the Olympics, many clubs have no need to recruit as there are waiting lists to get in.  Membership numbers is based on club capacity.  A very rough rule of thumb is 100 members per sheet.

Two things are needed to run an active member-building program.

1. Recruiting - Attracting new members.

2. Retaining - Keeping new members.

Recruiting New Members

With any recruitment tool, your club will need to conduct a Learn to Curl, sometimes called an Open House.  The LTC is designed to be an introduction to curling, not necessarily a new member training session.  New Member Training is a much more comprehensive program that takes about two hours.  

We suggest charging people to attend a LTC.  This helps add value to your program.  Something like $20, $50 or so.  At the Open House you can explain the New Members rates.  For example, an LTC may be scheduled for a Saturday or Sunday with some uncertainty about how many people will attend.  Depending on the volume, the LTC may look like this.

Try the following.

1. Advertise your curling club using the methods below.

2. Invite people to your Open House.

3. Conduct the Open House and get commitment.

4. Conduct New Member Training.

5. Assign a league.

1. Advertise

Methods of advertising vary from club to club.  Discuss with your committee the best way too get the word out to the community.

2. Invite New Members

Part of your advertising effort will include the mechanics of signing up for an Open House.  You could include a link to your web site so potential participants can register and pay a small fee for a day or even a specific Open House time slot.  Another option is to keep things "open" and allow people to show up at any time during the scheduled Open House.  You can collect the fee at the door.

3. Conduct the Open House

On the schedule Open House day, recruit your best instructors and the people you want to present your club.  Instructors should know the two basic on-ice demonstrations and drills, the 1-2-3 Drill and the Basic Sweeping Drill.

Use the follow guide to help organize the flow. Use the CurlTech Open House PowerPoint presentation to guide you through the session.

Open House (Learn to Curl) Flow - Each Group of up to ten people.

1. Welcome everyone and introduce yourself.

2. Explain the LTC process.

3. BRIEFY describe curling - 5 minutes.

4. Take them on the ice for a 1-2-3 delivery demonstration.

5. Have them try the 1-2-3 delivery with step-on sliders and sliding devices.

6. Demonstrate the sweeping technique.

7. Have them "static' sweep the side lines down and back.

8. If time permits, review scoring and maybe the scoreboard.

9. Back to the warm room for New Member Training signups.

10. Sign them up for a New Member Training session.

4. Conduct New Member Training

Once you have a commitment from the Open House participants and have people registered for training, it's time to conduct one or more New Member Training sessions.  This should be done immediately after the Open House, preferably within a week.  These sessions are designed to get the new members enough information and skill training to enter leagues.

Use the CurlTech New Member Training PowerPoint presentation to guide you through the session.

5.  Assign New Members to Leagues.

At the completion of New Member Training, assign the new members to leagues that are suitable for brand new curlers.

Retaining New Members

Training

Hopefully your club has an established Training Committee.  If not, now is the time to create one.  Start with your best instructors, hopefully CurlTech Certified.  Teaching the foundational principles of the delivery and sweeping is the backbone of your club's on-ice success. 

Ongoing training is needed for all members, especially the new members.  After a few weeks of league play, schedule a New Member follow up session to reinforce the skills and answer any questions.  Bad habits will have already started and now is the time to set them straight.

Ice Conditions

Many clubs do not consider this as a retention tool.  Ice conditions play a huge role in how fast a new curler can start making shots.  Poor conditions equal poor shot-making and to a new curler, this can make or break the curling experience.  Your ice should be at a high standard when it comes to speed and curl.  Your new member league speed should be 3.80 (14.0) seconds and four feet of curl.  Speed is important than curl. 

New Members Atmosphere

You must prepare your membership for an influx of new members.  Curling with brand new curlers can be frustrating.  Creating a welcoming environment requires educating ALL members.