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Skyrocketing Team Membership in Collegiate Clubs!
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Paul Grosu
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Jan 06, 2003 21:46 PST
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Hey SWCCC!
I'm part of the Harvard Cycling team and this past year I've been fortunate
enough to be part of a project together with a few other great people for
USA Cycling led by Nathan Drake (Harvard/ECCC alum and USA Cycling Committee
member).
Each one of us has a little part due and my part is: Determining ways which
increase membership in collegiate cycling. The thinking behind it is pretty
simple: increase the membership -> more people will be in the sport -> more
fun. A side benefit of this is also gained in discovering more top riders.
My focus is on three specific areas:
1. Finding out how ways of how clubs can get started at schools that don't
have a cycling clubs.
2. Finding out how ways of in increasing the membership of clubs that exist
but are not very visible and/or have few riders.
3. Finding out how ways of in increasing the membership of clubs that are
highly visible, have high membership and have had high standings in their
conference and/or at a national level. From these clubs I learn more what
has made them so successful in having such high recruitment of riders to
their team.
So far I'm getting fantastic input! The only downside is that there are
only 24 hours in a day and the input is coming caller-by-caller. I'm just
having a blast just learning from different teams! For instance from clubs
in the Midwest conference I've learned that a great way they are getting
riders is through a race called the Little 500
(http://www.indiana.edu/~alumni/magtalk/mar-apr00/little500.html) where they
let rookies race each other in teams of four - Cat 1, 2 are not allowed -
with a very high turnout. Another club rider mentioned that getting larger
teams in contact with smaller teams is a great way of transfer of great deal
of knowledge. One of the simplest ideas which seem to be very effective is
of advertising in local bike shops about rides and clubs at a college or
university. One that seems to always make clubs ride as a team is having
riders be in the same housing/dorm - live together, ride together. Another
has been for conferences which are very large, splitting the conference into
smaller regions so that certain teams wouldn't need to travel very far, yet
the conference championships would still be held at one location. This way
more riders will be able to attend races. On an area of improvement, was to
begin to think of ways of lowering the cost of the membership.
The information is out there, but unfortunately time is not on my side.
Here is where you come in. If you have any input, just drop me an email.
It can be even one line such as "advertise in bike shops." Email me if you
are a large, small or barely existing club. Tell me worked for you in
growing membership and what didn't. Most importantly if you have any input
on how to start a club at a new school, I really would welcome the input.
Club sports offices are not really open to outside organizations such as USA
Cycling to help out, and are there for the students to get a new club
started. Some of the ways that came up to do this was to contact the
juniors and help them with the process. Another way was to have setup bike
clinics by a bike shop and advertise on campus about these clinics. If the
riders enjoy these clinics they would want to add a club to their school
since it would bring more riders from the school, and the riders can thus in
return also do something for the bike shop. It can be a WIN/WIN situation.
I know amazing ideas out there! Another way was to hook up riders with
larger teams at other schools, race with them and then with enough riders
and motivation the riders would start a club at their own school. Knowing
how to add knew clubs is key!!!
If there is anything USA Cycling you would want to be able to do for
you/your club or your conference, please email me. Tell me what you like
that your Conference director is doing, since there might be other
conference directors which would like to do the same but might have not
known about it. Conference directors work on a volunteer basis, so feel
free to add in the email if there is an area of added benefit that you would
like your Conference director to do. If the opportunity arises, USA Cycling
might be able to help the directors in some way to accomplish these added
benefits.
All of this will be compiled in a presentation which will be given at a
board meeting at the beginning of March, which means that there's not a lot
time left. I know people have great ideas based solely on my conversations
and emails. The more ideas I gather from you, the more interested will USA
Cycling be in bringing even more to collegiate cycling!!! All of this will
help you back but it all depends on your input.
Also if anyone knows what the conference email list_serv is for the Midwest
(MWCCC) please email me since I'm having trouble getting it.
Your help is much appreciated,
Paul Grosu
(Harvard Cycling)
E-Mail: gro-@fas.harvard.edu
Phone: (617)-496-9125
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