Increasing rec ball registration

[Coach JV]

The rec program in my hometown has seen its numbers slide continually over the past couple of years. We have posted
flyers at the cages, flyers on windshields at other youth sports (soccer etc), blanket e-mails to youth sports, flyers in the schools,
phone calls to families who have registered in the past. We have for the last 2 years had clinics at a local Div I school,
pitching clinics and coaching clinics. Any new/different ideas would be appreciated.

 

[MVLA Softball]

Coach,

I help with some of aspects of the local Rec League. It's a great community service opportunity. And you meet some great people.
Two years ago the Rec League purchased a number of the yard signs that we all see during political campaigns (the ones that are secured in place by pushing wires into the ground - as compared to the older style that used wooden stakes). The signs are relatively small and relatively inexpensive, but provide a different approach to notification. During the registration period, the Board members, the coaches and any willing person will place one of the signs on the edge of their property. It seemed to make a difference.
Good luck.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

The rec program in my hometown has seen its numbers slide continually over the past couple of years. We have posted
flyers at the cages, flyers on windshields at other youth sports (soccer etc), blanket e-mails to youth sports, flyers in the schools,
phone calls to families who have registered in the past. We have for the last 2 years had clinics at a local Div I school,
pitching clinics and coaching clinics. Any new/different ideas would be appreciated.

External marketing is fine (e.g. flyers, calls, etc.), but don't overlook internal marketing. The current players have to enjoy the coaches they play for and the league. At the beginning of the season, the number one goal of our league is to make sure the girls have fun and are excited about the program so they sign-up for the following season. If they have a wonderful experience (taught softball fundamentals, teaming, enthusiasm for the game, fun environment) they will tell their friends and hopefully convince them to join next season. Also, if possible I would ask some of the parents of the girls who have left, why did they leave (e.g. travel ball, other sports, bad experience, the economy, etc). Good luck!

 

[SnocatzDad]

Our youth organizations get free mentions in the local papers about signups. Also they take team photos for champions at end of season tournaments and post them in local papers, helps "sell' the program to the kids.

 

[Coach JV]

Thanks for the suggestions, we actually 'weeded out' coaches who had very few girls sign up from their past teams.
Some like to blame on the economy, but I see 400 girls on the soccer field and only 140 playing softball. BTW, we did the newspapers as well.
Hopefully, with the program under new leadership, things will turn around. The big positive, our 8U and 10U numbers are good,
this is the future of every program.

 

[awinn]

Hi Coach,

I'm the softball commissioner for our town and one thing we do is send flyers home with kids through the schools. I also send the occassional email update to the parents to keep them up to date. You may really need to focus on getting the word out that you have made changes and have clinics. Parents tend not to pay attention to what's going on in the offseason. I definitely agree with SoCal that you need to find out why the older girls are leaving. If it's school ball (middle school/high school) I make sure the coaches give those girls who play both some leeway when it comes to practices and I also make sure they don't have games (school games and rec games) scheduled on the same day. How well run is the league you play in?

Another thing our organizaton does is provide sponsorships to families that are having financial issues. For larger towns it may not be as easy but it's something to think about.

Just some thoughts.

Allen

 

[Comp]

Im not sure of how much club ball is in your area or what your high school rules are, but rec ball in this area is always fighting an uphill battle against club. The local rec league has done a pretty good job of attracting a lot of girls in all age brackets, but, as the girls improve in playing ability, they slowly but surely leave the rec league to play club ball. In some cases entire teams have left the league to form club teams.

As for high school ball, the interschoolastic association here does not allow the players to play on any other teams if they play on the school team. 16-18 ball just shuts down between February and early June.

 

[T.J.]

I (we) feel your pain. Every year our numbers have been pretty consisitent, but they'e just not great based on the size of our town. We definitely are losing players to spring soccer and now lacrosse. I'm sure all towns across the USA are competing with year round sports like soccer, basketball, etc. We however play fall softball, so soccer loses some fall players to us too during their traditional season. Our rec/town league has started to invest time and money in marketing softball and baseball. This year we our gang busters. We have found that there are some kids out there that never even thought of trying softball. Our focus has been to kind of flood them with exposure and promote the fun of the game. This is what we're doing this year...
1. Signs all across town. The small type you may find on a golf green during a tournament, or election time (just as you have done). But lots of 'em at strategic locations where there is lots of traffic.
2. Large banner across from shopping center exit lane. All cars waiting at the stop light to leave are looking at this large banner. This is a major traffic generator area, so again...lots of views and quick reads. Every car driving out will read this sign. It's large and simple.
3. Flyer at the elementary schools. Each child in all our schools has a "take home folder" that goes home every Wednesday. The parents need to look in this folder every Wednesday as there are usually important documents from the teacher or administartion, and then it needs to be returned the next morning. It's a great system that assures parents receive things handed out to the kids. A little league flyer is inseretd in this folder a couple weeks before registration.
4. Info table at the basketball games. Every Saturday there is a full slate of basketball at our community center. A table set up with a couple folks at the table is all you need. Its a reminder for those that have played and an introduction table for those who haven't. Having some general info, contact list, upcoming dates, typical schedules and pictures from previous years is a must. Now the biggie here is talking. If you are talking one-on-one with someone who has played, ask them about their experience and learn from what they say; take notes about the positives and negatives, and then thank them. If you are talking to someone who hasn't played yet or is thinking of joining, it would be nice to tell them that one of their friends is playing. I've found a lot of kids will do something if they know they have a friend doing it. So...you will need a master list and the list should be broken down by school and grade. This way if a child says she is in the 4th grade at Washington Elementary School, you can say..."Oh, do you know...Mary Smith? She played on the Tigers last year". And naturally, when you talk to someone have them pass the word on to their friends.
If you don't have an event like this then perhaps your local grocery store or town library would be your next best places. Think traffic, where will people be that can stop for a minute or two.
5. Web Site. We have a league web site that has everything you need to know.
6. Local TV. We have a town TV station that we post info on.
7. Fire Stations. They all have info boards in front of their facility. A couple weeks b/f registartion they post our registartion dates for us.
8. Flyers in businesses. All around town there is a flyer in local business windows or on their bulletin boards.
9. Automated phone call. We have a master phone list from the rec department an have invested in a system that will make a call to all the numbers informing them of registration.
10. Call Backs. After registration you need to call those that played last year but haven't registered. If they are passing this year you really need to ask why so you can learn from their thoughts or opinions.
11. Master email to all those you have.

Obviously there are a couple of challenges. The big one is reaching out to those who haven't played and the other is keeping the ones that have. Having a flyer at the local batting cage is nice, but in all honesty I would have to figure anyone at the batting cages in the winter will be playing ball in the spring.

Personally I think the root of the problem is that at the young age the kids don't know the game, don't know how to play the game and aren't physically strong enough to do many of the things we ask them to do. It's a tall task as coaches to make the game fun and successfull at the early ages. But if we want the girls to come back after the first and second years the kids need to be able to say to themselves..."Wow...that was fun, I learned a lot and I'm better than I was, I want to play again". This needs to be our mission as coaches of the younger girls, and it's not an easy task. Remember, in soccer the players go to the ball and all kids can run & kick...in softball the ball is hit or thrown to you, and at a young age you might not be able to catch yet....much more intimidating.

Anyways...I'm getting off the track here. Good Luck with your marketing efforts, hope my input helped some.

T J

 

[panthercoach]

woo hoo my first post. we are having the same problem here, we have only one 10 year old whose signed up and no 12s. We have a about 12 each for 8u and 6u teams. Spring soccer and travel ball are killing us. I've just got involved with softball we started a 6u program last yearand it was awesome we are expanding it this year with a couple more schools who did'nt get in last year. Most places make the little ones play t ball and I think that may hurt somewhat I'm hoping we can get more turnout at an earlier age like this with a strictly girls team versus coed tball. Last year was phenomenal we had several who could throw from third to fist in the air by the end of the season. And they actually absorbed the fundementals better than expected. I would recommend any league trying this if you havent already. We play pretty similar to tball but its strictly a girls softball team. Hopefully getting them this early and making it fun will keep them intersted and come back year after year.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

T-ball

...Most places make the little ones play t ball and I think that may hurt somewhat I'm hoping we can get more turnout at an earlier age like this with a strictly girls team versus coed tball...

In our league, 6U plays t-ball but it is the same game the older girls play except for coach pitch for 4 pitches and if not hit, it goes to the tee until the player puts the ball in play. IMO, this division really prepares the girls for 8U and beyond. I have heard some t-ball leagues in other cities play with a modified, softer ball, no face mask on the helmet is required, there are no outs, etc.. Not sure this helps prepare the girls when they move up in age group. At these young ages, its critical that you bond with both the players and parents so they want to come back the next season.