Is a Club For Me? Part 3 of 3 - Attributes of a Good Club!!!
Where did the year go? Do you recall what you were doing a year ago in December? It is the holiday season, a time to spend time with friends and family, celebrate, share your blessings, and be thankful. One of my secrets to reduce holiday stress during this time of year, is to make a little time for yourself, it is the one thing that we often forget to do in the attempt to get everything else done. Have a wonderful Christmas, and happy New Year!!
Finally part 3 of the 3 part blog, "Is a Club For Me". As I said, there are many clubs available to join. But what do you look for in a good club? Remember you are going to be wearing their colors, you are a reflection of them, just as each of them are a reflection of you. Do you agree with what the club represents? One of the first things you may want to understand is the club’s cause. This can be the club’s mission statement, what do they do? Do they donate to charity, or help the community? Who do they serve? How are they viewed by other clubs, or the community? How well does the club achieve their mission? How you can help them accomplish this mission? Remember, If you don’t feel comfortable with the sole of the shoe, it may not be a good fit, and so move to the next brand.
Now lets talk about attributes, also known as membership benefits. Membership benefits are most times provided in a brochure, or on the club web page (is their web page even up to date?). Take a look at the benefits and ask yourself how their advertisement lines up with your needs. The following list are attributes that you will find in many clubs, some clubs may have a good portion of the listed attributes, others will have a few. It all comes down to what is important to you:
Clinics (demonstrating skills, lectures, guest presentations).
Inclusion, are all members included in activities.
Discounts to local merchants and sponsors.
Certified coach mentoring.
Social gatherings, picnics, holiday parties.
Season kick-off activities.
Organized group training sessions.
Team Racing.
Camaraderie.
Raffle prizes at social gatherings.
New membership kits (i.e. stickers, visors).
Clothing and swag.
An activity calendar.
Use of social media.
Are they structured (i.e. not for profit, how are they managed and organized).
Membership expectations.
Kit ordering schedule, minimums, and costs.
Integration with the community and their sport.
Apparent leadership and mentoring.
Not all clubs will have everything on this list, you will have to do some research, ask yourself what is important in a club. Beware of the club that has clicks, as clicks in a club can make it difficult to be included, a good club is inclusive of everyone. Perhaps you just want camaraderie and support, and therefore the rest of the list won’t matter to you. In the end it is your decision. Whatever you decide to do, remember one thing, clubs are like a relationship, and what you put into it, is what you get in return.
Don't forget FE26TRICOACH, LLC is giving a 15% discount (honor of being an event Ironman Certified Coach at Ironman Arizona 2016, for all services, and that offer expires on January 5, 2017. All you have to do is lock into an athlete agreement prior to that date.
