Member Recruitment & Retention
One thing that can bring Associations down is a high turnover rate in members, whether they are
players, coaches, umpire or volunteers. Retaining members within your Association is of upmost
importance along with recruiting new members.
Some main reasons for leaving the sport are:
 poor quality coaching
 poor Association culture/environment
 perceived lack of value for money
 quality of competition (grading)
 too competitive
 injuries (specifically when looking at those aged 18+)
Recruitment
Recruitment should be the key for Associations as keeping players at the Association will help to
maintain your participation figures. It is important, however, to ensure that time and effort is
placed on recruitment to help the Association grow.
Below are a list of tasks that can be completed to help assist with recruitment.
Existing Players
Encourage players to bring their friends/family/acquaintances to the Association. Offer incentives
where if a player is recommended by an existing player then they can receive a discount on their
fees.
Offer incentives for families, e.g. family discounts on fees.
Schools
Identify all local schools within your municipality. Create ongoing positive relationships with the
schools, setting up the Association as an opportunity for the school children to experience Netball.
Retaining members
Retaining a member commences the first day that the member (player, coach or a volunteer) signs
on. Associations are encouraged to be proactive with their approach with members, rather than
wait until issues arise to get to know their members.
There are some simple ways of implementing a good retention strategy. Knowing the needs and
wants of your members is a must. This could be achieved by conducting a survey to determine
what the members thoughts are on current dealings and what can be done to improve overall.
Strategically plan for the future needs of your members. Annual General Meetings and General
Meetings are a great forum in which to discuss face to face with members their opinions, ideas and
concerns.
Below are a list of tasks and activities that the Association can implement to achieve good member
retention, especially when looking at the issues highlighted as to why people are leaving the sport.
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The biggest changes needed to help entice players back to Associations are:
 improve quality coaches
 increase association organisation
 reduce fees
 grade and place in correct divisions
 Creating competitions that are more social and flexible
Poor quality coaching
Ensure there is a person within the Association who is responsible for the management of all
coaches. This should be a coaching coordinator/convenor. The Coach Convenor position is
responsible for managing the coaches, ensuring all are suitably qualified, conducting reviews of
performance and dealing with any coaching related issues. Ensure all coaches are suitably qualified
for the team and age group with which they are coaching.
Poor Association culture/environment
Create a sense of community
Plan social activities throughout the season and off-season. Organise intra and cross association
competitions, providing an opportunity for the whole Association to come together in a friendly
and fun environment.
Communication
Provide each new member with an introductory letter, welcoming them to the Association and
provide information on the Association.
Use social media to connect with your members:
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Instagram
Recognition
If members feel valued then they are more likely to have positive feelings towards the Association
and are more likely to stay. Provide opportunities for members to get more involvement in the
Association (provide volunteer opportunities, be a part of the committee or create leadership
groups). Provide opportunities to recognize the achievements of members, whether this is through
a bulletin board, frequent communication (as previously mentioned), or providing
trophies/awards.
Perceived lack of value for money
Be clear, transparent and concise about the costs involved. Why this specific price been set and the
breakdown of costs. Create a positive environment where people feel welcomed.
Quality of competition (grading)
Ensure all registration deadlines are set, allowing the Association more time to efficiently organise
all fixtures. Organise a grading competition at the start of the season if necessary.
Too competitive
With certain members the emphasis should be on fun & participation. Ensure this message is
delivered to all participants and no focus is on the result.
Some members want a different experience to the traditional set-up. Offer alternative experiences
such as social leagues or training only once a week and make it fun based.
For more information about member recruitment and retention please contact Netball
Queensland’s Membership Services Unit (07) 3848 6330.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Provide effective and frequent communication with members. This can be done through several
different formats (e-mail, newsletters, meetings etc) however it is important that members are
kept up to date with the Association.