Welcoming new members made easy

25 Jan 2017

For new people looking to get into the game there is so much to learn when joining a club. If your club has a structured approach then you are more likely to tick all the boxes and ensure the first experience at your club is a memorable one for your new members.

Some of the things your club can do:

• Find out about the new member – their interests, goals, availability and past sport history
• Offer to get on court with them and give them some tips on playing the game. Try to team new members up with existing members of similar grades so they have others with similar interest with whom to play against (SquashStart programmes are perfect for this).
• Provide the new member with a weekly schedule outlining all the opportunities. Help them plan their first few weeks at your club so they establish a playing routine and some good habits.
• Focus on the talk being about playing squash and inviting them to some of the club’s activities.
• Give them a tour of the facilities and outline parking information, how to access the building, court booking procedures and where to find equipment.
• Outline the various programmes and services your club has to offer so they understand what they each entail and the benefits of each.
• Go through their membership terms, payment options and the benefits they are entitled to.
• Hand the new member a welcome pack which outlines everything they need to know. They can then go away and read through this in their own time.

Getting new members familiar with your club’s facilities and all your club has to offer goes a long way to helping them feel included. For best effect, allocate each of the tasks to a different committee member as this allows the new member to interact with more club members and means they are more likely to feel connected to your club. This makes a massive difference to them walking out or staying put.