Simple Ways to Boost Club Membership

Start With an Open Day People Can Actually Attend

An open day is the simplest recruitment tool a hockey club has, but the difference between a busy pitch and an empty one usually comes down to detail. Choose a time that suits families and shift workers — a Saturday morning or a Sunday afternoon tends to work well — and run it for a clear window, say 10am to 1pm, so people know exactly what they are committing to. Advertise it two or three weeks ahead on local community pages, in the leisure centre, at the library, and on the noticeboard of every school within a couple of miles.

On the day, have someone at the gate to greet people and point them towards the pitch. Keep the welcome table separate from the coaching area so nobody has to queue to be allowed in. Make the first twenty minutes a gentle, low-pressure hit-about rather than a formal drill, and loan out sticks and shin pads freely — turning up empty-handed is one of the biggest barriers for newcomers. Finish with tea, cake and a short, friendly chat about what happens next week. That final conversation converts more people than any flyer.

Design Sessions That Genuinely Welcome Beginners

Many adults assume hockey is only for people who played at school and never stopped. If your club offers one fast, competitive training session a week and nothing else, you are quietly telling beginners to look elsewhere. Widen the offer:

• Back to hockey sessions for adults returning after years away — no fitness test, no selection pressure, just stick and ball skills at a manageable pace.
• Walking hockey, which suits older players, those managing injuries, and anyone who wants the social side without the sprinting.
• Beginner-only blocks of six weeks, so newcomers learn alongside people at exactly the same stage.
• Pay-as-you-play options, letting people try the club before committing to a full season's subscription.
• Family sessions where parents and children can play on the same pitch at the same time.

Name these sessions clearly and unapologetically. "Beginners welcome" in a social post is fine; "Back to Hockey, Wednesdays 7pm, first session free, sticks provided" is far better. Specifics build trust.

Build Inclusive Sessions Into Your Weekly Rhythm

Inclusion is not a one-off gesture — it is a habit. Think about who is currently missing from your club and what would need to change for them to walk through the gate. Cost is often the first hurdle, so keep a small fund for subs, kit and travel, and mention it discreetly on your membership form. Timing matters too: sessions straight after school, or early on a Sunday, suit parents who cannot make a 7pm midweek slot.

Consider offering a mixed-gender social session, a women's-only beginners' hour, or a junior-to-senior pathway so young players can see a future at the club. Think about prayer space, quiet rooms, accessible changing facilities and sensory-friendly warm-ups. Small adjustments — a slower first drill, a clear explanation of the rules, a buddy to stand next to — make an enormous difference to how welcome someone feels. Ask new members directly what would make Saturdays easier, and act on the answers.

Recruit Volunteers Alongside Players

Every new member is a potential umpire, coach, tea-maker, treasurer or social media helper. Ask at the welcome table: "Is there anything you would enjoy helping with?" Most people say no the first time and yes the third, so keep asking gently. Offer bite-sized roles rather than grand commitments — an hour on the gate, running the scoresheet, bringing cakes once a term, or managing the club's social account for a month.

Publish a simple rota so nobody feels trapped, and make sure the same three people are not doing everything. Fund umpiring and coaching courses for anyone willing to take them on, and thank volunteers publicly, by name, in your newsletter. When people feel their hour is noticed, they give more of them.

Use Your Local Area as a Recruitment Ground

Your next twenty members are probably already within two miles of the pitch; they just do not know you exist. Put up posters in schools, colleges, workplaces, community centres, libraries and GP surgeries. Set up a stall at the summer fete, the village show or a local charity tournament. Offer a free taster session to a nearby workplace, a parkrun group or a cricket club in their off-season.

Run holiday camps for juniors, which bring in parents as well as children. Ask every existing member to bring one friend to a specific session each season — give the date, not a vague invitation. Local newspapers and community radio still cover grassroots sport gladly if you send them a short, clear story with a photograph.

Turn a First Visit Into a Long-Term Membership

Retention is quieter than recruitment but far more powerful. Follow up within forty-eight hours of a first session with a short, personal message. Add newcomers to the club's group chat, pair them with a buddy for their first month, and check in again after four weeks to see how they are settling in.

Be transparent about costs, keep the welcome warm on week three as well as week one, and celebrate small milestones — first goal, first umpire whistle, first season completed. Ask leavers why they left, and take the answer seriously. A club that is easy to join, easy to afford and genuinely glad to see you will grow steadily, one friendly Wednesday evening at a time.