Clubs face the challenge of bringing these two opposites together in order to adapt to the digital lives of their members and remain relevant and accessible. Especially for young people, it’s natural to organize and communicate online. However, this is by no means a threat to clubs, but rather offers them diverse opportunities.
Sports Clubs and Digital Natives - A Perfect Match
Sport is an important part of young people’s lives, and a healthy lifestyle and exercise as a balance to work life are naturally part of many people’s lifestyle. This is evident, for example, in the fact that fitness studios regularly break membership records.
But it’s not just this aspect that makes sports clubs interesting to people: Clubs can also continue to provide an answer for those seeking community and belonging (especially offline). Club life offers regular connections, shared experiences, and a strong social network that provides support for young people.
A sports club can, if it positions itself digitally and openly, contribute a lot to the world of its members, but also to people beyond.
5 Ways for Digitalization in Sports Clubs:
1. Being Present Online as a Club
Many clubs do have a website, but the information is often outdated, the site is poorly structured, and the design is no longer contemporary. A modern website provides interested parties with an authentic and attractive insight into the club and presents the club’s offerings clearly and invitingly.
Beyond the website, social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook) offers excellent opportunities to present current news from the club and attract potential new members. Social media for sports clubs creates touchpoints with the club beyond weekly training and also offers the opportunity to involve young members in managing and maintaining the channels.
2. Digital Club Management
There are numerous providers of software for digital club management. The functions range from registering new members to managing facilities to complete financial administration.
The advantages of these solutions are obvious: Everything is centrally stored in one place (and GDPR-compliant), administrative workload is reduced, and everything is accessible to multiple administrators. Members benefit from streamlined and uncomplicated processes.
3. Using Online Event Planning in the Club
Training sessions, events, competitions, and other activities can be planned online and made accessible in a group calendar for clubs, so that everyone in the club has easy access to appointments. This not only makes it easier for members to see at a glance when which training takes place, but also prevents communication errors and the associated frustration when someone misses the cancellation of an appointment.
Furthermore, processes can be optimized if events only take place from a certain minimum number of participants or only have a certain capacity. An optimal solution is offered by the club app Klubraum, with which clubs can plan their training sessions uncomplicated and efficiently.
4. Internal Club Communication
Communication is more important than ever – and especially in clubs, not just vertically (from the board to the members), but also horizontally (between members). An app like Klubraum offers clubs the opportunity to create a platform for networking members that is transparent, simple, and secure.
It’s not just about organization, but also about transporting the togetherness and sense of community that makes clubs so strong into the digital world. Exchange must be at the forefront, and the platform must not only be easy to use for members, but also fun.
5. Hosting Digital Events
Especially the Corona period with its contact restrictions often prevented the normal program flow in clubs, but also produced numerous examples of how club life can also take place online. Many clubs became creative and organized virtual challenges, online training sessions, and other digital activities where members could encourage and motivate each other, creating a digital club feeling.
In addition, online events also offer the opportunity to reach and involve non-members, introduce them to the club, and get them excited about the club’s activities.
Conclusion: Digitalization is an Opportunity for Sports Clubs, Not a Threat
Clubs need to change something to stay digitally relevant. This requires abandoning old thought patterns and embracing new structures. But it is precisely this change process that offers the opportunity to develop further, involve new people, and achieve a great impact with relatively little effort.
Digitalization makes clubs more interactive, democratic, and diverse – and ensures that the tradition of sports clubs is not lost, but remains an essential part of society in the future.