Low costs club ideas

[big daddy]

Several of my students at the rec club I teach at want me to start a club.The problem is Ihave no idea where to start in terms of a site for a club. The site needs to be low cost or free for at least a short while. Does anyone have any ideas of a possible low cost sites for a fencing club?

[Firebird7137]

Try a local YMCA. I've been to several fencing clubs that are based out of YMCAs and usually they teach classes in exchange for a place to fence. Likewise, the same may go for local private gyms and/or high schools (although high school gyms are usually taken up by all the different high school sports, and liability can be a nightmare...).

In any case, ask around and see what kind of answers you get. Your "rec club" won't let you have space?

~FB

[RITFencing]

Keep up the rec program you are running, and try to start more of them in your area. Charge people a fair price; the rec center will take some of it, but that's ok. Once you've got more than enough income to support a small space (and have had this level of income consistently), then you can make the switch.

Do not, I repeat DO NOT take on any space you cannot afford. Do not assume that a brief spike in membership or income will last. You want to make sure you have enough regulars that will stay with you to keep the place open and then some, because you're probably going to lose some people along the way. I'd also suggest keeping your ties with any place that let you run a class and seeing if they will let you run programs from your own space. They advertise and take a cut of your class fees, but once those classes are done, you can get the people (or at least some of them) to switch over and just start paying you.

I would love to tell you how to run a decent club with its own space for little or no money, but the fact is that you can't. Money is a necessary evil in this business, especially if you want to coach full time (don't know if you do or not.)

If you are careful and make sure you do not grow your expenses faster than you grow your income, you can make a club grow and flourish (provided you can also get people in there, keep them in there, keep the space up, apply a lot of time to it, and if you know a thing or two about fencing, that doesn't hurt either but I'm not sure it's really necessary.)

[foibles]

Years ago I frequented a small club that met in a middle school cafeteria.
Another met in an aerobics room in a gym.
I went to a tourney a couple weeks ago that was held in a Masonic Lodge facility.
Another club I fence with meets in a basketball gym at a church.

I've fenced in 2 clubs that met in YMCAs. (1 YMCA simply asked that the members pay regular YMCA dues. Another asked that we offer a class through rec-sports.)

When you drive about town keep your eyes open. Bound to be something near you somewhere. Maybe an Elk lodge or Rotary club, that could use a token source of income...who knows. (Maybe a call to the local business association could help?)

I've often wondered if one could create a fencing based boy/ girl scout troop. Aren't there specialized troops that focus on specific endeavors?

You might consider doing some research into benefits of USFA club membership. I seem to recall this is a low cost way to overcome facility concerns about participant injury liability.

[milstdfarm]

Hey Foibles,

Yes there are fencing Boy Scout groups. Millstadt Venture Crew in Millstadt Illinois, www.myspace.com/Millstadt_Venture_Crew is ours. There is also one connected to a fencing club in Las Vegas and one in California connected to their City's rec center.

We started last March. I have begun discussions with another Scout dad and with another area fencing club's coach to expand the idea of Boy Scout / Girl Scout fencing clubs and/or leagues. It's too early to say how or if I can make it happen but I strongly urge others around the country to consider the link to Scouting.

Something else to think about is that being a Scout group gives you liability insurance, youth protection training, and not-for-profit status.

[Applesauce and Foils]

Making your club a member of the USFA costs about $275. That provides insurance, coach's insurance, a listing on the USFA website, and a subscription sent to "the club" of American Fencing.
My club meets in a community center gym. It is part of a church. With all the churches that are adding gyms (and indeed, installing the gym before they finish the auditorium), you may be able to find something there. We are fortunate to be able to use the space for an extrememly low cost, just because. So check around at the churches would be my advice!

On the insurance bit:
Even though the gym carried insurance, it wouldn't have covered any fencing-related injuries. That's why I went with the USFA insurance. It covers any fencing-related injuries and seems to provide all the protection you would need. I'm no insurance expert, but their rules about what they cover, or what they offer, seem very broad.

Oh, if you are starting a club, you'll also have to think about buying equipment to rent out. So there's another thing to put on your plate.
Be sure you don't undercharge. Yeah, they're your friends, but at the end of the day, it's going to be YOU that trucks the equipment back and forth, cleans it, orders new stuff to replace broken stuff, plans the lessons, directs club finances, has to work on advertising, etc. There's so much more to this "running a club" business than there seems to be at first glance. Actually teaching fencing is probably the easiest part.
But you can do it!
AF

[TodG]

The hardest part of becoming a USFA club is getting enough USFA members. We've only got six member right now. Getting another 4 (out of the 20-odd members) is problematic.

[Applesauce and Foils]

You can solve that problem by requiring your members to join the USFA upon joining the club. That's what I did. And people haven't balked at it, either. And, I believe the form specifies that you will have 10 by September (when it expires), so that gives you a little leeway.

AF