Local schools are a great recruiting ground for sporting clubs so it is definitely worth spending time to make connections to help boost your membership. Here's some starter tips to assist:

• Map the local schools and gather the contact details - note that within 5km to the club is a good guide
• Get on the phone and ask who would be the best person to assist promote club activities. Note that in secondary schools this is most likely to be a physical education teacher but may just be a keen teacher in the primary section 
• Whilst speaking with office staff ask about the school newsletter, when it goes out and how local groups get information into it - note that some schools will charge a small fee
• Meet with the nominated contact person if you can and discuss what promotional methods would work best
• A key question for starters is whether your sport is included in the school program and if not what does the school need to assist implement a unit of your sport e.g equipment, lesson plans / resources, clinics

Ideas for School / Club Links 

• Support a school program in your sport through the loan of equipment to the school, use of the club facility, provision of a coach to assist with lessons, provision of lesson plans or resources to assist 
• Discounted club membership for staff and students
• Invitation to interested teachers to attend a club coaching course
• Involvement of club volunteers to speak at assembly, conduct clinics, assist at school sport days, umpire or coach school teams
• Conduct of lunchtime activities
• Provision of a club coach to assist with the school's after school program if they have one
• Provision of club information through the school newsletter, noticeboards
• Provision of leadership opportunities through the club to support vocational training
• Use of the school office as a point of club registration (e.g. personnel to pick up registrations at the end of a nominated week)
• Establish from current junior club members which school they attend and nominate suitable students to act as club ambassadors e.g. speak at assembly, promote the start of the season and other relevant club events

Click Here for a club checklist to use prior to going into a school to run a clinic or activity.