helpforclubs

Introduction

Club programme and activities

Planning to develop your club

Junior Club development planning

Club development case studies

test

National Governing Bodies

Running Sport: Organising Fixture and Competitions

Running Sport: Managing Events

Competitions and leagues

It is vital that your club members are provided with the appropriate competitive opportunities. However it is important to ensure that the competition is tailored to suit the needs of the participants considering in particular their age and maturity, skill development, ability, attitude, and experience of the sport

If the competition is too difficult then the participants are likely to lose confidence which may result in the club and the sport losing an individual forever.  If the competition is too easy then the participant is likely to get bored or feel unchallenged and may again be lost to the sport or move to another club.

The Running Sport: Organising Fixtures and Competitions booklet (downloadable from the Resources side panel) provides an excellent guide to organising sports teams and competitions.

Some benefits of competitions

For the individual:

• Skill progression
• Enjoyment/ fun
• Targets for achievement
• Reason to train
• Sense of belonging
• Measure of performance – improvement as well as decline
• Provision of pathways for participants to reach their full potential.

For the club:

• Raise the profile of the club
• Prestige
• Attract more members
  Running Sport: Getting it Right
• Provide an aim for club planning
• Improve commitment of volunteers and participants

Requirements for a successful competitive programme

• Enthusiasm and motivation
• Access to appropriate competition
• Access to suitable competition facilities
• Access to suitable training facilities
• Access to quality coaching

 To ensure the best opportunities for your members and gain access to some of the above, the club will benefit from developing partnerships with schools, other clubs or performance programmes, leisure facilities and/ or specialist training facilities.

Festivals 

Local festivals of sport are regularly used by sports development officers, schools and junior clubs to introduce children and beginners to a particular sport. Festivals are usually organised to introduce the competitive element of a sport under modified rules appropriate for the age of the participants. Most importantly festivals encourage the taking part, positive attitudes, fair play and FUN. See the Running Sport: Managing Events booklet for more guidance.

Festivals are an excellent tool for developing your sport at a local level:

• A festival can be followed or preceded with ‘come and try’ coaching sessions to identify local talent
• Use festivals to actively promote the club - hand out club flyers, newsletters, membership forms
• Organise a festival to launch a club mini league, club competition or new section of your club.

Intra club competitions

To ensure that members are prepared for competition it is suggested that competitive experience is provided within the club as a forerunner to external competition. This can be provided by simply gearing the training sessions to competition based practices or organising structured competition between different groups or individuals within the guidelines set out by your national governing body.

External competitions

• Ensure that participants are well prepared – set realistic goals, advise on coping strategies for losing as well as winning.
• Advocate positive attitudes – taking part in competition is an excellent educational tool for mental as well as physical development.
• Consider a support mechanism for those moving through different levels of competition or squads e.g. employing a ‘buddy’ system to support newcomers/ beginners.
• The training schedule should complement the competition programme/ calendar to ensure that participants are at their peak performance for competition.
• Encourage able participants to trial for representative squads in order to extend and challenge the individual.
• Ensure that all participants are encouraged to act in a sporting manner in all competitive situations - as highlighted in your members code of conduct.
• Ensure that the attitude towards the competitors is supportive, otherwise participants may become de­motivated and membership will drop.
• Encourage parents and supporters to act in a sporting manner and provide supportive feedback.
• Above all, participants should enjoy competing. Make it FUN!

Regional and National competitive events

These provide opportunities for participants and coaches to compete and/ or spectate at national competitive events in your sport, and are often organised by the National Governing Body. This can provide valuable experience for coaches and provide an excellent opportunity amongst the participants to raise enthusiasm for the sport, motivation for training, team spirit and gain experience.