The Counter Offensive: Cost of living
Common approaches to addressing rising living costs and their impact on children’s participation in sports, proposing unorthodox strategies for better success.
“We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some are on super-yachts. Some have just the one oar.” – Damian Barr
The Counter Offensive is a series of pieces that analyses the common approach to dealing with issues, why they fail, and a more unorthodox approach with greater chance of success.
Situation: A rising cost of living is providing an insurmountable barrier to children’s continuation of participation in sports.
THE COMMON APPROACH
Concept of Operations (CONOPS): Freeze membership costs, cut back on expenses like new uniforms and equipment, but maintain the belief that ultimately the cost of living is the government’s fault and parent’s problem.
Centre of Gravity (CG): The capacity for members to continue to value club participation with reduced service.
Targetable Critical Vulnerabilities (TCVs): The family’s is being asked to pay the same for a reduced level of service. The TCVs are therefore:
TCV 1: Perceived value of membership. A reduced service for the same membership, even it remains good value, diminishes the perceived value of the membership.
TCV 2: Cheaper substitutes. A membership with a club will typically be a more expensive and restrictive option than unstructured play in a park.
TCV 3: Increased work requirements. Soccer mums / soccer dads can’t soccer mum if they need to work additional hours to make ends meet.
THE COUNTER OFFENSIVE
CONOPS: Run at a deficit financially and traditionally, but not ethically. See the operational shortfall as an investment (that has a measurable ROI like all investments) in membership and be prepared to make a loss on the year, enable unorthodox sponsorship arrangements and offer services that promote membership attraction / retention. As they represent who your club is, values are not to be compromised.
CG: Financial position of the club.
Method: To enact the CONOPS, the club needs to leverage an existing good financial position. There needs to exist the following Decisive Events (DEs):
DE 1: A flexible, solution focused club culture. Solutions focused to provide outcomes that make a difference to their members (eg. there is no point cutting costs if time pressures are the issue), and the flexibility to enable the club to cater for individual needs.
DE 2: Existing finances. You are unable to invest in your members if you have no access to funds.
DE 3: Communication. Ensuring club members are aware of the sacrifices being made by the club without rubbing it in their face
What success looks like:: The “Adopt a Club” program in regional Victoria, where local businesses sponsor clubs in exchange for advertising and community engagement opportunities, has successfully kept several clubs afloat - https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/adopt-a-club-program-supports-local-sports-clubs-through-the-pandemic - as is the Swan City Titans sponsorship option to sponsor an individual player - https://www.sctitans.com.au/sponsorship
Are you ready to transform your sports club’s approach? Join the conversation and share your experiences with us! At Mission Command, we believe in empowering grassroots sports clubs to achieve their full potential. Contact us today at admin@missioncomd.com.au to learn how we can help your club thrive with innovative solutions and expert management. Together, let’s ensure every child has the opportunity to be involved in a sports team.