Add a Strength Training Program at your Sports Facility
As I’ve mentioned before, classes are often the most profitable programming option for sports facility space. Give group instruction priority over rentals or private instruction at your facility. Along with speed and agility training, a strength training program is essential for athletes. Both improve abilities and reduce the chance of injury. Use your strength programs to supplement the sports-specific programs you’re already running. They can also be held independently of any sport for general athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Just like sports performance programs at your sports facility, which I talked about a few weeks ago, strength training is one of the best sports facility programming options.
Getting Started
- Choose an enthusiastic, qualified instructor. All participants in your strength training class should truly feel that they’re getting their money’s worth. Strength training classes run the risk of a slow pace, which is sometimes necessary. Of course that pace may lead the participants to feel they’re not getting a great workout. The instructor has to keep participants moving and explain why breaks are necessary.
- Consider a semi-private instruction environment. Private lessons don’t bring in optimal revenue. However, semi-private instruction offers an individualized atmosphere that warrants higher rates than the private lesson. Semi-private instruction is also ideal for weight room environments. In this case, participants typically rotate around stations to take advantage of machines and equipment.
- Consider offering a free demo week for customers who are new to the class. This is a good idea for most programs. New customers need an incentive to try something new.
- Emphasize the benefits of strength training to potential customers. Remember, strength training helps athletes improve and prevent injuries, and fitness enthusiasts get an athlete-level training regimen.
- Offer team strength training. Make it clear that entire sports teams can take advantage of your strength training programs. A scheduling system like eSoft Planner software can help you keep track of payments and prevent double booking within the facility.
Bottom Line Benefits
- Gain revenue throughout the year. Just like sports performance training, strength training is not season-specific. Athletes and other adults can work to keep in shape all year long.
- Cross promote other programming. The same client base that is interested in sports specific programming will also be interested in general speed, agility, and strength to help them improve in sports. As a result, these new programs will be easy to cross promote to your current clients.
At my own facility, DNA Sports Center, we offer Parisi Speed School programming as well as a “DNA Strength” class; that way, some can opt to focus on overall sports performance as well as strength, and others can choose to focus on strength on its own.
If you have any questions about how you can make scheduling at your sports facility more efficient, I’d be happy to set up a consultation session with you. Give me a call at (513) 791-4940.
