Developing a Strategy for an Amateur Sports Club

A strategy is essentially a roadmap for your club. It identifies your vision for the future, goals and objectives and how the club hopes to achieve them. In short, it is a working document that should be easy to read and provide clear direction for your club.

A club strategy can range from two to five years.

Key Elements of Strategy Development

Research as the Foundation
Thorough research is the backbone of a strong strategy.  Before setting goals and objectives, clubs need to understand their current position through deep research.

The following methods should be used when conducting research with your fans, players, coaches, administrators and partners:

  • Conduct research with your members, parents, coaches and players – through focus groups, 1:1’s and online surveys.
  • Distribute surveys (printed or online) to gather research. The surveys should be sent to all your stakeholders.
  • Conduct data analysis on your membership stats, financial data
  • Conduct a Situational analysis comprising of a SWOT, resource, stakeholder and competitor analysis.

Once you have conducted the research, set up an internal meeting to discuss the findings and key trends.  Now you are ready to create your plan!

The Vision and Mission
Crafting a vision and mission statement is the first step in building a strategy. The vision is where the sports club wants to go, it’s the dream. The mission is why the club exists, it’s purpose!

  • Vision: A clear, aspirational statement that paints a picture of the club’s future.
  • Mission: This should reflect the club’s purpose.  Why does your club exist?
  • Values:   Values outline how you will behave as a club to your various stakeholders.
  • Goals:  Goals are the KEY priorities you need to focus on to fulfil your vision. Goals are broad areas of focus and will take into consideration the findings from your research and vision statement.
  • Objectives: Under each goal will be a number of SMART objectives. Each objective must be measurable with an owner and clear timeline.
  • Action Plans: Action plans are developed for each objective.  Action plans should be detailed and highlight the key actions or tasks required in order to achieve the objective.
  • Budget:  A budget should be developed based on your plan and monthly operational costs such as rent, rates, affiliation fees etc
  • People: An organisational chart should be created that is aligned with your plan.  Aligning an organisational chart to the club plan ensures the structure supports the organisational goals / areas of priority.

Who Shapes the Strategy?

The individuals responsible for shaping a club’s strategy can vary greatly depending on the club’s size and resources. In amateur sports organisations, volunteers and board members often take on this role. In these clubs, you’ll need someone with a deep understanding of the club and/or previous experience in developing strategic plans.

A strategy committee should be set up comprising of, for example:

  • Project manager (leader of the club development plan process)
  • Chair of the club
  • Selected board members
  • Technical or youth/junior director (if one exists)
  • Several parents/players who have experience in business management, strategic planning
  • Selected coaches from the club

Although the strategy committee will lead the process, it is important that members, players, parents, coaches and partners are involved in the process. For example, during the research stage, gaining feedback on the vision, mission, values, goals and objectives etc

Communicating the Strategy

One of the most overlooked aspects of strategic planning is communication. A club should:

  • Host workshops or meetings with administrators, players, coaches, sponsors, local politicians and volunteers to explain the strategy and its objectives.
  • Use visual aids—such as posters in the clubhouse—to display the club’s goals and progress visibly.
  • Keep stakeholders updated through newsletters, committee meetings or social media, ensuring the strategy remains front and center.

Monitoring the plan

A strategy is only as good as its implementation. To ensure the club stays on track, monitoring and evaluation are crucial. The progress of the plan should be reviewed every three to four months. Look at the KPIs, are you hitting your targets? If not, what’s holding you back?

It is recommended that the board review the goals and objectives every quarter as a ‘special agenda item’.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Amateur sports clubs often fall into traps when forming their strategies. A few of the biggest mistakes:

  • Focusing too much on the short term: Some clubs get fixated on immediate issues, like this season’s results and forget to plan for long-term sustainability.
  • Neglecting stakeholder input: Excluding key voices, whether players, fans or sponsors, leads to strategies that lack critical perspectives.
  • Overcomplicating the plan: A strategy that’s too detailed can overwhelm smaller clubs. Keep it simple, focus on the big picture and the details will follow.
  • Poor implementation of the plan
  • Poor research conducted at the start of the project

About Geoff Wilson

Geoff runs his own consultancy business, with a focus primarily on sport.  Previously Head of Marketing and Communications at the Irish FA, Geoff now consults to a wide range of global sports organisations on areas such as strategic planning, marketing and communications, digital, fan engagement, public affairs, women’s football, league development, club development and knowledge sharing / capacity building programmes.  Geoff has created numerous academic models for the sports industry.  Geoff is on the Advisory Panel at the English Football League and Chair of the Sports Council Trust Company (Sport England organisation).

Check out Geoff’s online course in strategic planning at https://geoffwilson.teachable.com/

The other sports models created or co created by Geoff can be found below:

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