GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // REPORTS FROM THE WARM ROOM


from traditional open houses – where the clubs throw open the doors of the club to members of the public – to structured sessions attended by ap- pointment only. Four years ago, I was on the board of directors at the Ardsley Curling


Prepping for the Games E


By Kim Nawyn, USA Curling Director of Growth & Development, kim.nawyn@usacurl.org


xcitement is building in anticipation of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Many curling clubs are already scheduling dates for re- cruitment events in February and early March. Tese events vary


Club. We were struggling with the issue of whether to continue offering traditional open houses following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games or try- ing something new. In the end, we decided to experiment with an alterna- tive format. Attendees were scheduled for half-hour timeslots (about four people on both ends of each sheet) and charged a fee of $10 per person or $25 per family. Limited space was available for walk-ins. I volunteered to answer email inquiries and schedule attendees in half-


hour increments. At the time, I was a little naïve in my estimation of the number of emails the club, which is located just north of New York City, would receive and how long it would take to respond to all of those requests. During the week curling was televised, I dedicated approximately six hours a night to this task. Since I was also curling on Team New York in the 2010 Club Nationals that week, curling filled nearly every waking moment of my day. In addition to raising thousands of dollars in revenue, the new format


allowed Ardsley to avoid traffic snarls on the narrow road to the club and eliminated long wait lines for participants. Each attendee received some individual attention and had the opportunity to slide at least a few times. To further capitalize on the excitement that a taste of the sport can bring, at- tendees were given the option to sign up for a series of learn-to-curl classes. Tese classes, which ran for a total of eight weeks (two hours each week), were scheduled for three weeks prior to the end of the season and five weeks at the start of the next. Because the fee for the classes was non-refundable, all but a few people returned the next season. Te majority went on to join leagues. While this format worked for Ardsley, recruiting is not a one-size-fits-all


activity. Some clubs have stopped holding open houses in favor of learn- to-curl classes; other clubs have found success with an open house format using a series of stations. In their response to the USCA Growth & Develop- ment Survey, conducted during the summer of 2012, an arena club in the East wrote: “We set up a series of stations that attendees go through; each station has a club member or two and they present specific information about the game. It engages our members (we are a club of about 30), and gives our guests an opportunity to interact with a variety of people. We've used this format for the last four years and it works wonderfully well.” Stations can be particularly effective when there is a limited amount of


time available for a large number of people to try curling. When organized well, I’ve seen approximately 200 people learn to do a basic slide, sweep, and throw at least one stone the full length of a sheet during a three-hour timeframe using this method. Regardless of how a club chooses to run its recruitment efforts, it is


6 )) usacurl.org


important for there to be additional curling opportunities for potential new members. Tis can include a series of learn-to-curl classes, a rookie league, or even a regular league with experienced curlers acting as mentors. In their re- sponse to the survey, an arena club in the West noted: “When we have an open house, we have our lessons coordinator on site signing people up for a five-week lesson series. If we can get them into les- sons, then we'll probably get 75 percent of the students into a league.” As my personal experience shows,


On‐Demand Membership Materials:


Brochures, directories, and


registering people for post-Olympic events can be a time consuming task for volunteers. If you club does not already have an automated sign-up system, you may want to consider available options prior to the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. Recently, I spoke with a curler from the Evergreen Curling Club who created a web registration system for curling events. Te system designed by Joe Petsche, which can be linked to clubs’ existing websites, allows members of the public to sign up for open houses or learn-to-curl classes and pay through PayPal. Additional features allow for checking guests in electronically during the event and exporting data into email marketing lists. Joe is willing to work with clubs who do not currently have automated systems; he can be contacted by email at joebik- er@gmail.com. In addition, a brand new system developed by two curlers in Massachusetts was recently brought to my attention. Curling World, www. curlingworld.com, is designed to manage, fund, and share curling events. In the upcoming weeks, USA Curling will be contacting all member


in‐ice logos are available to member clubs for FREE at the click of a button. Club presi- dents or their designees can request these items as needed anytime of the year by ac- cessing the USCA Member- ship Materials Request Form (see electronic version of the U.S. Curling News for a link to form). USA Curling is or- dering double the amount of brochures typically available each year in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games.


clubs to begin the process of collecting information on dates, times, fees, contacts, and sign-up processes (as relevant for each club) for post-Olympic open houses and other recruiting events. We will be incorporating this in- formation into our website to help drive people to member clubs as part of the NBC Gold Map program. Additional information about the Gold Map program will be available soon. n


Digital Bonus: Log on to the electronic edition of the U.S. Curling


News, to read a bonus article by Lon Peper of the Cedar Rapids Curling Club titled, “Is Your Club Technically Ready for the Olympic Bump?” Instructor Program: Te revised Level I instructor program, which


focuses on club member recruitment, is being launched this fall. It is designed to help clubs build a team of instructors trained to work with new curlers. If you missed the article, “Te Importance of Effective In- struction” featuring this program in the June 2013 online edition of the U.S. Curling News, log on to the electronic edition to link to a copy.


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