David Mortimore Community Sport Team Leader Sport Bay of Plenty

Club development is simply a process to capture a club's plans for the future. Good club development is based on your club's current position, capacity and aspirations.

Whether consolidating or expanding, recruiting more members or improving services for existing members every club should take a moment to stop and think.

Sport is becoming more professional, much better organised and driven by a desire to improve. The most effective way to develop is to apply a simple – and not too time-consuming – planning process to set your club on the path to a better future. The benefits of this include:

× Defining and prioritising its aims and aspirations for the future.

× Using club resources – people, money, facilities – more effectively.

× Improving morale by involving members in decision making.

× Improving your chances of receiving funding support, such as community funding, and local council support.

× A more professional approach.

× Improving services for current members and attracting new players/members.

× Improved and more productive relationships with local schools or your local authority.

Clubs should not feel obliged to plan – it is more a question of having an informed, objective look at the club's future. Many New Zealanders are or will be involved in a sports club at some point in their life. In whatever capacity, it can be a hugely rewarding experience to be a part of club and a fantastic way to get involved with your community and enjoy getting active.

Running a sports or recreation club doesn't need to be a complicated or difficult job, and with the right information you'll be able to achieve your club's goals easily.

At Sport Bay of Plenty, we work alongside clubs and assist in development of systems and structures to ensure they achieve their goals and are sustainable in the future.

Things we can assist with include work on strategic plans, organisational assessments using the Sport NZ ODT tool, position descriptions for committees, funding advice, project development with councils, coach development, event management and volunteer training.

Whether your club is just a few people or a larger group, there are some great resources on the ‘Club Kit' section of the Sport NZ website to give you tips and resources from starting a club to running a successful club. Visit www.sportnz.org.nz/en-nz/communities-and-clubs/Toolkit-for-Clubs/

If your club or sporting organisation would like assistance or more information please contact the Community Sport Team at Sport Bay of Plenty.