Helping Travel Programs Increase Value
The best way to reduce player attrition from travel clubs to "pay to play" programs is to reduce demand. Up to now everyone has been focused on reducing supply. The market will always provide supply where there is demand. Empire believes there are a number of ways that an affiliation can be used to help increasing the value travel programs can offer its members. Some are immediate and some will take time. It can't hurt to give a new approach a try. Put some faith in us and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Tom Garigen - Director of Coaching
Build Trust and Loyalty By Put the Individual Child's Needs First
If the families in your club see you advocating for players to leave for better opportunities that can only lead to an increase in trust they have for your program. In increase in trust and will result in an increase in both influence and loyalty. That influence can then be used to guide players down the right path or away from the wrong path. If Empire is not a good fit for whatever reason, an increase in loyalty gives you the best chance to hold on to them.
Retention Increases If Empire Diminishes Tryout Dependence
Flash forward a couple of years into the future. ABC Travel program has been actively placing the right players within the Empire program PRE-TRYOUTS. That's right, through open dialogue between Empire and ABC Travel program a number of players are added to the roster for Empire ahead of open tryouts. With 80% of the roster being announced prior to tryouts (top returning players from previous year and player's added through affiliate clubs) the remaining players are left to compete for a few roster spots during an open tryout format. If we've defined the best path for our families as Empire (see previous idea) and then we establish your odds increase dramatically as a member of the ABC Travel program of making an Empire roster, haven't we just increase the value of playing for ABC Travel program? Seems like a stretch, we have real world examples of this working. Ask us more.
Empire Buffalo Training Invites
Empire Buffalo teams train about three times a week most of the year. These training sessions have a number of things going for them; very talented players who are also like-minded (there because of a desire to learn and improve), professional coaches who have the experience and licensing required to be a head coach with Empire, and the best facilities available in WNY. What if you could offer your high performing players opportunities to train in that environment for free? What if your coaches used an opportunity like that to motivate the players on his/her team to be more committed, work harder, listen more? Would that add value to your program?
Buffalo Training Centers (BTC)
A couple times a year Empire would provide a training center for your top players. Each affiliate program can send "X" number of your best players for an extra training session. Empire would provide the venue and a top local coach to run the training session. During the session Empire would also provide scouts to assess the players. The data collected would be used for future interest in those players for a roster position with Empire AND can be provided back to the travel club coaches in the hopes of helping with the development of each player.
Empire Tournament Teams
Empire will work with affiliate clubs to identify a couple of weeks each season that will be designated for tournament teams. The top players from all Empire affiliate programs would be selected to participate in these events. These opportunities should entice your better players to stay with your programs if they fall short of making an Empire roster. Besides the enjoyment of the event, this will also give players another opportunity to be scouted an evaluated for future Empire teams.
Futsal Program
Empire has been running an internal futsal program out of the Buffalo Niagara Court Center for a couple of years now. We'd open it up for individuals and teams to register and participate. You must be an affiliate to take advantage of this opportunity.