“I’m keen to encourage more teens to take part in classes but find that recruiting this age group difficult. I also find that students often drop out on going up to secondary school at the age of 12. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can recruit young people aged 12–16, through schools?
Mike Bennett
MSD Evolution, Cheltenham
MSD Evolution, Cheltenham
Chantelle Bell, Marketing Consultant for NEST Management says,
“This is a common problem most clubs experience across the UK and an issue that’s not unique to martial arts.
The Sport England Active People Survey consistently shows that many young people drop out of sport altogether as they move into Secondary Education, as they become increasingly independent and acquire responsibility for making decisions about the extra-curricular activities they like to be involved in.
Girls are a key target segment of young people that the Government is keen to get more involved with sport. Recent research conducted by both Girl Guiding UK and The Top Foundation identified that girls are often deterred from taking part in sports because of negative perceptions that ‘sport is unfeminine’ and makes girls feel self conscious at an age when most girls have concerns about their body image. Highly active female celebrity role models such as Jessica Ennis are often perceived by teens as having skills which are ‘out of their reach’ whilst more ‘down to earth’ female celebrity role models such as Cheryl Cole or Jessie J are perceived as not being active, even though one could argue that celebrities don’t get a good figure without being active!
Poor changing facilities and unflattering training kit are quoted as key factors that deter many girls from taking part in sport, as well as mixed sex training sessions.
So, how do we make ‘Active, Attractive’ to girls in particular? Well, here are a few suggestions you may want to consider if you’re keen to recruit more girls into your academy:
1. Consider running single sex training sessions. Research confirms that both sexes, although girls in particular often feel uncomfortable attending mixed sex training sessions. Single sex classes remove potential barriers to feeling self conscious about body image and encourage groups of students to take part too.
2. Target groups of girls, not just individuals. The least active girls want to do what their friends do and so if you can encourage groups of friends to come along to your academy, you’re onto a potentially winning formula. Take a look at your referral programme to see if you’re encouraging more than one student to attend at a time. Groups of students bring in more revenue and typically have lower attrition rates too, which is better for business.
3. Focus on the benefits of training, rather than the features of your class. Research tells us that Competition is often a deterrent for girls. Encourage inclusivity by telling people about the benefits of taking part. Is the class fun? Are friends encouraged to come along? Does taking part help maintain a healthy weight, increase confidence or shape up your body for summer?
4. And finally, take a look at your training kit. Does it make young people feel good? Teens are very body conscious and many dislike the feeling that their bodies are in effect, ‘on show’ in classes or at the gym. If students don’t feel good in their training kit, they’re more likely to feel self conscious and consequently feel less inclined to train. If students feel confident in their kit, they’ll be more likely to attend class, get fit, feel more attractive and consequently gain confidence as a result.
Full details of the NEST promotions can be found at the NEST promotional portal at
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