Athlete Recruitment & Promotions

Hannah-Le Woodman,

Sport Development Coordinator

➢ Introduction➢ Emergency Recruitment Plan

➢ What to expect & what do we need to do…

➢ Action Plan ➢ Achieved, Underway, What next

➢ Sample Season Recruitment Calendar➢ Athlete Recruitment & Promotions Manual

➢ Activity Portion➢ Gym Ringette ➢ Come Try Ringette ➢ Children’s Ringette & FUNdamentals ➢ Social Media➢ Season Recruitment Calendar Creation Activity

Agenda

Introduction

oCurrent developments in regard to COVID-19, disrupted ordinary administration of the recruiting season

oCome Try Ringette, Gym Ringette and all other outreach activations could no longer be carried out, creating a reduction in prospective registrants

oWe need to re-evaluate our typical action plan and be prepared for a very different marketing and promotions approach this season

Getting StartedIn the areas of increased communication & easy access to resources, the Ringette BC Office has developed resources and created strategies to make-up for the regular recruitment season. These resources include:

oAthlete Recruitment & Promotions Manual;

oEmergency Recruitment Plan & Action Plan;

oPromotions & Recruitment 101 2-pager;

oReturn to Come Try Ringette Guidelines;

oCome Try Ringette Session Plans;

oGym Ringette Session Plan;

oSeason Calendar Booklet;

oAnd much more!

Emergency Recruitment Plan

➢Works to outline an action plan that Ringette BC should employ in order to both retain and recruit athletes throughout these unprecedented times

➢Outlines potential problems or scenarios we may face moving forward and potential strategies to overcome these problems

➢Focus on increased communication, increasing volunteer capacity, shifting of recruitment, flexible timelines, and diversity of events

Emergency Recruitment Plan

The Emergency Recruitment Plan includes:

oAn Action Plan;

oSummer Student Focus Timeline;

oPossible Programs;

oPossible Barriers; and

o Further Actions.

What to expect…

oDrop in registration numbers;

oReduction in volunteer capacity;

o Limited access to facilities; and

o Restriction on size of gathering and physical distancing regulations.

s

What we need to do…oIncreased communication

oEasily accessible resources

o Increasing trained volunteers

o Shifting of Recruitment:

o Flexible Timelines

o Diversity of Events

Emergency Recruitment Action Plan2020 RINGETTE BC ASSOCIATIONS

May-June • Hire Summer students for athlete recruitment and promotions

• Create materials for promotion

• Contact schools, community centers, day camps etc. for fall gym ringette events

• Organize registration for fall 2020

July • Create calendar of promotional events

• Educate Associations on promotional recruitment initiatives and new promo calendar

• Provide Promo materials that are ready for printing

• Contact Associations for their recruitment activities for fall 2020

• Create virtual training modules for Gym Ringette and Come Try Ringette

• Schedule Come Try Ringette events in Fall 2020

• Select volunteers and identify instructors for Come Try Ringette & Gym Ringette

training

• Work on building social media presence

August • Reach out for preliminary registration numbers to all Associations

• Provide Gym Ringette Association Toolkit

• Provide Associations with Come Try Ringette Toolkit

• Provide Gym Ringette and Come Try Ringette virtual training modules for instructors

and volunteers

• Facilitate Gym Ringette

• Commit to hosting Come Try Ringette

• Provide Ringette BC with Association contacts for registration and Association

information

• Ensure website information is up to date

September • Provide Gym Ringette and Come Try Ringette virtual training modules for instructors

and volunteers

• Facilitate Gym Ringette

• Advertise Come Try Ringette Sessions

• Confirm October/November Gym Ringette schedule

• Provide Children’s Ringette Toolkit

• FUNdamentals Webinars

• Ensure Come Try Ringette instructors and volunteers attend virtual training with

Ringette BC

October • Facilitate Gym Ringette

• Advertise Come Try Ringette Sessions

• Provide Ringette BC with Association schedules for U12 and below

November • Facilitate Gym Ringette

• Advertise Come Try Ringette Sessions

• Create promotional material for January registration

• Confirm materials with Ringette BC for January registration

December • Promote January Registration

• Support capacity where possible with CTR instructors

• Promote Come Try Ringette events online

• Host Come Try Ringette Events

• Promote January registration

January 2021 • Assist Associations with placement of late registration athletes and FUNdamentals • Follow up with December attendees with registration information for late

registration

Action Plan – Achieved & Underway

Items that have already been achieved:✓Hire Summer Students for athlete recruitment & promotions;✓Provide Gym Ringette Association Toolkit;✓Provide Come Try Ringette Association Toolkit;✓Provide promotional materials that are ready for printing; ✓Create virtual training modules for Gym Ringette and Come Try Ringette;✓Facilitate Gym Ringette.

Items that are currently underway:❑ Contact schools, rec centers, camps etc. for Gym Ringette events;

❑ Educate Associations on promotion & recruitment initiative and calendar;

❑ Create calendar for promotional events; and

❑ Facilitate Gym Ringette.

Action Plan – What’s next for Ringette BC?

❑Come Try Ringette virtual training;

❑Gym Ringette virtual training;

❑Facilitate Gym Ringette;

❑Advertise Come Try Ringette sessions;

❑Facilitate Come Try Ringette sessions;

❑Provide Children’s Ringette Toolkit;

❑Facilitate FUNdamentals Webinars;

❑Create promotional material for January registration;

❑Promote January registration; and

❑Support capacity wherever possible with instructors.

Action Plan – What’s next for Associations?

❑Organize registration for Fall 2020

❑Select volunteers/instructors for Come Try Ringette and Gym Ringette training

❑Schedule Come Try Ringette or Gym Ringette events for Fall

❑Work on building online & social media presence

❑Commit to hosting Come Try Ringette events

❑Ensure CTR & GR Instructors attend virtual training with Ringette BC

❑Promote January registration

Sample Season Recruitment Calendar

o Promotion Season start: May

o Gym Ringette in May-June & September-November leading to…

o Come Try Ringette events in July-December

o Community Events wherever possible leading to other activations

o Online promotion throughout season

Sample Season Recruitment Calendar

o Shifting of Recruitmento Flexible Timelineso Diversity of Events

o Increased Communication

o Easily Accessible Resources

o Increasing Volunteer Capacity

FOCUS

Modified General Season Recruitment Calendar

o Flexible Timelines: Promotion Season start: August

o Increased Communication & Easily Accessible Resources: Building online & social media presence August-January

o Increase Volunteer: Complete CTR & GR training August-November

o Flexible Timelines: Contact, organize, & schedule CTR & GR events for Fall September-October

o Diversity of Events: Commit to hosting CTR or any outreach possible November-January

Athlete Recruitment & Promotions Manual

➢Created to provide a resource for our membership that supports and assists with the education and training of volunteers in their recruitment and promotional activities

➢It provides information and the necessary tools to effectively promote, market, and recruit players to local Club Associations

➢The manual outlines best practices at the most basic level as well as provides a master plan and the tactics needed to facilitate season-long growth

Athlete Recruitment & Promotions Manual

The Athlete Recruitment and Promotional Manual includes:

oSocial Media Strategies;

oGym Ringette Event Structure & Strategies;

oCome Try Ringette Event Structure & Strategies;

o FUNdamentals Recruitment; and

oSeason Plan for Recruitment.

Gym Ringette

Areas of Emphasis for Promotion & Recruitment:

oTarget demographic: location and age

oDiversity of Events: schools, children’s camps, childcare facilities, church groups, youth groups, sport camps etc.

oStrategic Scheduling: leading to an opportunity to try the sport again

oQuality Instructors: Identify and select quality volunteers to be trained

FUNdamentals 1 & U10 (we have low U10 numbers + want to target FUNdamentals 1 for best recruitment)

South Side, Colebrook area, & new developments in downtown (we have had great recruitment success

in South Side in the past; many of our current players live in Colebrook; and we have not yet targeted the new developments)

Rock City Elementary School, Kalmare Community Centre, Girl Guides groups,

& sport day camps (have yet to visit Rock City and it is located in South Side, Kalmare Community Centre is central, popular

for young families, and is located in Colebrook, Girl Guide groups & sport day camps are still running and meet our age targets)

Amanda Mott, Hannah Woodman, Rebecca Tamil-Selven, & Nicole Robb (we chose these

individuals as some are uni students w/ great availability + they are all outgoing fun and engaging people who I think would be a great fit)

Contact Instructors: August, Train Instructors: September/October – cont’d, Prospective GR Dates:

Last 2 weeks October, November, December, January, Prospective CTR Dates: End of October, December, & January

We still have not booked these dates but this would be a prospective layout with strategic scheduling in mind.

While this is a good start for identifying prospective instructors, it will be important that we continue to contact other identified

instructors who may be a good fit for the program.

Come Try Ringette

Areas of Emphasis for Promotion & Recruitment:

oPromotion: information shared on the website, social media, in skating lessons, childcare programs, schools, rec centers, rink TVs, newspapers, radio, churches, advertised through other sports, booth set-up etc.

oStrategic Scheduling: following other promotion and outreach events

oQuality Instructors: Identify and select quality volunteers to be trained

CTR Site & Social Media, Gym Ringette Outreach, Rink TVs, & Advertising to Schools & Programs

(Rink TVs as there is a new rec centre to target with promotion + the goal of advertising to schools and programs that reach our target

demographics as we saw great interest in the past through such mediums. + CTR site, social media, & GR outreach – always!!!

Delmatia Community Centre, Woodtell, Cristine, & Telmare Elementary Schools

and Softball & Lacross Camps (target the new centre, schools within are targets, as well as the choice to collaborate with

other sports who have opposing seasons from us in exchange for speaking with our athletes – allows to reach perfect demographic.

Amanda Mott, Hannah Woodman, Rebecca Tamil-Selven, & Nicole Robb (we chose these

individuals as we know that they are available + they are all outgoing fun and engaging people who I think would be a great fit)

Contact Instructors: August, Train Instructors: September/October – cont’d, Prospective GR Dates:

Last 2 weeks October, November, December, January, Prospective CTR Dates: End of October, December, & January

Additionally, it will be important to schedule the dates for website & social media postings as well as

additional advertisement currently planned such as Rink TV’s, School Ads, Program Ads one we have a more clear

timeline.

Children’s Ringette & FUNdamentals

Highlighted Benefits for Promotion & Recruitment:

o Low cost;

oOpen registration;

oPlacement based on developmental stage not biological age;

oProgram deliverables; and

o FUNdamentals Events - Bring a Friend Days!

Create Children's Ringette Cost Handout➢ Cost to register➢ Payment options➢ Opportunities for further discounts➢ Where to find affordable equipment

Train and educate Association administrators, volunteers, instructors & coaches about this cost benefit and things that are important for us to emphasize.

Implementation of handout into Come Try Ringette events, Gym Ringette events, Community Day events and all other outreach. Include form on our website & post on social media close to registration dates.

September 2021 September/October 2021 October-January

Social Media

Local Association Social Media Goals

❑Presence on popular platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter;

❑Know and promote your brand: messaging, image branding etc.;

❑Consistency: consistent messaging & frequent posting;

❑Know your audience – target your posting;

❑Know your analytics – evaluate your strategies;

❑Interactive and engaging posts and presence; and

❑Quality imaging!

Identify Association members like players, coaches, officials, even parents who have Instagram and promotions knowledge –may fill volunteer hours or provide discount for selected individuals.

Train Instagram team on targets, emphasis, goals, and process of Association. Delegate work, organize the process, and create a timeline.

Monitor strategies through Instagram analytics and make adjustments as necessary.

September 2021 October 2021 Monthly Check-ins

Local Association Social Media Goals

❑Presence on popular platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter;

❑Know and promote your brand: messaging, mage branding etc.;

❑Consistency: consistent messaging & frequent posting;

❑Know your audience – target your posting;

❑Know your analytics – evaluate your strategies;

❑Interactive and engaging posts and presence; and

❑Quality imaging!

Hannah’s Happy Hamburgers Ringette Association

-Contact GR, & CTR instructors

-Train GR, & CTR instructors -Train GR, & CTR instructors

-Train GR, & CTR instructors -Train GR, & CTR instructors

-Gym Ringette @ Kalmare Comm. Ctr.

-Come Try Ringette @ Delmatia Centre

-Come Try Ringette in South Side-Come Try Ringette in Colebrooke area

-Promotion of January registration

-Promotion of January registration-Gym Ringette w/ Girl Guides

-Gym Ringette @ Sport Day Camps

-Gym Ringette @ Rock City

-Organize Fall registration

-CTR Promo: Rink TVs

-CTR Promo: Lacross Camps

-CTR Promo: Softball Camps

-CTR Promo: Telmare Elementary

TBA TBA TBA

-Create Children’s Ringette Cost Handout-Train on Children’s Ringette cost benefit

-Train on Children’s Ringette cost benefit

-Implement Children’s Ringette cost sheet -Post Children’s Ringette cost to social

-Post Children’s Ringette cost to social

-Post Children’s Ringette cost to social

-Identify Instagram team-Identify Instagram team

-Train Instagram team

-Monitor Instagram strategies

-Monitor Instagram strategies-Monitor Instagram strategies

-Train GR, & CTR instructors

Athlete Recruitment & Promotion

Any questions?

Hannah-Le Woodman,

Sport Development Coordinator