Friday, December 28, 2012

Membership up Judo Clubs down

A New Year is just around the corner and I have to say the IBF/BCSA has increased its membership last years by nearly 100 members which may not seem a lot but we have seen reducing members for the last 5 years so any increase is a good thing

Sadly I have had two IBF Judo clubs close in the last month because the membership has dropped to un a-stainable  number. What is worse the bigger Judo Associations are suffering a bigger haemorrhaging of members. The Olympic Judo did not come up to the hype and did not look the spectacular sport of the past but that is not the reason Kids no longer want to do Judo. Everyone keeps telling us about the Olympic legacy how more people are doing sport because of it, something I find very hard to believe. The experience we had at my own Judo Club after the Olympics was we had lots of enquires but no members our only new membership was coming from the usual source word of mouth. Hopefully someone will come with an idea which will brings kids back into our Judo clubs before we go the way of Amateur Wrestling with about 20 clubs throughout the UK. Not every club has the luxury of my club in the fact I cover all shortfall from my business.

Our own IBF/BCSA increase is with Adults so there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

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