Informal sports – pick-up
basketball in the HPER, kicking around a soccer ball on Woodlawn fields, getting
together with a friend to play tennis at the Tennis Pavilion, working out by
yourself in the strength and conditioning room at the SRSC. When we refer to
informal sports, we are talking about self directed participation in
cooperative/competitive play activity in the game form. For participants,
informal sports have the least amount of structure – sport takes place whenever
there is an available facility and interest for a game. For administrators,
there are many elements that go into informal sport programming and management.
Perhaps the biggest concern for informal sports programmers is facilities – as I
said back in the fitness unit (and will continue to say throughout the course),
facilities are everything – and they REALLY are when it comes to informal sports
participation. Without a place to play, you can’t have a game!
There are several participation factors that go into the administration of an informal sports programming. The goal for an informal sports programmer is to facilitate participation. The priority is to create a satisfying, positive experience for the participant. As your text states, this can be difficult, because the experience is what the participant makes of it…there is generally little contact with program staff.
The following represent the PARTICIPATION FACTORS that affect informal sport programs. Remember, PARTICIPATION FACTORS are those factors that, obviously, affect participation in an informal sports program.
Membership Services - what is your membership policy? Who gets to use your facility? What do users get when they become a member? How can you justify? Do you offer incentives for customers to join?
Facility Availability - what are your target groups? When is a good time to make your facility available to users? Does it make sense to keep a youth sports facility open until 2:00 a.m.? How accessible is your facility for people with disabilities? Is your facility close enough to residential areas that your customers will be able to access it?
Seasonal Factors - what time of year are certain facilities available? Does it make sense to keep your golf course open year-round in Indiana? When does offering certain facility availability make the most sense based on the season?
Scheduling of facilities - block vs. short-term reservation
Conveniences - locker rooms, showers, juice bars/restaurants, telephones, pro-shops, vending, adequate parking
Cleanliness - upkeep of the facility (trash, attractive bulletin boards, sweeping floors, basic maintenance); facility repair and renovation; the problem with "deferred maintenance"; what are the consequences of poorly maintained facilities?
Personnel - who will staff your facility? What is the level of knowledge of your staff? Qualifications? Certifications? Staff must be able to communicate and resolve conflict; staff must have adequate knowledge and information to provide to participants on facility availability, schedules of events, policies/procedures, etc.
Cost - how much will you charge members for the use of your facilities? What types of incentives or membership options will you offer (this can tie in with membership services); consider the following: annual user or membership fees, daily user fees, reservation fees, rental fees, license and permit fees
There are other considerations for informal sports program managers to consider. These relate to areas of policy, and can be folded into some of the participation considerations listed above. Be sure to adequately address eligibility for use of your facilities, fees and charges, facility reservation policies, accident prevention/risk management, participant conduct, and governance.
For more details on informal sports, utilize your text chapter, INFORMAL SPORTS on pages 78 through 91.