Interested passers-by

[Cakemeister]

Since we've moved off our main range & onto the cricket pitch we are visible from the main road. Over the past week or two we must have had half a dozen interested people coming up to ask us about archery & beginners courses, our standard answer being 'our next beginner's course is in May.' It makes me wonder about indoor beginner's courses but I suspect that's not feasible.

Pete

[Murray]

ALL of our beginner's courses are indoors, simply to ensure that the coaches get time to work on their own form during the all important outdoor season, and the novices have time to get up to a reasonable standard before being demoralised by the wind and rain!

[LineCutter]

Our beginners courses are all indoor, for the same reason - shelter, plus the fact that the beginners don't end up waiting ages for the "big boys" to walk to & from the 90m targets.
We didn't need to be visible to be booked up with beginners for ever - puts a lot of strain on the coaches (not counting the child protection stuff). If only we could train recurve archers rather than compund & longbow archers!

[cliveanne]

I run beginner's courses both inside & out (Not including the club beginner's course) some are done through night-school/evening classes others take place at various venues http://www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk/#is one of them. I also do birthday parties, corporate sessions, as & when required, we even did a wedding. The photographer shoots the film, the guests shoot the arrows...beats getting bored

[Marcus26]

We have our own indoor range so this is easy for us.
About a year ago we started having an open night on Mondays.
7:30-9:30
$15 for equipment hire and coaching
open to all, come as often as you like.

It took about 6 months to get really going but is now huge. We have 3 coaches, plus my wife who helps out and myself who sells gear.
We are getting around a 90% retention rate joining the club and most buy gear straight away without having to leave and get bad advise from a 'pro-shop'
This year our renewal for the start of the year was up 300% on previous years. It's been a booming success. Best part is that people come for 4-8-12 weeks paying $15 a pop and then join the club. Huge cash injection for us.

[Andy1960]

Here in darkest Berkshire we can only shoot outdoors, so our beginners course starts in May as the evenings are light enough for long enough then. Also, so that we don't delay the beginners too much, we close the range to other members when the course is running. We've not had any complaints yet as most of the members realsie that for a small club like ours, the beginners bring in much needed revenue

[Cakemeister]

Originally Posted by Andy1960

for a small club like ours, the beginners bring in much needed revenue

We've run several beginners' courses this year for that reason and others...at £350-ish a time it's difficult not to. I have to say bearing in mind to number of people that have been 'through the books' this year we get maybe 40-50% joining the club. But then how many become committed archers is another thing entirely.

Pete

[tel]

Originally Posted by Andy1960

Here in darkest Berkshire we can only shoot outdoors, so our beginners course starts in May as the evenings are light enough for long enough then. Also, so that we don't delay the beginners too much, we close the range to other members when the course is running. We've not had any complaints yet as most of the members realsie that for a small club like ours, the beginners bring in much needed revenue

No indoor shoots !? What do you do all winter?

[Andy1960]

Ah, thereby hangs a tail!

We used to shoot indoors at a local school, but they managed to price us off the premises. Then, one of our members managed to secure a hall at a local businesses sports club - good one that, it even had a bar, but again pricing took it's toll. So now we are reliant on the good graces of other local clubs allowing us to shoot indoors with them during the winter.

As for myself, I'm not a lover of indoors shooting - it's always seemed too rushed for me. I prefer the big outdoors - even when it is too cold to feel the string on the fingers

[Cakemeister]

Agreed- outdoor is far superior, indoors tends to be claustrophobic! Gives you a chance to work on technique & setup though.

Pete