About the club

Kungälv is a small town outside of Gothenburg, located on an island. The rowing club had a strong tradition of developing elite athletes and young rowers, and they also had a smaller group of older members over 60. What they were missing, however, were adults in the age range of 20 to 60.

Problem

The club had been trying for years to bring in more adults, but every attempt ended with the same result. People joined for a short time, but the retention was extremely low. There was no structure, no clear pathway for adults who wanted to row recreationally, and no coaching resources dedicated to this age group. Week after week, training sessions had only a handful of people, and the club lacked the energy and continuity needed to grow.

Solution

We came in and helped the club create an offer that was attractive to adults and families. At the same time, the younger athletes at the club went through a coaching education, which gave them the confidence to take care of adult beginners. We also worked with the leadership team to put better retention systems in place and gave concrete advice on what they should do differently after the program to keep members engaged for the long term.

Result

85 people signed up for the program, and 53 of them chose to stay with the club after the course. This brought a whole new energy to Kungälv Rowing Club. Instead of being known mainly for youth and elite athletes, the club suddenly had a strong adult community driving it forward. With the boost in members and momentum, the club is now planning to build a new boathouse, a step made possible thanks to the surge in growth and support from its expanded membership base.