Erik
Jul 8, 2025
Replacing five small courses with one that finally delivered
Tired of small, repetitive courses with low retention, this U.S. club wanted real change. With our system, they attracted 120 adults in one go — and kept them. A full rebuild of their structure, strategy, and results.
About the club
Indianapolis is a large American city, with over a million people in the central area and nearly two million when counting the greater region. The rowing club here had been around for a long time and was running several beginner courses every year. From the outside, it looked like things were going well. Each course attracted between 10 and 20 participants, and the club was known in the area.
Problem
Even though they were bringing in people regularly, the club was starting to feel stuck. They had to run 5 or 6 beginner courses every year just to get 50 new members in total. That might sound okay, but many of those 50 didn’t stay. The club was putting in a lot of effort, but people would disappear after a few sessions. It felt inefficient and draining. They didn’t have a long-term system to keep new people involved. On top of that, they wanted to raise their membership fees, but felt they couldn’t do that unless they offered more value. The coaching system was basic, and many of their coaches were students with little support or structure.
Solution
We came in with a new plan. Instead of many small courses, we helped them design one big, high-energy course that was more professional and exciting. We created a step-by-step system for how the course should be run, including marketing, communication, and how to follow up with members after the course. We also helped train their student coaches so they felt confident and prepared. These young coaches became leaders instead of just assistants. Our campaign spoke directly to adults between 20 and 65, showing rowing as fun, social, and a way to feel strong and connected.
Result
120 people signed up, more than any course the club had ever done. The age range was wide, and many of the participants had never rowed before. The club made more money from this one course than from several courses the year before. The people who joined stayed longer, and many became full members. The atmosphere changed. The student coaches felt proud of their role, and the club gained a new belief in its own future. They now want to run the course with us again and stop wasting energy on many small courses that don’t work.
