growing the sport, growing the club

Reprinted by permission, from “Racquetball Best Practices” Case Studies of the Winners & Finalists, 2000 IHRSA Awards International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association

Since 1976, the Wisconsin Athletic Club has been Southeastern Wisconsin’s “racquetball connection,” with more players than any other club in Wisconsin.

Of the company’s five clubs throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area, two of them are “court clubs,” featuring a total of 21 courts. One location has a court with a full back glass wall and bleachers that can be set up for major events. All courts have great viewing areas from above. Some have viewing from the club’s lounge, as well.

Trish Elftman and Gary Schleinz (pictured), Karen Doyle, and Lee Kimball share responsibility for coordinating racquetball programming for both court clubs. They have a combined total of more than 50 years of racquetball programming experience. There are six pros between the two clubs. Trish Elftman, Pat Starken, Linda Covault, and Ken Chmielewski are all AmPRO certified instructors. Joe Bechard, a former State Champion, teaches clinics. Craig Coffman handles junior lessons and leagues.

The five clubs have a total of 10,000 members. Of the 3,900 members who belong to the two court clubs, 25-30% regularly participate in racquetball, while 90% of the racquetball members play regularly. Racquetball players can purchase a special, all-inclusive “Gold” membership package. Or if they prefer, they can go with a “Fitness” membership and simply pay a $5.00/hour/person court fee. There is also a league fee of either $6.00 or $9.00 per league. The club’s general retention rate is 65%; for racquetball members the figure jumps to 85%.

Racquetball Revenues
In the two court clubs, $800,000—30% of overall club revenues—was generated from the racquetball operations, including memberships, lessons, events, etc. That breaks down to revenues of $38,000 per court. The two pro shops generated $60,000, 80% of which was racquetball related.

Program Strengths
Racquetball programming requires 50 hours each week, including 25 hours for leagues. Each week, 1,000 court hours are dedicated to racquetball programming, with 900 devoted to leagues. Between the two court clubs, ten to twelve lessons are taught each week.

A Junior Program runs at both court clubs every Sunday between October and May. An average of 50-60 kids participates in the programs. In addition, the clubs have hosted the State Juniors the last two years. This year, they will hold a regional juniors tournament. More than 1,000 members participated in the leagues this past winter—close to 25% of the club’s racquetball membership base. Along with the usual early morning, noon, and late evening leagues, there are some popular novelty leagues, such as a Beer and Chili League. Sometimes the players use potholders for gloves for extra points. A mixed doubles league gets risqué: men wear bras and ladies wear jock straps — over their clothing, of course. Local businesses get involved, too, by sponsoring teams for ten-week leagues. T-shirts are printed with the sponsors’ company names. The sponsors’ business cards are posted alongside the scores on the club’s bulletin board. An after-work banquet is held at the conclusion of the ten-week period.

“Everyone is always looking for some key, the secret to success,” notes Keith Nygren, the co-owner (along with Ray O’Connor and Ted Torcivia) of WAC. “But the truth is, there’s no easy answer. You can’t just put up a sign-up sheet. You’ve got to do the spade work … and a lot of it.” —

From "Let’s Get Real about Racquetball" by John R. Halbrooks March 2000, Club Business International

The Tournament as a Promotional Tool
Wisconsin Athletic Club court clubs typically host ten to twelve tournaments each year. The President’s Day Open tournament, a three-day event, is held every February, attracting 200 + players. Over the three days, 1,500 players and spectators helped generate close to $12,000 in revenue, with a net profit in excess of $3,000. But the racquetball staff is proudest of “The Jerry Stoltmann Memorial Summer Open,” held each June. This tournament was re-named in honor of an avid league/tourney member, Jerry Stoltmann, who recently lost his battle with cancer. The tournament skimped on frills so a higher percentage of the entry fees could be donated to the American Cancer Society in Jerry’s honor. The racquetball staff and members were thrilled when Jerry’s widow and his two sons agreed to play in the tournament. With over 125 players, a raft of donated prizes, and numerous contributions from generous spectators, the tournament exceeded its goals, making a profit of $600 after all expenses, plus the donation of $800.

Other tournaments include Oktoberfest, Halloween Doubles, Candy Cane Classic, Two Club Tourneys, St. Paddy’s Doubles, City Championships, April Doubles, and the State Singles Tournament. The clubs also host numerous mini-tourneys, such as Turkey Shoot, Santa Doubles, Mixed Socials, and more. They have been host to the State Doubles in the past, and will be holding State Singles this year. Over the years, they have also held Pro-stops, Handball Pro-stops, National Senior Doubles, and many others.

The two clubs have conducted tournaments for the Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments, Milwaukee Senior Olympics, and Quad Graphics. In addition, the clubs offer the courts to local high schools, which bring in students as part of the high school curriculum. The number of participants ranges from 20-40 players in racquetball and handball to the several hundred they expect for the upcoming Canadian-American Police and Fire Games.

Free clinics are given Monday evenings at both locations. Clinics are taught by longtime racquetball player Joe Bechard and by instructors Pat Starken and Ken Chmielewski.

Group lessons are taught on Tuesday evenings by Linda Covault. These lessons are open to all new members. Prizes, complimentary racquet, beverage and more are offered to participants. A special Women’s Beginner Lesson is taught by Trish Elftman on Wednesday nights.

Over the last year, the clubs have attracted some of the top names in racquetball. These pros have been guests at informal club events, where they spent time talking with members, answering their questions, and even playing with them. This is a big treat for members.

Racquetball Promotion
The clubs’ spectacular tournaments and leagues are, arguably, their most powerful promotional tools. However, there are other aspects to promotion, note Elftman and Schleinz.

There is an extraordinary commitment to servicing both members and prospects, for example. The Wisconsin Clubs’ advertising offers “free” introductions. The racquetball coordinators will gladly arrange lessons, clinics, or other assistance upon a prospect’s request. Once the prospect becomes a member, the focus shifts to encouragement and follow-up. This may include complimentary free court time for practice sessions, a free startup racquet, and/or discounts on shoes. These perks reduce financial hardships encountered by new players.

New Programs
Since late 1998, the clubs have added a number of new programs. Racquetball for Seniors, held each Tuesday morning, allows members 65 and over to get a good workout while having fun. “The rules are modified slightly, so they can have a better time,” notes Gary Schleinz.

The free lesson program on Monday and Wednesday evenings has been expanded. An average of 4-8 players, both seasoned and inexperienced, takes part in the lessons. Corporate leagues have been established during non-primetime hours. Wednesday afternoons between 4:00 and 4:15 p.m., eight to ten players gather to play. After the game, the group often adjourns to the club bar to enjoy liquid refreshment. It’s a great opportunity to expose the club to non-members, who often join the fun.

“What’s the biggest problem any business faces today?” Schleinz asks rhetorically. “People are so damn busy … both parents work, the kids are over-scheduled, everyone’s running every which way … Given this rat race, the key to succeeding – at anything – is to get people to put you on their calendars.”

CBI, March 2000

Formula for Success
A successful racquetball program takes more than efficient programming, says Trish Elftman. “It’s more of a social thing. People like to get away from work and have fun, play, and meet other people. They cap it off with a drink at the bar,” she says. “The social aspect is more important these days. It’s tough to even get people to keep score. People just want to have fun and get a good workout. There’s much less competitiveness.” The Wisconsin Athletic Club has what it takes to make it work; a commitment from the owner, enthusiastic racquetball coordinators, and lots of exciting, well-promoted programs, and enough fun to go around. Gary Schleinz and Trish Elftman reveal their clubs’ formula for success:

Make a Commitment. The Wisconsin Athletic Club is fortunate to have owners who are committed to the continued growth of the sport. They realize what it takes to be a force in the racquetball community. A club’s owners need to understand that they have to make an investment in quality programming and staff to create it. The owners of the Wisconsin Athletic Club recognize that racquetball players stay with the club and are willing to spend money on the sport on an ongoing basis.

Create new programming; keep things fun. The club’s owners have made a commitment to grow the racquetball program by allocating the funds to hire a topflight staff. The two full-time and two part-time racquetball coordinators really believe in the game. This provides a solid foundation for creating innovative programming. “We are constantly creating programs using new and different ideas to create social fun,” say Schleinz and Elftman. “We listen to what our members want.” The idea is to keep things fresh and a little bit silly, so the clubs play host to a Beer & Chili League and a Little Weenie Tourney, which uses racquets from the old days when they were much smaller. Another novelty program features players wearing clothing inside out. “The competitiveness is still there,” notes Schleinz, “However, we believe racquetball is becoming more of a social, get-away-from-the-world game. That’s fine with us; members who have fun tend to stick around awhile.”

Promote your programs. Word of mouth is the key here. Planning new and exciting programs will keep people buzzing. Make sure to organize leagues year-round to keep people active. Offer holiday programs. Make the programs fun: offer comical prizes, such as a turkey around Thanksgiving. Forego the usual plaques and trophies for more useful or silly prizes. People are getting a good workout, but, in the end, the most important thing is for them to have fun.