What’s the score with Sports Membership models in 2024?
Sports are an important part of student life. For the students involved, there are numerous benefits such as health and wellbeing, friendships and belonging, attainment, and employability. While we all agree sports are a vital part of student experience, are we perhaps taking this for granted?
The ways we organise and facilitate sport might not be getting the attention it deserves. Many face challenges in maintaining quality sports provision, impacted by rising costs, students struggling financially, and evolving student needs.
The sector is full of passionate individuals that are doing what they can to make sports great (which turns out is an awful lot!). But we also know, they are frequently caught in the momentum of delivery and rarely, if ever, review their sports membership model or consider if it is still working for them.
In this paper, we share the story of our Sports Membership Review at City Students’ Union and what we learnt along the way. Faced with rising costs, students with tighter budgets, and an ongoing merger, City Students’ Union recognised that their sports membership model might no longer be working for them. Organised Fun led a research project exploring sports membership models and ultimately made a recommendation ready for the trustee board.
From the outset, it was clear that this project was more than just about numbers and fees. It was about ensuring that every student had the opportunity to participate in sports, regardless of their background and financial situation. Our mission was to find a balance that would make sports accessible while keeping the financial health of the SU in check.
Our research examined various membership models implemented by 30 universities. We’ve categorised these approaches into 5 distinct models:
Club-led Model: Fees set annually by clubs based on their specific budgets and needs
Tiered Model: Clubs are grouped into bands with scaled pricing based on associated costs and risks
Flat Fee + Top Up: A base fee for general sports access with additional charges for clubs with higher costs
Flat Fee Model: A single fee either for all sports or per individual club
Free Model: No cost for joining and participating in sports, including competitive activities
There is no single model that will work in all contexts; each has its unique benefits and challenges. Determining what will work best for your institution requires knowledge of your local context and priorities, combined with an understanding of differing models.
By taking time to review systems used to facilitate sports, you can also consider non-financial factors that make a difference to students' experience of the provision. We operate in a world with systemic bias, and sports provision is no different. A review of sports membership models may be a perfect time to work with students to take decolonising actions, better support disabled students, and make services equitable to all.
For those interested in the full details of our study and recommendations, you can read the complete paper here.
We will also be presenting around this topic at Membership Services Conference 2024.