I apologize for the long post.
The fitness industry is eating racquetball alive! Every day across America suits come into the clubs with measuring tapes. I can smell these vultures before they enter the building. Consider this: There was once a time when racquetball time was sold by the hour and in some clubs by 45 minute intervals. Strict reservations were in place and one of the club managers was the racquetball pro/programmer. (Guess what sport is still mainly run that way? Yep-Tennis!)
Enter the monthly dues in the 1980s. That changed everything. No longer was the racquetball programmer a manager-the sales person was the most important. Where did the sales people come from? They came from bankrupt companies and Health spas and other such fly by night fitness institutions. Hard sell training still exists-walk into many clubs today and you will see it(not the ones I work in but those $30 a month clubs). So who is the manager? A former gym owner, trainer, body builder, cross fit guru or gurette are usually in charge. They have no clue about racquetball. Many meetings are held worrying about keeping club members. Why? Because most clubs are like singles bars. They offer the usual-machines, more machines, trainers and classes. Racquetball courts are ignored. The retention percentage of racquetball players is ignored. Empty courts at 11am are glaring to fitness managers. Empty aerobics studios and fitness floor people who number under 10, are ignored. Fitness brains know fitness only; and racquetball is a form of fitness. The flow between fitness trainers, managers, fitness floor and racquetball should exist. In most clubs it does not.
Revenue streams are created to kill racquetball unintentionally or intentionally in some cases.
Example:
I join a club to play racquetball. I tell them I want to play racquetball. I pay my dues at the club. In 98% of the clubs that money is earmarked as fitness or fitness membership income. What is the racquetball income? League fees, shootout fees, or program fees. How can that sort of accounting support a racquetball effort? When the bean counters look at the ledger sheets-racquetball court removal is justified as long as membership, and renewal and retention revenue is ignored.
Solution: Certify trainers who love racquetball to teach beginning racquetball through the USAR Instructor’s program. Give them a source of income. Allow them to run beginner leagues and sell fitness training, supplements, etc to the racquetball players while pitching racquetball to the poor “night of the living dead” stair master people on the fitness floor.
This post is sort of out-dated because Pickleball has finished the job Fitness managers started. Club owners hopped on the P-ball craze and are riding the wave.
I know this is a long post and I apologize but maybe one club manager may read this and begin to understand how to use racquetball to make money. Oh and I leave you with this. Racquetball is a natural referral activity. Teach beginning lessons by inviting guests to hit with members and sell up more memberships!