Rec Leagues: How to Set Them Up and Which Ones to Offer

Setting up rec leagues is a great way to drive revenue to your recreation center and potentially get some new members. You may be wondering what kind of rec leagues you should offer, and when you figure that out, how to get them started. In this Sports Facilities Management blog, we’ll dive deeper into the topic of rec leagues.

What Rec Leagues Should I Offer?

First, consider the types of sports your facility is built for. If your facility has courts and fields, your options are more varied. At first, you may want to pick some sports with wider appeal, like basketball, flag football, and soccer. Save the secondary sport rec leagues for when you’re more established and for when you know if there’s a demand for them.
If you don’t have both a field and a court, offer a rec league for what you do have. There’s no need to build an addition to your sports complex just to have more options. If you find that it’s profitable to add something and hold leagues for a particular sport down the line, you can do that after you’re successful with your other leagues.
Finally, consider what other facilities in the area are offering. If you’re trying to offer the same thing, it would be wise to diversify your offerings and schedules so as not to directly compete with other facilities, especially if they’re already well-known and established.

How to Start Your Rec Leagues

Starting a rec league is all about marketing and determining a structure. First, plan out the schedule for the league and determine how many people you need to fill the spots open. Once you have a structure in place, begin to reach out to people in the community to join.
Start with your current members, as they’re most likely to join your league and have opted-in to your advertising. They’re a built-in audience who appreciate athletic activities. Next, you can spread the word in your community through social media and other forms of marketing. Organizing and running these leagues can be very time-consuming, so make sure you have a member or number of your staff in charge of this.

Contact Sports Facilities Management Today

If you’re looking to outsource your staffing and management for your sports complex, Sports Facilities Management can help. Contact us today for more information and to see what we can do for you.