Question for coaches in Junior rifle programs:
I'm going to ask this in several different ways so you all know what I'm trying to determine:
What is your retention rate of kids in your program? In other words, each year, how many kids come back to shoot with you again, having shot the prior season?
And a corollary, how many kids have come back for three, four five or six years?
thanks!
Larry
youth member retention
Moderators: pilkguns, Marcus, m1963
The program here in a "formal" format where we have regular practices three days a week is only three years old, so take all this with a grain of salt.....
Year 1 - 10 shooters
Year 2 - 35 shooters
This Year - 36 shooters
10 from last year I have not seen this year, so I have 11 brand new shooters, all but two now in all three positions
Not all of these are what I would consider "active" .... I'll use a loose definition here "active" is shooting at least two times per week on average.
I only have about 10 shooters there.
We are broken down into our NM 4-H age groups:
Novice - 9-11 - I have 17 shooters, but only 6 active
Junior - 12 & 13 - I have 9 shooters, only 1 active (one of my daughters)
Senior - 14-19 - I have 10 shooters, 5 active
I'm trying to figure out the 12 & 13 year olds .... maybe it's the age where they do not like to lose on anything .... The novices I can motivate them by taking them to our state sectionals & JO's and show them how all of them are doing better than some of the high schoolers .... our active seniors work hard and post very good scores .... those juniors are like the "middle-child" they seem a bit more impatient for the skills, strength and coordination to gel.
I've just started some smallbore practices this year, and now that I've begged and borrowed enough rifles, even some of my novices are becoming interested there.
I think I have to keep in mind that I'll never have 100% active shooters .... there are just too many other projects and shooting disciplines within 4-H. 10-11 shooters is a good number, it gives me the opportunity for two teams, and since my range is only 10 points, practice is never a real chore .... one maybe two relays and we're done. I would not complain to have more of the juniors though..... Even on some of my "active" shooters, they also have basketball and soccer that they are interested in .... as long as they are not sitting in front of the stupid TV or playing the gameboys all night and day, I really won't/can't complain (too much)
Year 1 - 10 shooters
Year 2 - 35 shooters
This Year - 36 shooters
10 from last year I have not seen this year, so I have 11 brand new shooters, all but two now in all three positions
Not all of these are what I would consider "active" .... I'll use a loose definition here "active" is shooting at least two times per week on average.
I only have about 10 shooters there.
We are broken down into our NM 4-H age groups:
Novice - 9-11 - I have 17 shooters, but only 6 active
Junior - 12 & 13 - I have 9 shooters, only 1 active (one of my daughters)
Senior - 14-19 - I have 10 shooters, 5 active
I'm trying to figure out the 12 & 13 year olds .... maybe it's the age where they do not like to lose on anything .... The novices I can motivate them by taking them to our state sectionals & JO's and show them how all of them are doing better than some of the high schoolers .... our active seniors work hard and post very good scores .... those juniors are like the "middle-child" they seem a bit more impatient for the skills, strength and coordination to gel.
I've just started some smallbore practices this year, and now that I've begged and borrowed enough rifles, even some of my novices are becoming interested there.
I think I have to keep in mind that I'll never have 100% active shooters .... there are just too many other projects and shooting disciplines within 4-H. 10-11 shooters is a good number, it gives me the opportunity for two teams, and since my range is only 10 points, practice is never a real chore .... one maybe two relays and we're done. I would not complain to have more of the juniors though..... Even on some of my "active" shooters, they also have basketball and soccer that they are interested in .... as long as they are not sitting in front of the stupid TV or playing the gameboys all night and day, I really won't/can't complain (too much)
I don't know that I can really give you good numbers.
I have 43 kids registered on my team at the moment. Of those 23 are new this year (started since September 2006). Of the new kids I'd say 5 are missing in action or haven't shown up for more than a month.
We had a huge influx of new shooters this year because of a structure change in our local high school rifle league, they started shooting air rifle.
Generally speaking if the kids on our team are around for more than a year they seem to stay until they graduate from high school and head off to college. We have pretty decent retention.
I have 43 kids registered on my team at the moment. Of those 23 are new this year (started since September 2006). Of the new kids I'd say 5 are missing in action or haven't shown up for more than a month.
We had a huge influx of new shooters this year because of a structure change in our local high school rifle league, they started shooting air rifle.
Generally speaking if the kids on our team are around for more than a year they seem to stay until they graduate from high school and head off to college. We have pretty decent retention.
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isuguncoach
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:49 pm
- Location: central illinois
- Contact:
I coach a college club team, with juniors and adults from the community welcome.
It is interesting that the numbers for junior clubs and our club are very similar.
I have had 31 shooters involved with the club this year. Have 2 juniors still shooting from 5. Have 1 adult from 2, and 8 college students from the 24 that have shot so far this year.
Both the junior and college shooters enjoy the starting phases of air rifle, and are regular at practices (we practice twice a week) but it seems when they don't progress as fast as they think they should, interest in working to get better just isn't there, and they stop practicing.
At the college level if I plan on keeping two or three of the total group that shows up at the beginning of the year. Realize that I am in Illinois, and most of the shooters that have come thru the program have had no experience with any type of shooting sport.
It is interesting that the numbers for junior clubs and our club are very similar.
I have had 31 shooters involved with the club this year. Have 2 juniors still shooting from 5. Have 1 adult from 2, and 8 college students from the 24 that have shot so far this year.
Both the junior and college shooters enjoy the starting phases of air rifle, and are regular at practices (we practice twice a week) but it seems when they don't progress as fast as they think they should, interest in working to get better just isn't there, and they stop practicing.
At the college level if I plan on keeping two or three of the total group that shows up at the beginning of the year. Realize that I am in Illinois, and most of the shooters that have come thru the program have had no experience with any type of shooting sport.