Growth challenges rambling on!
Our high school team went from 8 to 28 in second year. The club also has a very active AIM program separate from the high school team.
How much contact do you have with school Athletic Directors and administrators? We were trying to be prepared with adult volunteers and coaches.
We are close but short of help. I’ve followed advice from Randall, my level 1 instructor and others involved in youth shooting sports. It’s working but stressful. I plan to build a succession plan that targets the youngest school team members families that will give stability to the program. The host club is also working to get us some help too.
One part of the equation in the trap club itself. We are struggling a bit to get new league teams. The youth teams have supplied 3 league teams. The club is looking to convert to a 501c3 entity…
Hey Jim, Thanks for sharing this. You're building a great program with awesome growth! It’s exciting, but it comes with pressure, no doubt about it.
On the Athletic Director side, I try to keep consistent communication. We use the SportsYou App as our primary communication platform and the AD is part of the group. He stays looped in on schedules, highlights, growth, and wins. The more he sees the program as part of the school culture, the more support we get over time.
Now, on the club side and the 501(c)(3) conversation - I’ve walked that road a couple years ago.
We run our club as a 501(c)(7) social club that is member driven, and when we looked at converting to a 501(c)(3), it didn’t pencil out for us. It’s not really an “upgrade” - it’s a shift in mission. You trade flexibility for structure, compliance, and ongoing administrative work. If your primary purpose is still a member-driven club, that can become a burden pretty quickly.
Where a 501(c)(3) can make sense is if you’re focused heavily on youth development, scholarships, and grants - but even then, a lot of clubs are better off keeping the club as-is and building a separate charitable arm if needed. That's what we did with our youth program. We keep the money separate and our accountant keeps us straight financially. It's way easier filing our 990 to the IRS for our taxes this way.
As far as professional help - before you spend money there, I’d really make sure it’s the right move. Once you go down that path, there’s no halfway.
On the league side, that’s a grind everywhere right now. What’s worked best for us is using the youth program as the front door - get families involved, keep them around, and over time they turn into league shooters, volunteers, and leaders.
You’re in the thick of it right now, but you’re doing it the right way. Stay focused on people, build your bench, and don’t rush into structural changes just because they sound like the “next step.”