Connection : Community : Club
Group activities and training sessions offer club members opportunities to connect, boost positivity, support one another’s goals, and build community.
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Clubs bring people of like-minds together. Specific to our environment, triathlon clubs bring a sense of community, group activities, and team camaraderie to the otherwise solo journey of multisport training. Aspects of the club environment motivate members toward group training sessions and race day club events, while also allowing for people of similar interests to connect outside of athletics for social gatherings. This supportive structure is what makes participating in a club valuable, vital, and encouraging for thousands of triathletes.
Connect.
Many clubs are now going global, meaning the club reaches athletes from every corner of the planet. Club leaders must now think outside the box and offer innovative solutions for members to remain connected and a part of the community. Providing structure, support, and a welcoming environment will keep members engaged and involved in team activities.
Our current environment has fast-tracked the way we approach our training offerings. Online group rides, virtual races, and video chats are the new norm while offering great benefits of maintaining presence and interaction with one another. Sure, we all miss sporting our club’s tri kit at races and sharing high-fives with one another, and we will most certainly get back to that, though for now, it is critical to provide your team options to remain connected. Being engaged and supportive of your club members, especially at this time, will leave them feeling like a part of something bigger than themselves...and well trained for their next endeavor.
As a club leader, you have the ability to interact, impact, and inspire your members.
Stronger, Together.
Triathlon helps us grow stronger as an athlete and also as a community. As an individual, you work hard each day to build aerobic capacity and muscular strength to endure hours of training and racing. You learn to be present during tough training sessions (and race days) and also problem-solve through challenging situations both on and off the course. A strong team, however, can accomplish much more than any individual on their own, as they can offer countless opportunities to make a positive impact on the community. As a team, you grow stronger together as you show up for one another, learn from one another, and support one another while working toward your goals. Teams may inspire others to join the sport and provide a welcoming environment where athletes can grow, together.
Weekly Team Calls:
Products like Zoom, Youtube Live Streaming, FaceBook Live, and conference calling are available and mostly free of charge. They are an easy way to schedule video/audio interactions with your team. These sessions need not be overly long or informational but approached as a sounding board and access point between club members and leadership.
Leaders can talk about happenings in the club, relevant news, informational topics, virtual group events, etc. and open up the chat to questions. Having this type of interaction with the members of your club adds value and leaves members feeling like a part of the team.
Virtual Group Workouts:
Looking at the positives, we live in an amazing time where athletes can train from the comfort of our own homes! Online platforms like Zwift, TrainerRoad, Rouvy, etc. allow athletes to train, compete, and communicate with other athletes near and far. These platforms and apps provide real-time workouts, allowing athletes not only the opportunity to train together, but accountability and interaction with others.
Several platforms also designate closed group events for your club members only, providing unique opportunities to bring back the social aspect of your group while training or racing online, via live workouts or club races. Members can communicate within their own club’s invite-only session, giving the sense of community and an experience as close as we can get to an in-person gathering.
Frequent Social Media Updates:
Stay connected with your members. Maintain a frequent schedule of social media posts, emails, and coaching feedback. The more communication the leader can have with team members without overwhelming them, the greater the retention and interaction within the club. Be sensitive to what your members may be going through at this time.
Establish a schedule with workouts, updates, and reminders on social media. Invite your members to digital meet-ups, online group trainings, and virtual club races, as these types of gatherings are more possible than ever in today’s landscape.
Set and Support Goals.
Goals are important to keep individual and team fitness moving in the right direction. Set small, attainable goals to keep your athletes moving forward and hungry to keep improving. Perhaps your goal is to improve your FTP by 3 watts per month, run 5 seconds faster per mile every 6 weeks, or drop a few seconds on your 100 swim pace. Small attainable goals not only drive that internal motivation to get better, but they also keep the training focused and consistent. Step by step, continue inspiring your athletes, and keep moving forward : together.
Stay Positive.
Have Fun! We need to remember that we train and race as an outlet from our everyday life. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and anxiety of getting training in, hitting your numbers, getting the exact time you are shooting for, etc. Remind yourself that this is our time to relax and let go of our everyday stress. Our training should not add to your stress. This will not only allow you to have more fun in your daily workouts but it will also allow you to perform better day in and day out. A relaxed athlete is an efficient athlete.
