As everyone who volunteers and works with sports clubs knows, the unannounced walk-in is a unique challenge. It can throw up practical problems concerning mismatched team sizes or hard limits on the amount of players in a given space. It also offers potential challenges in terms of integration; what if the walk-in's skill level differs drastically from the team's? What if they turn up late and miss some invaluable warm up time?

This blog is written to give straightforward answers to all these questions and more, hopefully, helping you to bring walk-ins to the fold and grow your club.

What do you do if a walk-in throws off your team numbers?

One of the more obvious challenges presented by walk-ins is that they can throw off team numbers for coaches with pre-planned drills and activities. However, there are a number of tried-and-tested fixes available:

Consider running a rotating substitute system. This works particularly well for small-sided games e.g. 3v3 matches, simply start a timer on your phone and rotate the teams at a given time interval.
If possible, have a couple of variations in mind regarding numbers e.g. If you're playing a 4v4 you could transition into a 3v3 with 3 rotating teams to bring the extra player into the action

Eequ Pro Tip: Consider keeping a simple "plan B" drill card in your kit bag with a number of variations on training exercises and/or general games which scale easily and where team size matters less.

What if a walk-in doesn't match the group's skill level?

Skill mismatches in sports, particularly in children's sports, can give rise to a number of really tricky problems from confidence issues to genuine issues of safety in more physical sports like rugby. To head off such issues you may want to consider the following:

Pair the walk-in with a buddy for the first part of the session, helping them integrate socially and giving them the confidence to play their best
Adapt the drill by putting them into easier positions and lowering their responsibility
If skill-level matters to your club e.g. you're playing at a high level, consider keeping a script in mind for how to gently turn players down. You could suggest alternative clubs and offer them other chances as they develop.

How to include a child in your sports session who's missed the warm-up?

Jumping straight into physical activity without warming-up raises the risk of injury and also may mean the new player can't give their best in the session. Consider giving the walk-in two or three minutes of movement on the side, some jogging on the spot and a few dynamic stretches, before they join in fully.

What to do if your session is already at capacity for the space you've got?

Sport has a hard limit that other clubs often do not. A pitch or court can only hold so many players safely, and sometimes there is simply no room. As a result it's often worth being upfront with the parent/player rather than attempting to squeeze them in. Offer them a place on a waiting list or a booking for the next session instead, so the visit still leads somewhere.

Eequ Pro Tip: Maintain an active waiting list to scoop up potential bookings. When a space opens up, you can message the next family straight away instead of hoping someone remembers to check back. On Eequ, waiting lists automatically backfill cancelled spaces, giving you more time to focus on coaching rather than chasing individuals from your waiting list one by one.

How do sports providers make it easy for a walk-in to book properly next time?

Maintaining a simple, user-friendly booking system is vitally important in helping to turn your walk-in into a regular team member. It often serves as a player’s first impression of your club and it's therefore worth keeping on top of things with something like a printed QR code that parents and players can scan at the beginning of the session to easily book in.

Eequ Pro Tip: Eequ provides listing QR codes for just this purpose. This takes players and parents through a straightforward booking process and can help take precious time and stress off your hands as a coach.

FAQs

Can I let a walk-in play before they've paid?

Many providers do, just be clear with the parent or player about when and how payment is expected. Moreover, some booking systems allow for easy sign-in and booking on the spot before playing.

What should I do if a walk-in has no emergency contact details?

Always refer to GOV.UK guidance on safeguarding (linked here) but it's important that this information is collected before a child joins in.

Should I keep a separate waiting list for walk-ins versus regular bookers?

Not necessarily, one waiting list is less of a headache to manage and keeps things fair across all your bookers.

Having a plan for how to deal with walk-ins can help you as a coach deal with some of the stresses involved in running a sports club. Moreover, walk-ins, be they friends of current players or complete strangers, are a great source of growth for a club, providing they can be welcomed into the session in a calm and friendly manner. Hopefully, this article has given you a few useful tips regarding walk-ins and managing first impressions at your club. Remember, how easy it is to book leaves a lasting impression on walk-ins, and has a direct impact on your club’s growth. Join a growing community of sports providers on Eequ and try setting up a listing today! (eequ.org/booking-system)

How to Handle Walk-ins as a Sports Club Provider