Building a fan Base

[DCbullets14]

This topic took over the roster thread so I wanted to move it to its own page and hopefully get some input.


I would like any ideas/ suggestions that people have that would help to increase the size of a teams fan base.

Some suggestions I have heard so far are:

1. Free Admission to Games
2. Building a strong league at the rink
3. Giveaways / rafflles

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Our rink is willing to work with us to promote the team, we just need some creative (preferably low cost) ideas.

[usahockey9]

Have a meet the Pros before or after games. Offer a autograph session.

[Troho9]

We ran a "Play with the Pros" and it would sell out everytime.

Set up Ironman teams with 3 youth players and one of your "Pros" let them play a 4 game schedule and afterwards you can have pizza with the kids, sign autographs and do some PR with the parents to set up clinics.

Its really easy and alot of fun. We would get 10-12 teams everytime and the whole event only takes 2-4 hours depending on how many kids and teams.

Just an idea, it may not work everywhere but it worked for us and the players, parents, and more importantly, the kids loved it.

[DCbullets14]

Thanks tro really like the ironman idea ..... i sent your post to the lady in charge of the youth program to get her thoughts.

[Mlrhnorthfan]

Youth program.
Get them to play a mini game between each of your elite/pro home games.
Every kid will bring 1 or 2 parents.


Do a weekly clinic where the pros show up for the kids.

Have a mascot.

Have a great website.

Do fan contests (fan shootout, etc) and give aways during games.

Have a legitimate announcer.

Do autograph sessions.

Facebook events.

Meet the team open skate nights.

Kids are the key. we do not charge kids under 10 entrance fees. But for every kid you get to come, their parents bring them there. Those are the ones you get to pay the $5 ticket price.


All of this costs the ownership money. You have to be willing to lose money the first few years and do it right. If you are cheap and/or half-a$$ it you will never get people in the building.

[hockeymum]

i think one of the challenges for growth in the sport is bringing in new fans/kids. alot of times we have found that the rinks market to their existing kids, who are already laying out money to participate in their programs, while numbers overall are dwindling. it would be awesome to promote something like a bring a friend event, where kids get a prize for bringing a friend who is new to the sport...possibly a grand prize for the kid who brings the most friends. it could be a great way to introduce new kids and their parents to the sport- to not only boost fan numbers, but to build new interest in inhouse programs- the sport is in trouble without that

[skooled]

I think hockeymum is on the right path. My suggestions always revolve around schools. elementry schools are always looking at funding or donationd of cash or equipment. Sign one sponsor to provide either computers, sporting goods etc and set up a programe whereas you can nominate a school when you purchase your game ticket/s, and the shool with the most nominations by the end of the season wins the prize. You could even add a system where if you travel to an away game, it adds double points?

These sort of things work here in Australia, I'm sure it will work there also.

[Number25]

If there are clinics for youth players, give them a flyer after the clinic to give to their parents, if they bug their parents enough you'll get three ticket sales to the game. Also, make a facebook group or fan page for your team, make an event page for home games and send them to everyone on the group and everyone on the team should forward an invite to their whole friends list.

[Doug Jones]

When we were the Pirates, we did free clinics, Red Ribbon week assemblies, attended all chamber of commerce events and gave tickets away as a door prize, contacted local youth groups and gave them free admission to games, worked with the local youth shelters and homes to give them tickets to games.

In 2008, we spoke to over 4,000 school students during Red Ribbon week and our efforts paid off in seeing 142 "free admission" coupons (with paid adult) come back to us at our first game of the 2008 season which unfortunately was our largest crowd of our shortened season with 371 people in attendance.

I've found the local chamber's can be incredible to not only help with contacts, but to help in getting to know all the local business owner's and executives. After quite a bit of working them, we were able to gather quite a few of them out to games by the third month of our networking. The youth shelters and homes paid off big time for us, because alot of the kids, told their friends at school they were going and that turned into their friends coming to see the games as well.

Our free clinics attracted about 12 - 15 on an average who wanted to come out and try to skate. We were much more successful with the Red Ribbon free game coupons....

The bottom line is, if you're out there and meeting people and talking up your product, it's going to help build your team's image and your franchise.

It also helps to pick 2 - 3 charities you can successfully help out on a consistent basis and work with. That also brought us more people to our games through interaction with the charities.

[GMU18]

I really wish there was move of a fan base..
I think that future rinks need to be more fan friendly.

[growl89]

There could be if the game was marketted correctly...

There is no promotion in our sport and it shows, the fans aren't just going to walk through the doors. This is the problem with the sport and I wish I had the time to help change it, but until someone steps up and sets the bar on gaining major sponsorships and marketting the league, then we are going to be left with what we have; 95% of the games with under 100 people in the stands.

It's too bad Dave Garland got pushed away from the sport, he actually had the right idea.

[DCbullets14]

the last few weeks we have been having kids skate with us on friday nights. It seems to be helping spread the word. We are also planning a play with a pro iron man.... 3 players play with an aihl player.... I know we had a few new people at our last game and hopefully more on the way.

[growl89]

the last few weeks we have been having kids skate with us on friday nights. It seems to be helping spread the word. We are also planning a play with a pro iron man.... 3 players play with an aihl player.... I know we had a few new people at our last game and hopefully more on the way.

That's a great start an effort and a good start.

However for results to be seen league wide there needs to be a certain "niche" that our sport needs. It's been brought up a few times on this board, but an atmosphere much like MLL has at their games is perfect for what we are trying to do.

Promote our games as a family atmosphere, make it an event. Stop having 7pm - 8 pm games. It's nhl, ncaa football, NFL season, world series, and NBA season. Any people on the fence about coming to a roller hockey game will not come if they are a sports fan.

Promote to the local towns, have beer tents, food vendors, a DJ, local dance team, shootout for kids etc. in the parking lots and get people involved. I know some teams get nice draws, 495ers have had a few hundred people there, but imagine how much fun it would be to have that every game.

I remember when the Wolves traveled out to Sacramento for 2 XIHL games. On the saturday night there was 6-700 people crammed into a rink the size of Rahway. One of the loudest roller hockey atmospheres I have ever been a part of. It was a lot of fun. It is possible...

[RichardGraham]

Hi Bill,

I never met Dave personally, but I agree with you that his leaving our sport hurt. He had passion and commitment and drive that you don't see every day. Now that drive is directed toward helping others become successful in business, and not our sport. Maybe one day down the line he'll come back. One can only hope.

[growl89]

Hi Bill,

I never met Dave personally, but I agree with you that his leaving our sport hurt. He had passion and commitment and drive that you don't see every day. Now that drive is directed toward helping others become successful in business, and not our sport. Maybe one day down the line he'll come back. One can only hope.

Very true,

I get all the emails, updates, etc from his show and it's great to see how good he is doing. I wish that I had the time to be able to at the minimum promote my own team, lets alone an entire divison and league like he was able to.

Someone on here has to know someone in marketing or advertising that loves inline hockey!