Problem: Membership for a public golf club was in decline.

In addition, the Club’s green fee player numbers were dwindling fast.

So the Chairman contacted Bill Kostandas for help.

Solution: Bill ran a critical analysis of the club’s revenue generation and business models looking for blind spots. Four main areas needed addressing:

• marketing planning
• communications
• membership
• golf

Success: Creating a strategic plan and implementing changes in each of these areas lead to:

• membership increasing by 15%
• interest from junior and female players increasing by 20%
• sale of food and beverage profits increasing by 8%
• hosting of a PGA Pro-Am event
• winning the PGA Pro-Am Event of the year.

While the board members’ intentions from Football Club X weren’t malicious, their meddling in the operational procedures began impacting the bottom line and undermining the CEO’s authority.

Solution: Bill revisited the organisation’s governance framework, defining job descriptions for each Board member and the CEO. Plus, he introduced clear decision-making pathways for all levels.

Success: By listening to various points of view and mediating solutions, Bill was able to:

• boost the CEO’s authority
• curb disruptive internal politics
• give all stakeholders a sense of purpose and achievement
• streamline operational processes
• enable decision making for the good of the organisation.

Shortly after being appointed to a prominent football club, CEO James (not his real name) discovered his corporate experience hadn’t prepared him for the intricacies and nuances of running a sports organisation. James found himself struggling with:

• volunteer management
• negotiating with emotionally involved Board members
• overseeing multiple bottom lines
• competing for the sports entertainment wallet
• managing multidisciplinary stakeholders and constituents
• defusing irate supporters.

Solution: Engaged as a mentor, Bill fast-tracked James’s learning to bring his sports management skills up to speed. Next, taking a collaborative approach, Bill conducted an independent examination of the business for James.

Success: By supporting James as the CEO and fast-tracking his sports management skill set, Bill:

• reaffirmed James as a good hire
• improved on-field results, thereby increasing spectators by 10%
• boosted membership by 16%
• raised sponsorship by 11%
• implemented a strategic plan to grow profits.

Problem: Club on the Decline and Transform into a Destination Club

A semi-professional club, essentially run by a small number of paid administration staff plus a volunteer Board of Management was struggling both on and off the field. Traditionally it would always look at the short-term.

Solution: Bill Kostandas was engaged by the Club to independently assess the Club’s whole operation. Included in the outcomes were the following: Job descriptions were developed for the staff, and Board, focus was on the long-term, players paid less but in return provided with a better environment, Club hierarchy concentrated on the strategies put in place focusing on the Club’s vision, mission objectives and core values, at the start of every season players, coaches and volunteers are versed on the Club’s core values and expectations thus leading to a good culture at the Club.

Successes: By implementing the initiatives and strategies that Bill developed it led to:

• the Club is a sustainable entity and has an improved balance sheet
• membership tripled over time
• gate takings increased by 25% over time
• the Club became a consistent performer in the league it competed in
• players and coaches wanting to come to the Club for the right reasons e.g. improve themselves, be at a Club with a good culture
• male and female player pathways clearly defined thus providing a highly credentialed program for youth players at the Club. This attracted the best in terms of player and coach quality and local players in the immediate benefit.

Problem: Sports Club Required Facility Transformation

This sporting Club could not take on further participants and nor could it host major global tournaments. To accommodate this issue and to achieve the Board’s objectives, a facility transformation was required.

Solution: Bill was engaged as a consultant to develop a comprehensive feasibility study which identified five options for facility development with recommendations put forward on which options should be considered and the rationale behind these.

Success: With the Feasibility Study completed the Club was able to:

• secure funding for the transformation of its facility
• will be able to host major international events and tournaments
• grow its junior participation base to be the largest in Australia (per capita)
• raise awareness of the sport
• grow financial resources.

Problem: Local Sporting Clubs Lacking Strategic Direction

By participating in these various activities that the local sporting organisations provide the local community derive many benefits including physical and mental health wellbeing. A Local Government Council wanted to assist the local community Clubs with strategic direction.

Solution: Bill was engaged as a consultant to develop a series of workshops that involved the development and implementation of strategic plans that would give these local Clubs a direction and focus of its operations and their positive impact on the local community.

Success: After completing the workshops each Club:

• had a strategic plan in place giving it direction over a three-year period
• a dashboard for simple and clear reporting
• implementation and activity plans to enable direction and implementation of the strategic plan
• effective governance and long-term success in place
• The Clubs now have clarity, direction, and focus
• three levels of government partnering with Clubs to provide support for well-run sports organisations that require funding for various initiatives e.g. junior programs, facility upgrades
• The Clubs seen as leaders in their respective sport and community.