Without gym space, you have no team. You will want to figure out when and where you will have your practices as soon as possible. Make sure to consider your desired location, how often your teams will be practicing, creative places to practice, gym safety and required paperwork to practice at a location.
DESIRED LOCATION
When looking for space, think about location. If you want to draw players from a certain area of the state, try to find gym space in that location. Remember, you don’t have to use just one facility. You can find gym space at a number of facilities. Just be sure you have a clear calendar to pass along to your players so they are clear where they are practicing on what days.
HOW MUCH GYM TIME IS NEEDED
Each team practices anywhere from 1-4 times a week, depending on the club and level of the team within the club. For example, your top club team at a given age level might practice three times a week, while the lower teams at that age level might practice just twice a week. Figure out how many times a week each of your teams will practice, and then figure out how much gym space you will need.
WHERE TO LOOK FOR GYM SPACE
A good place to start is with local schools, but you will run into other school teams also needing space. Be open to practicing at odd hours (later at night/over dinner) and on the weekends. Don’t forget to check with local fitness centers like the YMCA to see if they have available gym space, or even a community center or local church. Gym space typically costs between $20-$50/hour. Keep this in mind when creating your budget and establishing club dues.
