Medway Watersports

Finding fresh and exciting ways to engage your young club sailors and ensure they stick with you and the sport is a challenge.

But it’s a challenge OnBoard can help solve. Aimed at 8-18 year-olds our programme of fun training, resources and tools, can offer new sailors irresistible adventures that encourage commitment to your club and the development of skills such as teamwork, communication, and independence.

The key to retaining junior boaters is in making each session a lively and thoughtful exploration, building on what they’ve already learnt and inspiring them to think creatively, communicate, and work both independently and as a team. Junior members really respond to the energy OnBoard brings.

Medway Watersports work with lots of enthusiastic new sailors, many of whom are taking to the water for the first time. Centre Principal Pete Snowdon shares how OnBoard has improved the experience for their young sailors.

“Onboard offers a great mix of activities, both land and water-based”, explains Pete. “It breaks down the process of learning into steps that are easier to understand for non-sailors.  Implementation was fairly straightforward, with detailed course instructions provided as part of the Onboard pack.”

Medway Watersports operate differently to many clubs. They don’t have members but derive income from paid-for sailing lessons, grants and fundraising, so keeping people committed is vital. Thanks to the structure OnBoard has brought to their sessions, more children are returning to Medway and progressing through the RYA Junior sailing levels with them.

“Retention has improved,” says Pete. “As guardians tend to see the benefits of booking a series of lessons for their child.  They see it as a development,  rather than treating the session as a fun activity for a weekend. Participation in the sessions has improved too, as the children can use their course guide to know what is coming up in each session.  This allows them some time to prepare and ask questions of the instructors to cover off items that they need extra explanation on before their launch onto the water.”

Pete and the Medway team have already spotted these qualities starting to shine in their junior boaters.

“There are some encouraging trends developing in the cohort that have been through OnBoard,” says Pete. “At least two regulars have increasingly started to help the instructors during the sessions. Communication has certainly improved between the instructors and the children, as the course elements have become far more ordered.”

“Guardians have reported seeing an increase in their levels of confidence outside of the sailing activities,” he adds, an observation that aligns with OnBoard’s survey showing that 88% of participants felt that sailing/ windsurfing showed them that they could do new things if they tried.  “And for those children with ADHD or Autism, we hear reports that the children are calmer and more focused after the sailing sessions.”

With participation and retention on the up, better prepared instructors, and more engaged children flourishing under this improved experience at Medway Watersports, Pete is committed to continuing with OnBoard.

“It has certainly been beneficial to everyone who has been involved in it,” he concludes.

Want to improve retention like Medway - sign up to OnBoard today.