University PRODUCT Portfolio
Be part of the Big Hit What is the Big Hit?
The Big Hit is England Squash & Racketball’s development brand that will help increase the number of people interested in playing our sports. The Big Hit incorporates a website, a range of activities designed to get people playing, resources and support for facilities and a place to advertise your squash and racketball programme.
The Big Hit Aims: To raise the profile of our sports through social participation, presented in a non-traditional way To increase informal participation in both squash and racketball, directing new customers to appropriate and targeted products and offers housed within the Big Hit website
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To collect customer data to facilitate enhanced communication with customers who exist outside of the traditional squash and racketball membership market
The products in this brochure have been developed to be flexible and increase participation or frequency of play through various initiatives. This guide has been produced to support University development plans and link in to existing programmes to enhance your offer.
G N I K A T ALL S I B T T I H CKE CE G I RA IEN B D E & U H T SH W A A NE U SQ O A T
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The Big Hit National Offer
The aim of this offer is to increase participation in squash and racketball at a beginner level. The offer will create a flexible participation programme aimed at getting more beginners involved in the sports. The gap in participation will be bridged from beginners to those more advanced players, playing at a competitive level in BUCS fixtures.
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Why should your University be part of the big hit?
ESR Support
ESR would support the University during fresher’s fair by promoting the offer and providing marketing material and banners to do this. The ‘goody bag’ will also be provided by ESR and the cost of the coaching and the goody bag will be covered from charging the students.
To provide more students with the opportunity to take part in squash and racketball at a beginner level, providing them with the chance to play the sports in a fun, welcoming environment. The Big Hit programme will form a beginners pathway, creating a pool of new players involved in the sports. The link from the programme would be directly to the University club, where beginners can potentially play in BUCS fixtures, become social members and form a new tier of activity. Students will be offered a ‘TRY IT’ session before they sign up to the programme. After the ‘TRY IT’, students will have the opportunity to sign up to the programme below;
The Big Hit programme offer (£15):
Big Hit drawstring bag Big Hit t-shirt 6-8 weeks of beginners coaching with a qualified coach (The Big Hit programme)
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SQUASHERCISE
This initiative is aimed at increasing female participation. Squashercise is a female only activity class, open to everyone and is based on the key fitness components of squash and racketball and specific movements and skills. **Please note: Although the marketing campaign that surrounds Squashercise specifically targets females, the concept of a fitness class based on squash & racketball fitness components, movements and core skills can be adapted to a variety of different types of participant.
What is Squashercise? A female only activity class for everyone based on Squash and Racketball specific fitness, movements and core skills. It is; A fun and dynamic way to get fit, improve muscle tone and meet like minded people A way to burn lots of calories without the boredom. Squash/Racketball burns on average 634 calories per hour compared to just 346 calories jogging!
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A social and supportive environment A way to help boost self-confidence, self-esteem and general well being An opportunity to learn a new sport or brush up on old skills
Why should your University get involved?
The Offer (£25 per person)
Increase female participation at your University
Squashercise can be delivered mainly by anyone, who has an interest in promoting a new initiative and be available to attend a workshop, to be up-skilled to facilitate a squashercise session. The facilitators can vary from qualified squash and racketball coaches to student volunteers who would like to be up-skilled in an initiative without having to undertake a coaching award.
Attract new players and potential club members Retain players/members through the delivery of a new programme Increase court usage and potential secondary spend
Facilitators would have to attend a 3 hour workshop and will learn the following workshop outcomes: Understand the concept of Squashercise, its role in increasing participation and the benefits to participants, facilities and coaches How to structure Squashercise sessions How to use the Squashercise resources How to implement and promote Squashercise How to use Squashercise to target different types of participant
ESR support ESR can arrange to deliver a workshop for those who wish to take up the offer. Marketing materials, resources and banners will be provided to promote the sessions.
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COURT CHALLENGE SERIES The Court Challenge Series aims to encourage those recreational players to take part in social competition through the Court Challenge Series (CCS). The Court Challenge Series can form part of your Universities Intra-mural competition. ESR research shows that: Not having an opponent is a major cause of churn for male and female players across a number of customer segments, including students Over eighty percent of current players cite the competitive elements of the sport as a factor critical to their participation habits Most venues have capacity for additional court utilisation during off peak and at weekends
What is the Court Challenge Series? The CCS format is a flexible approach and can be structured around the needs of the University. The standard format of the event looks like the following; Court Challenge Series events are simple 3 hour competitions usually played at a weekend and can be either squash or racketball depending on the University needs
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All participants get a free Court Challenge T-shirt - winners get a red t-shirt
Events can accommodate between 8 and 32 players (event formats are flexible & guidance can be provided)
Entry fees (if any) can be determined locally but the recommended participant fee is £10.00 with University facilities or University clubs retaining any income generated
Players are guaranteed a minimum of 3 matches at each event
ESR can provide Dunlop sponsored prizes for the winner and runner up
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Th en e Co to cour urt ta ag Ch ke e t all pa ho en rt se ge in re Ser so cr cia eat ies a l c io im ESR support om na s t ESR can provide training for pe l p o students to become tournament tit la organisers and arrange for qualified referees to be at your event (if required) ion yer s Each event can be run as a one off competition or as part of a series and can be scheduled in with ESR
ESR will advertise your event free of charge and process online entry on thebighit.net (if necessary) ESR will also work with your University to promote events via your own website, database and social media channels ESR will provide all the t-shirts and prizes for the participants of the event
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University box leagues Aside from the Court Challenge Series events, box leagues are a great way to get students playing more often and competing against players of a similar ability. ESR research shows that:
Box league format:
Not having an opponent is a major cause of churn for male and female players across a number of customer segments, including students
Players involved in box leagues will play a number of matches every month and arrange them, themselves
Over eighty percent of current players cite the competitive elements of the sport as a factor critical to their participation habits Most venues have capacity for additional court utilisation during off peak and at weekends
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Ideally the box league will have 5 players in it Matches are usually the best of 5 games, each scored first to 11 points The winner of the league moves up to the next box league to compete The loser of the league drops down a box league to compete
What does a box league look like?
BOX LEAGUE
TOTAL
POSITIONS
SQUASH & RACKETBALL
FIVE PLAYER ESR Support ESR will provide support to those in charge of the box leagues, explain the benefits of running such leagues and the importance of keeping the leagues up to date on a regular basis. ESR will help your University set up the box leagues if required and provide the resources to do so.
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coming soon... Squash Ambassador programme
An opportunity for students to take on the role of promoting squash and racketball at your University and encouraging new players into the sports. Successful programmes will be rewarded. Do you have students who are: Motivational Inspiring Great communicators Confident Want to promote squash and racketball and link into the University programme
Students will be provided with; Promotional material Sports kit Resource pack Training in specific areas (if required) Invaluable experience, great for CV’s Major event tickets Further details will be available once the role is confirmed. This programme will be rolled out from September 2014.
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re to o m ty l l e a i id un tb v o rt ke r c p po a o r t op d S e an M h I A h t sh t i H wit qua g Bi ts IN s e Th uden ART st KE P TA
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For more information: If you feel the products would be suited to your University or you would like to discuss any of them in greater detail then please contact: Angela Cwaczko (National University lead) Email: universities@thebighit.net Tel: 07827 237 487