How to Set up Your
own Powerlifting Club & Develop it
This is all from my own experience starting the Teesside
Barbarians Powerlifting Club in December 2013 at Teesside University. Anyone
can set one up its pretty easy if you have the right attitude and support in
place. In a short space of time we have achieved so much. We have 50 members, 7
Sports Award Nominations, Sportsman of the Year, 14 Gold, 9 Silver and 10
Bronze medals, and finally crowned Northern University Champions.
Reason’s why I started a Club;
1/ I wanted to train with a group of people regardless of
experience and ability. Everyone and anyone is always welcome.
2/ Promote the Sport of Powerlifting as its unreal!!!
3/ Be a better coach with hands on experience helping
others. I want to be a better coach so the best way to do both is by practicing
these skills.
4/ Apply what I learn from my Sports Science Degree to real
life scenarios. What good is knowledge if you cannot apply it.
5/ I wanted to be a better lifter.
6/ Most importantly to just have fun with likeminded individuals.
Train hard and eat un-godly amounts of food without judging one another hahah
Pre-Setting Up the
Club
I was excited and nervous at the same time. Fortunately I
had a lot of good friends around me to give me support and ideas to the table.
We had the support of the Student’s Union which have always guided us regarding
anything.
We have a development plan which we use each year and update
it on a regular basis. It is a go to guide and what the key individuals in the
club should be following. Goals and aims should be set out at start of year
with all members present so everyone can agree on what they want to do. This
can be what competitions to lift at, what they want to learn and do.
I was told by a lecturer whom used to be part of a
powerlifting club at my uni many years ago which he said “you will find it
difficult to set it up as a lot of people will make it very hard for you to do
well”. Dam he was right haha. You will have ups and downs I will guarantee that
for you. There have been so many people where I am at, whom have wanted my club
to disappear. They have made it their sole objective to prevent myself and
others form having success. Why they do it? No idea but it has been rewarding
when they fall short and I just smile at them.
Best example of this was at the recent Teesside University
Sports Awards where one individual was so upset that a “powerlifter” won an
award. Pricks just seem to ooze out of the walls when you or your friends
achieve success. I hope in whatever club you are part of this never happens but
we live with pricks unfortunately.
As a friend once told me “have the haters work for you”
haha.
Things a club
needs;
1/ A committee made
up of Chairman/Chairwomen, Treasurer and Secretary; this is the beginning
of the structure for your club, who is the leader (who makes the decisions),
secretary (someone whom is the point of contact) and treasurer (who manages the
finances). All three positions help each other out in club matters.
2/ Head Coach and
Assistant Coaches; they coach all the members, provide them with training
programmes, lead the sessions, warm-ups/cool-downs, nutrition plans etc. Make
sure everyone reaches their competition goals.
3/ Someone who
understands how to run a business or has experience being part of a business;
I think it’s always to have a member of your club’s committee with a business
mind. They will have a better understanding on how to market the club and be
able to make a profitable return so the club can invest in better equipment for
example.
4/ Graphics designer
for club logo and equipment; if you have a friend who is into
drawing/product design ask them to help design a club logo for the gym, on a
banner, clothing etc. Maybe in return offer free membership if you are really
happy with their service or a few free sessions.
5/ Physiotherapist
and or Sport’s Therapist; I am fortunate to have my club at the uni where
there is a large base of therapists/physio’s. The sports clinic only costs us
£1 per session for massages and rehab work. What I would say is get a link with
a local physio/sports therapist have your club members only go to him/her.
The physio/therapist could offer discounted rates due to
increase in clients and help advertise your club. I am just spit-balling ideas.
6/ PRO (Public
Relations Officer) or simple someone to admin the Facebook Page; as it says
someone to do all the posts, answer Facebook questions, direct people to
towards the right information, post about any club developments.
7/ Social Secretary;
someone to be in charge of nights out, after comp meals etc.
8/ Monthly meetings
to see how the club is developing; to make sure targets are being hit.
9/ A yearly strategic
development plan made up of short, medium and long term goals; If you email
me I have a blank template for this which I can send on to you. Here is my
clubs own development plan
10/ The club’s aim
and ethos; What are your club’s aims and ethos? What does it represent and
stand for?
11/ Target Audience;
Are you just targeting powerlifting? Or all sports? Beginner/Intermediate/Elite
lifters? My club is open to all sports or all levels and to those who just want
to keep fit.
12/ Local Support;
get support from friends, family, local press and council to promote your club
and you to put something back into the community.
13/ Members who are
regional/national referees; Sticking with the sport of powerlifting, if you
want all your members to be clued up on the rules have some of them become
national refs.
14/ A member or
members whom are part of regional/national development; this allows your
club to have a say in events that will affect it on a regional and national
scale. Your club is represented by your region so why not have members in the
regional committee/set-up which will voice your opinions.
15/ Good training
facility (ideally your own place if possible); this means you can train how
you want to train not how a gym owner wants you to train. Having your own place
means you can design it your own way and have equipment you really need.
16/ If you are a
university student have the support of your Student’s Union; don’t ask the university
for help as they will only want to make a profit at the expense of your
success. End of the day they are a business and don’t care for individuals or
small minority groups. A student’s union back student’s and will support them.
17/ Fundraisers;
do car washes, bag packing, charity event (deadlift for reps) to help raise awareness
for a local charity to promote your club and raise a small bit of money towards
the club.
18/ Continuous
education; all coaches and members should be continuously striving to be better.
This means always learning new ways to maximise performance. Coaches need coaching as much as athletes do.
19/ You don’t need
that many people; All you need is a group of passionate friends whom are as
crazy as you
Team Photos (missing members from pics as being students we
are unreliable at keeping track of time).
2013/2014 Photo
(34 members)
.jpg)
What I have accomplished
from doing all of this?
I am a better coach and lifter, I have a wider friends
circle. I am Student Development Officer for all of YNEPF (Yorkshire North East
Powerlifting Federation) and now Student Development Officer for IPF (Irish
Powerlifting Federation) Powerlifting. I have a bigger impact on student experience
at my university, which is great as I can voice the opinions of many and help
individuals. More importantly I just enjoy what I do, helping others, making
people stronger, seeing friends empowering themselves to be better at life that
being fitness, education and or work.
I hope you have found this helpful
Regards
Andrew Richardson
Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog
I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University.
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019.
I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.
My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.
My most recent publications:
My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning.
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering.
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness.
I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes.
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships,
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge.
Contact details below;
Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)
Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness
Twitter: @arichie17
Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting
Snapchat: @andypowerlifter
Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Richardson7
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