San Francisco 49ers Game Ball

“Football 101” events are another revenue idea that seem to have some great potential in the marketplace. A Football 101 event is a typically a summer event focused on teaching the game of football to fans in a relaxed atmosphere, coached by the staff of the football team. (This could also apply to other sports depending on the team and the community) With the right sponsors, an outgoing staff and some good marketing, these events have the potential to be very well done. Typically, most of the Football 101 events I’ve seen have been geared toward women and connected to some type of non-profit, especially one that is closely tied in with one of the football coaches or the institution itself.

Admission fees for events I’ve seen range from the low-end of $50 up to $120+ with allowed registration of around 75-150 women or guests for an event that lasts only about 3-4 hours. The registration fee would include a swag bag that includes some kind of branded jersey or t-shirt to wear during the event, along with other sponsorship related items. Asked to wear workout gear prior to arriving, the attendees would first be introduced to the team’s  coaches and hear a short  introduction from the charity partner, to be followed by a football drills session. The participants would be broken out into “position” groups and make their way through various drills and light position-specific workouts, going through each position. Depending on the group, a short scrimmage could be set up between two teams of willing participants, once they’ve learned the basics of the sport.

After the workout session of the evening, a facilities tour would come next, followed by a cocktail hour and silent auction with dinner last. Formal or not, depending on the intention of the event and the charity group, there would be a formal presentation at dinner from both the university or team officials as well as the charity partner. As part of the dinner program, I have also heard of athletes from the team being a part of these events and, with the right players, some sponsorship activation ideas work really well here (think fashion show put on by football players).

So, if your organization is looking for another way to generate some revenue, while also winning hearts and minds in the community, a Football 101 event is a great way to do just that. You allow fans to get a more personal feel of your program while also building the community of fans and supporting a non-profit with local roots.

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