If you are interested in starting up a judo club, there are a few things you should do before you commence. Firstly, check out the demand of a club in your area, check out if there are other sports clubs in the area which may be your competition and if they are well attended. If they are well attended, you may struggle with a new club.  Once you have the following important elements in place you can then plan to publicise your club.

Before commencing classes you should have the following in place;

  • You have an appropriate and safe venue for your coaching sessions.
  • The Club has a committee which consists of at least; Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Head Coach and Welfare Officer. These should not all be the same person. (Clubs should not be run by one person).
  • The club has a Constitution which has been approved by the Board of the Northern Ireland Judo Federation. (Notice to start a new club together with a copy of the Constitution and details of the Club Committee should be sent to NIJF Secretary, secretary@nijudo.com , at least 3 months before opening).
  • Application should be made to British Judo Association to become a member club and affiliation fee paid.
  • There is at least one UKCC Level 2 Coach delivering the sessions.
  • Your club has all the safeguarding, risk assessment and health and safety policies in place to protect the club and its members.
  • Your club has a bank account to ensure income such as membership fees etc.. can be held safely and outgoings such as venue hire can be paid from within the account. These records should be held securely by the Treasurer.

Liaise with the NI Judo Federation Club Workforce Officer to publicise your club on the social media outlets and also to ensure your club is on the list for further club development support. Your Club Workforce Officer can also assist with developing your club development plan to ensure your club has its vision and goals of the club on target, cwo@nijudo.com