Retaining 14-17 year old students

Yeah, that's a tough nut to crack. Turning 14-17 was the same reason I dropped out of the boy scouts.

I think the best you can really hope for is keeping the cycle going of having a continual batch of new young kids coming through the pipeline.

OCJudoTrngCtr -


If you figure it out, it will be an idea that is worth millions.



It is the transitional phase that frustrates everyone in the martial arts business.  It is very difficult to compete with school sports at this juncture.  At school they are surrounded by a group of people who are all within a few years in age. People who are in their social circles.  School sports participation is usually more convenient, less expensive, and if they have a lot of talent, there is a path to higher education at reduced cost, if not free.



Teens are mixed in with adults in most programs.  It is difficult to build scale with teens, so most clubs do not dedicate classes to this group. My guess is that given a choice most would prefer to play/practice sports with others of their own age and interests.



Hawaii and parts of Washington State have school judo teams which seem to attract hundreds of kids for their high school years. What I find interesting is that neither Hawaii or Washington seem to have been successful in transitioning those students into successful competitive judo careers. Like wrestling or most other sports, it is something they "did in high school".



Another thing to note is the aspirational interests of sedentary kids and adults.  Martial Arts is ranked 3rd in "Aspirational" sports for those 6-12.  It drops down to 9th for teens 13-17.



http://www.espn.go.com/pdf/2013/1113/espn_otl_sportsreport.pdf

Great response to a solid thread Phone Post 3.0

It's not even just that age. I'm 41- if I meet a hot chick, I'm quitting BJJ too.

We have a big teens program, the secret for us is that we have a teens-only class.  14 to 17 years old.  Even if you are 220lbs and 17 - you go to the teens class.  All the parents and teens want  you to make a special exception and put them in the adult class because they think their kid is "ready for it" - but if you stick to your guns and keep them in the teens class, you'll find they learn better and have much stronger retention.

It's hard to start because everybody has their classes mixed with adults... just grandfather the current teens and make all the future teens go into their own class.  You'll start with a small class but it will grow quick.  I introduced this idea a few years back to a bunch of gyms owners and they ran with it too and all got similar results.

shen - 


We hired a very attractive, blond, former H.S. teacher who was forced to quit her last job because of a ummmm...  "scandal" involving her and several male students.



--Just kidding! 



We just buy them alcohol, weed and stuff like that.


lol

onyx2002 - Get more girls aged 14 to 17 at your classes taking bjj. You will keep those guys for sure.

I was doing a class for a bunch of kids at a Karate Dojo and taught a pretty teen girl how to do a triangle. A little while later I looked over and saw the teen boys in a line letting her triangle them.