In the dynamic realm of youth volleyball, fostering a thriving community involves not only the growth of aspiring athletes but also the active engagement of parents. Recognizing the pivotal role parents play in the holistic development of young players, it becomes imperative for volleyball clubs to establish channels for open communication. Feedback is the lifeblood of improvement, and by creating opportunities for parents to voice their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions, clubs can transform into vibrant hubs of collaboration. The same can be said about feedback from your coaching staff, and maintaining a positive club culture.

However, many clubs are shifting away from very detailed surveys because it becomes a place for venting rather than sharing constructive feedback that can be used for improvement and resolution. Those who have a poor experience most often reply to surveys anonymously and immaturely in their feedback, and oftentimes it is harsh in tone.

Let’s explore 3 ways that your club can solicit feedback from your volleyball parents in an effective manner:

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

An NPS score measures customer loyalty by looking at their likelihood of recommending your volleyball club. Your NPS score is measured with a single-question survey and reported with a number ranging from -100 to +100, where a higher score is desirable. An example of a single-question survey could be “How likely are you to recommend this program to another family.” You can phrase it differently if that question doesn’t work for the program. For example, you can ask your coaches, “How likely are you to recommend coaching at (insert your club name).” You can make it required or optional for people to say why they gave that score.

Consider NPS for feedback on the following areas:

– Camps and Clinics
– Club Teams
– Coaches

An example of how to organize the feedback:

Scores of 9 – 10 will promote your club/program/coach experience. These people will tell others how amazing your club is.

Scores of 7 – 8 may have small grievances but will continue to work with and return to your club.

Scores of 1 – 6 Receive a phone call so they can be heard. Sometimes it’s a misunderstanding, sometimes they have legitimate concerns. One main benefit to the phone call is after taking that call, 5 out of 10 times the person is flipped as a promoter for your club. Hearing from your Director or Leadership Staff and listening is almost more effective than running a great program.

Take notes on the calls to keep an eye on common themes. If it’s something you can change, try to take immediate action.

Timeline for calls:

  • After President’s Day. Call anyone that gave a score below a 7 on the survey before March.
  • End of April. Call anyone that gave a score below 7 since March. For some families, this is the last survey they receive because their season ends in May.
  • End of June. This is primarily for teams competing at Nationals. It allows your club leaders to connect with those families before summer tryouts.

If responses are low, consider offering a $25 coupon drawing for those that complete the survey.

Email or Meeting

One simple and free option for collecting feedback from your parents is to invite them to share any and all feedback via an email at season-end or set up a time to talk via Zoom or in person. Most families will choose to share their perspective through email, and the positive responses are ideal to repurpose as club testimonials. Another positive to this approach is that you most likely will hear from those who were really happy or really disappointed, eliminating a lot of the neutral feedback. Therefore, you will have less to sort through.

Third Party Service

Using a third-party survey company can offer several advantages for a youth volleyball club director, especially when it comes to collecting and analyzing data and saving time. Survey companies often have experts in designing effective surveys, and they can help create well-structured and unbiased questions, ensuring that the feedback collected is meaningful and relevant. Since the third-party survey companies provide an impartial platform for feedback. This can lead to more honest responses from parents, as they may feel more comfortable sharing their opinions anonymously without fear of repercussions. Survey companies often have experience in optimizing survey formats for higher response rates. They may use various techniques to encourage participation, leading to a more representative sample of feedback.

Third party survey companies typically offer robust data analysis tools. They can compile and analyze the survey results, providing the club director with valuable insights in a format that is easy to understand. This can save a significant amount of time compared to manually sorting through responses. By outsourcing this task to a survey company, directors can focus on other critical aspects of running a volleyball club while still receiving valuable feedback.

Empowering parents with a platform to share their perspectives not only enriches the club’s understanding of its strengths and areas for enhancement but also strengthens the bond between the club and its supportive community. The art of gathering effective feedback can make parents feel valued, heard, and integral contributors to the continued success of their athlete’s volleyball journey.

View more volleyball business education for Club Directors and Leaders.

This article was a collaboration with Briana Schunzel, JVA Director of Marketing and Education, and long time JVA Club Directors.