There will be reasons why Clubs don’t want active sailing with families and children around, or don’t want growth and retention of sailing memberships. “SLM won’t work here” should not be one of them. SLM can theoretically work anywhere there are boats, people and water.
Science will contest that SLM will work if appropriately supported. SLM is a best practice organisational behavioural model based on well founded academic research. The model can be scaled up or down to work in a micro or professional Club. It works in small local communities and large Clubs. The model with a coaching group encourages families to play an active part of their own child’s development in active sailing.
The model satisfies the needs of the various stakeholders. All the Club has to do is provide resources and operate as designed. The local community is looking for good active sporting options for their children, a well run Sailing Program will appeal.
It cannot be said that the program cannot operate a surplus or that membership will not grow or be retained if the Program is appropriately resourced and designed to achieve that. SSC had no money and borrowed coach boats, it made a surplus from day one, enough to pay coaches if it chose. Most SLM Clubs pay coaches these days.
History and experiences around the world tells us that orthodox dinghy Training Programs don’t work, that they don’t produce the same quality, growth or retention, operate at a higher marginal cost, sailors and coaches futures are more uncertain.
SLM is a best and workable option.
SLM Dinghy Program Development 