I’m a wrestler.  I competed successfully from six years old through college with some international experience.  And I am a coach.  I have coached at the high school and Division I levels.  I have the wrestling mentality: “No excuses.”  However, for some reason there is a large segment of the wrestling community that is missing the “no excuses” mentality when it comes to the value of our sport.  I am frustrated when I hear discussion about why wrestling is not more popular, is being dropped, is not on tv more, does not have more participants, does not get more media coverage, does not have more attendance, does not get more administrative support.  Many people talk as if there is some inherent flaw in our sport that holds us back.  They no longer hold themselves accountable as our great sport has taught us.

We are the reason why.  You and I are the reason why.  And we hold the keys to changing all of that.  I have set out to make a difference.  So have a select few others- including the clients of Riot Sports Marketing.

You can too.

Top 10 Excuses Debunked

10. “Wrestling is too hard to understand.” Try explaining football to my wife!

9. “Wrestler’s get burned out since so many compete year-round now.” Every youth sport has this issue!  You can play baseball, soccer and most other sports year-round too. And those coaches complain too.

8. “Wrestling is not a ‘ball’ sport.” Neither are NASCAR, MMA or boxing!

7 “Wrestling is not exciting enough.” And golf is? Do not use the NCAA finals as example- look at the Superbowl- quite often the most boring game of the season. Just as the playoffs are the most exciting games of the year, so are the state and national quarter and semi-finals.

6 “Wrestling is not a team sport.” Yes it is. Regardless, NASCAR, MMA, boxing are not team sports but have huge followings with lots of media coverage. Swimming, track & field, and gymnastics are two of the most televised sports in the summer Olympics!

5 “Wrestling isn’t a lifelong activity like tennis, golf and other sports.” Neither are football, NASCAR or MMA.

4. “The media doesn’t care about wrestling at my school.” Have you tried? Do you send them “newsworthy” content and not just a self-promoting material?  Do you make it easy for them to follow your team?  Your individuals? Your story?

3. “No one cares for wrestling because the same team wins every year.” Every sport has dynasties.  NBA (Bulls), NFL (Steelers), MLB (Yankees).

2. “Wrestling is not fan/tv friendly.” Wrestling has a commercial/bathroom break after every match.  Dual meets are less than 2 hours long.  Perfect for tv.

1. “I just don’t have time to market and promote my program.” No longer an excuse.  Riot Sports Marketing is the solution.

So, how can you build a fan base and communicate with them without hiring an entire media relations department? Simple. Social media and other online communications have made this model accessible to organizations of every size and scope. In addition to signing up for the Riot Marketing system, here are a few actionable tips to get started.

Strategies

Talk about your mission, vision and values and not just dates, times and locations.

Give before you get. Give your fans what they want by writing (or getting a parent or student to write) brief but interesting articles and updates.

Do not put up a website and expect fans to come to you. They won’t. Like you and I, they are busy. Take your message to them through email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter and text message alerts.

Tactics

Get help. You have good people around you who are looking to get involved. Give them responsibility and watch them flourish. Ask a parent or get a student “intern” from the school newspaper or marketing class to write one short personal interest story each week.

Start a Facebook Fan Page (not a “profile”, your program is not a person. And not a Facebook “Group”, they are less functional for your purposes here). Get to 1,000 “likes” within a week by asking every athlete and parent to click the “Share” link on the bottom of the left column on the page. (If you do not get to 1,000 it’s because they did not do what you asked. Hold them accountable!)

Record and share video. Buy a $150 Flip Camera (Flip brand cameras are simple, the way technology should be) and interview alumni, parents, athletes and businesses who support you. Post them to Facebook, your website and a YouTube Channel.

You are now armed with knowledge to help you educate and involve your fans. Execution and follow through will determine your success. Take one simple step today and the momentum will build.

Become part of the solution.  Sign-up today with Riot Sports Marketing

Jim Harshaw is the founder of Riot Sports Marketing. He has a background in small business management, non-profit leadership. He was a Division I wrestling coach and an All-American at the University of Virginia.