Demo teams a waste of time?

[Tumadre]

Demo teams are a waste of time. Its another excuse for instructors to waste their time with stupid pet projects rather than setting appointments for new students to come sign up.

 

Seriously, a demo team will NEVER make your school successful. It is merely a distraction so a lazy instructor can do anything BUT work. How about instead of having demo team with a cheesy gold-striped uniform demo team, sign up some new students and teach the basics some more. Nobody ever said eating your vegetables was fun, but it definately is good for you.

[Guest]

I'd love to see if you could tell a young kid to his face that the demo team he spent so much time training for, to be able to make it on the team, that his efforts are worthless and all his hard work doesn't mean diddly squat and he just sucks and is just a waste of time.

 

Distraction. I read that as if you are talking about a dojo that only has one instructor that has nothing else better to do with his time. What about the dojos that have 5-15 people on their staff?

[Squawman]

I'm sorry Tumadre but I can't even begin to tell you how many things were wrong with your statement. The reason to have a demo team is to show the public what you have taught your students. A demo team reflects what your school is like. If your demo team is terrible then it shows what your teaching is like. And if you do it right you have a table to sign up people right where your demo team is performing we just signed up over 100 people for trial lessons from our last demo.

[Tumadre]

Actually, you never have to tell a kid to his face that his demo team is a waste of time if you never make one up in the first place. That whole scenario would be your creation, and thus your fault.

 

You signed up 100 people for trial lessons, but about 20 will actually show up, and of that 20, 5 will become paying students. So...you spent 5 hours per week on the demo team for 6 months. That is 120 hours of work for 5 new students. Ouch.

 

It's about how you spend your time. You have to think: "Is what I'm doing right now helping the school grow?" and second: "Is there something else I could be doing that would make the school grow faster?

 

A demo team will make your school grow, but it is highly inefficient. Mainly, like I said, it is another stupid pet project (like KickSoft) that instructors can do that will make them think they will be successful if they do it. Like fat people going on a special diet, they'll do anything except the one thing that works, which is to eat less. Karate instrcutors are notoriously lazy and undisciplined when it comes to how they manage their time, and they'll figure out 30 other things besides actually working before they sit down and start calling people and setting appointments.

[Tumadre]

Oh, by the way, with 5-15 instructors I would hope that you've got between 300 and 900 students.

[Squawman]

Obviously, Tumadre, you are a highly successful school owner with hundreds of students so I guess you do know all there is. Please don't stereotype instructors just because you have come across some that weren't all that great or maybe just not as great as you. The 100 people we signed up for trials were actually people who made appointments at the demonstration and then came in the studio to sign up. If you say that only 5% will become paying students then you are telling me my studio sucks along with my teaching. Like I said before obviously you know all.

[miguksaram]

Actually, you never have to tell a kid to his face that his demo team is a waste of time if you never make one up in the first place. That whole scenario would be your creation, and thus your fault.

 

You signed up 100 people for trial lessons, but about 20 will actually show up, and of that 20, 5 will become paying students. So...you spent 5 hours per week on the demo team for 6 months. That is 120 hours of work for 5 new students. Ouch.

 

It's about how you spend your time. You have to think: "Is what I'm doing right now helping the school grow?" and second: "Is there something else I could be doing that would make the school grow faster?

 

A demo team will make your school grow, but it is highly inefficient. Mainly, like I said, it is another stupid pet project (like KickSoft) that instructors can do that will make them think they will be successful if they do it. Like fat people going on a special diet, they'll do anything except the one thing that works, which is to eat less. Karate instrcutors are notoriously lazy and undisciplined when it comes to how they manage their time, and they'll figure out 30 other things besides actually working before they sit down and start calling people and setting appointments.

 

OK...now let's put some things in perspective. Though your statistics may be correct about the 100 people trials, where do these people come from? Majority of the time it is due to either a) walk-in traffic or b) word of mouth advertisement. These two are the biggest suppliers of prospects with walk-ins being the biggest of the two.

 

So let us focus on the 2nd part which is word of mouth? How do you get it? 1) Current students already enrolled, naturally 2) School's involvement in the local community. Again we can break this up knowing that currently enrolled students are the biggest contributor of the word of mouth advertisement.

 

So let's focus on the community involvement. Now this can range anywhere from fund raising to (hold up....dare I say it....by golly I will) DEMOS performed for local functions or events. So you see a demo team does have impact in the school. So Tumadre I understand where you are coming from, but I think you are failing to go deeper in your analyzation of the whole picture. New prospects will be coming in regardless and the time spent on that is already established. Demo teams is just another avenue. And who said the head instructor had to be involved? It could be something that the assistant instructors may do.

 

It should be treated, however, as an extra curricular activity outside of regular class time. If the student isn't attending classes regularly, then he shouldn't be on the demo team. If he is not doing well in his regulars classes, then he shouldn't be on the demo team.

 

The people at my school practice on the weekends and outside of class. It is ran by 3 of the black belt instructors. In order for you to get on the team you have to either request to be on or be invited. If you request, they will evaluate you in class to make sure you are doing your best there first. If you are then you are invited to the work outs for the demo team. However, you must make the minimum requirements of attendance or you will be cut. The uniforms are nothing fancy, outside of a different color with Demo team written on the back.

 

For routines I would recommend some open forms, breaking if it part of your system, weapons, traditional forms,.

[ninjanurse]

Helping your school grow is as much about retention as it is intro's. There is nothing wrong with finding ways to motivate your students and keep them coming to class...even if it means EXTRA work for your instructors. Yes, a demo team is EXTRA work and is definitely not for the "lazy instructor".

 

[miguksaram]

Helping your school grow is as much about retention as it is intro's. There is nothing wrong with finding ways to motivate your students and keep them coming to class...even if it means EXTRA work for your instructors. Yes, a demo team is EXTRA work and is definitely not for the "lazy instructor".

 

 

Agree NN

[monkeygirl]

I split off these posts because I felt that this was a topic worth discussing, with some good discussion already going on.