The membership form is signed. The first session went well. Now the new member has to figure out: how to book a boat, which boats they can use, who their coach is, where the keys are, and what the protocol is if it rains. Most of this knowledge currently lives in one person's head.
The first-week checklist
Give every new member, on day one:
- A login, with the right squad and permissions already set
- A short note explaining what they can book and when
- A name - one specific person - they can ask anything
- A link to the boathouse rules (one page, not ten)
Why this matters more than you think
The drop-off between "signed up" and "still rowing in three months" is brutal in most clubs. The number-one reason people leave isn't the rowing - it's feeling like an outsider who's always asking the wrong question.
A clear, self-serve booking system removes one of the biggest sources of that friction. They can see the calendar, see what's free, see what they're allowed to book, and just get on with it.
Take the pressure off your captain
The captain shouldn't be a help desk. When the systems are clear, the captain gets to coach again - and the new member feels like part of the club rather than someone always interrupting.