Quality sailing experiences are achieved when the right people do the right things at the right times, resulting in positive experiences for participants. 

Imagine a higher percentage of children and youth choosing to stay involved in sailing through their school years, or a higher percentage of adults pursuing recreational or competitive sailing for life and giving their time back to the sport as volunteers, coaches, Instructors, officials, or committee members. A successful, positive experience at clubs, and through class association activities can make that happen.

As Instructors and Coaches, you are often the first point of contact for people new to our sport, and what you do and say, and how you act, impacts the quality of experience that participants receive. 

The success of our sport depends on its ability to offer outstanding experiences to participants and members, the standard of the experience an individual receives can dictate whether someone is retained in the sport at your club or in with your class for life. 

Quality experiences are developmentally appropriate, safe, and inclusive, and well run. Another way of saying this is that quality experiences consist of good programs, led by good people, in good places. 

As a sport we have great programs – such as Tackers, Out-There, the Keel-Boat program, the windsurf or Wing Programs, and now with the Club Participation and foiling Programs, there are the next stages for people to continue their growth and to become active for life at Clubs. 

These Programs are all well designed, evidence-based and use best practice. Clubs, Class associations, and Australian Sailing, can do all the marketing activities possible to promote programs available at our clubs, but if we don’t deliver great experiences which provide quality, welcoming, fun, and safe environments, any program will not succeed. 

People will return to your club or class if they have had a great experience, on and off the water and if they have felt they have learned, they have had positive social interactions, they have felt safe and have enjoyed their time with the coach or instructor, and other sailors during the activities. 

Simply put, improving the quality of experience at clubs and through class association programs means more people on the water, in more ways, more often 

To help club, coaches and instructors ensure they are delivering quality experiences there are a full range of resources available in the Participation Hub including this handy checklist. 

The checklist defines the elements that lead to Quality experiences in any club or class association program.  It has been designed with everyone in mind, including women and girls, indigenous populations, and participants with a physical or cognitive disability. This checklist can be used as a tool by club and class association leaders to assess and improve the quality of their programs.