This week I had the pleasure of traveling to Maui for my best friend’s destination wedding. As I was writing my speech and reminiscing about our friendship, I realized that all our special memories included a bike trip or a race of some kind.
Looking around the room at the guests, I saw that 90 per cent of the audience was there because they had met the bride and groom through either a running or triathlon club.
It has always been my belief that clubs fill a need for many of us, but when I saw how many friendships had been formed just because of the clubs we were a part of, it hit me again how big of an impact they have on our lives.
In this day and age of technology where it is difficult to meet new people and expand our networks, clubs make this possible.
Where else do you have a group of like-minded people coming together every week to share in an experience that everyone benefits from?
Work colleagues would be the next place to search for people with the same interests, but what you do on your spare time can be vastly different than what you have chosen as your profession.
Personally, I only see positives to joining a club.
The main purpose of a club is to promote your chosen hobby so there is no need to worry about being the slowest or worst in the group. In most clubs you will see every ability level and everyone is welcome.
Nobody will understand your passion and commitment to your hobby better than your club friends.
They will not only encourage you to continue doing something that you already like doing but they will be the first to celebrate with you when you succeed and give you the support you need when you fail.
Having a familiar group of people cheering you on can make the difference between a good performance and a great one.
No matter how good we think we are, everyone can benefit from being challenged by others. These people will keep you humble and continue to be your biggest supporters.
The friendships and memories that you create during your highs and lows of your hobby will last a lifetime.
These are the moments that you live for and give you a reason to get you out of bed on Monday morning.
Although I’m personally partial to sports clubs due to the health benefits, there are so many different types of clubs for almost every type of interest and hobby.
The key to making the most of your experience is to immerse yourself in the club’s culture. If you don’t like the culture you need to find a new club.
To help you find the right culture for you, you need to know what you want to get out of the experience. Â
Some of the questions you may ask yourself are: Are you looking to learn a new skill, have fun, win a race, make new friendships or expand your business network?
Do you want to meet people who are competitive, social or a bit of both?
Would you like to raise money for a charity or save money for yourself? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you choose a club that is right for you.
