As the landscape of youth sports is changing, so is the landscape of “Soccer Moms.” Well, not just “Soccer Moms,” but all parents who support their children’s pursuit of athletics and recreation.

I’m sure we can all remember times when our love for sports and our kids has taken us to less than desirable locations. The smelly locker rooms, the hard splinter-filled bleachers without back support, the indoor turf field that has never seen a cleaning, the indoor soccer facility where it’s colder inside than out in the snowy parking lot – you get the point. As the youth sports landscape has changed, so have the venues where these activities take place.

During the planning stages of a project, we often inquire with clients – “who will your end customer be?” The response is typically players or coaches of various sports. That’s not wrong, however, that’s only half the answer. When thinking about youth sports, it’s critical to understand who is making purchasing decisions. Is it child looking to play with his/her friends? Or is it the parents who are likely paying for the activity, commuting to and from practices/games, and sacrificing a large amount of their free time and money to support such activities. It’s for these reasons that simply turning the lights on and rolling out the ball isn’t enough.

As facility owners and operators, we need to be focused not just on the end user, but the overall guest experience. Think of some of the strongest brands in the market today, Starbucks, Chic-Fil-A, Disney, Amazon, etc. Those companies don’t just think about the product and services they sell, they are thinking about how customers interact with their brand and what creates customer loyalty. Gone are the days where it is acceptable for sports and recreation facilities to just focus on what happens between the lines of competition.

When thinking about your new complex or how to re-vamp your existingfacility, think beyond the player.