~Struggling to Recruit Students and Facing a Huge Loss!! How Did It End?~
From Monday, July 13 through Wednesday, July 15, we held the camp at the San Gabriel Dojo in Los Angeles. [The 1st Summer Global Kids Judo Camp] was held!!
This was the first step toward a nationwide kids’ training camp that will become one of GKJN’s three major events.
It was my first challenge taking full responsibility not only for judo instruction, but also for recruiting participants, creating the camp program, and even managing the finances.
Please share in the setbacks, excitement, and sense of achievement that were completely different from competition!!
1. Two Weeks Before the Camp: Only Four Registrants!! A Huge Loss and the Future of Our LA Activities at Risk!!
In early June, Richie Sensei at the San Gabriel Dojo suggested the idea, and I casually replied, “I would love to do it!!” That was the beginning of my struggle!! I was optimistically told, “The participation fees should cover transportation, lodging, and other expenses.” So I waited without taking much action. But two weeks before the event, only four people had registered… At this rate, I would have to pay for all airfare for my child and me, lodging, a rental car, and other costs myself—more than JPY 500,000 in losses.
Worse yet, because this was GKJN’s first event, a failure would quickly spread through the small LA judo community. The person who proposed the camp even advised me to cancel, saying, “If this fails, LA dojos may find it difficult to work with Megumi in the future.” So, what would Megumi Ishikawa do?!!
2. “Give Up” Is Not in My Dictionary!! “Just Keep Moving Forward and Do Your Best!!”
Until then, I had always been invited, with no need to worry about transportation or lodging. In other words, I was treated as a guest and only had to focus on judo; I never had to think about recruitment, promotion, or profitability. But as the organizer, everything became my responsibility!! I had to take action on everything myself.
I wondered whether I had overreached and should cancel. But my creed is: “When in doubt, move forward!!” “Money and reputation can be regained!!” “It is better to try and then reflect than to regret never trying!!” Once I made up my mind, I swallowed my ego and showed what “Megumi, the rookie salesperson” could do!!
- Emailed the 13 dojos I had previously visited in LA (almost no replies… seriously!?)
- Put embarrassment aside, obtained dojo owners’ mobile numbers, and pleaded by phone (I could barely understand the English…)
- One week before the camp, I practically pressured them in middle-school-level English: “So, how many?” (At least I understood the numbers!?)
3. And the Result Was…
[Thanks to Everyone, We Had 90 Total Attendances Over Three Days!! It Was a Huge Success!!]
Even three days before the camp, the attendance was still uncertain. Thinking, “Loss or no loss, we just have to do it!!” I headed to LA almost out of sheer desperation…
In reality, some people showed up on the day without registering in advance (unthinkable in Japan), and altogether 90 participants attended over three days, making it a proper training camp!! Yeah!!
We held three sessions each morning and afternoon, for a total of seventeen 50-minute sessions over three days!!
Could I satisfy the children every single time in just 50 minutes? The next challenge was delivering on the mat!!
4. Mickey Is My Rival!? Turning Every 50 Minutes into a “Kingdom of Dreams and Magic”!!
This was the first full-scale camp I organized myself. Because I was leading everything, I was naturally nervous about how it would be received. My challenge was: “Can I keep every session full of smiles and high energy from start to finish?” Through my previous coaching experience, I had learned that good content alone is not enough. I worked desperately to make the children feel as if they were enjoying a theme park, using my strengths—energy and cheerfulness. My verdict? “Maybe about 70 out of 100…”
The best part was seeing the children happily run around and give everything they had.
Most importantly, everyone finished without injury. When it was finally over, I was so drained that I did not even have the energy for a drink.
(Even though I used to drink until I got sick after competitions…)
The biggest challenge of my second life, filled with last-minute chaos, came to a close as an initial success.
Before the first session, everyone formed a circle together. We pledged to grow together!! (We did this with every class.)
I partnered with the students, got down to their eye level, and engaged with them seriously!!
5. Still, There Is a Mountain of Lessons, Improvements, and Challenges Ahead. The Potential for Growth Is Unlimited!!
This success was beginner’s luck. If I truly want to work as a professional in the United States, there is a great deal to learn and improve. Here are the key points.
(1) Marketing
- Timing: The camp overlapped with a wrestling camp, and some parents said weekday transportation was difficult. (I found out afterward…) → Next time, schedule it on a weekend and check other sporting events in advance!!
- Promotion: Pleading by phone and Instagram has its limits.
→ Children are on summer vacation and families make plans, so the event must be planned and advertised at least three months in advance. - Recruitment: This camp focused mainly on children age 15 and under.
→ Allow high school students and older participants to join, and recruit twice as many participants next time. - Location: The suburban venue was 50 minutes from downtown and difficult to reach. Some parents said it was “a little too far.”
→ Secure a venue that is easier for everyone to reach.
(2) Instruction
- Coaching: Each participant attended five sessions. We alternated groundwork and standing techniques, and I partnered with everyone at the end, but individual instruction was insufficient. → Develop a way for each participant to feel, “I am glad I learned from Megumi.”
- Atmosphere: Did I consistently use words that captured the children’s attention? Did I call each child by name?
→ Obtain the roster and photos in advance so I can build a relationship by calling everyone by first name from the very beginning. - Spectators: I did not have enough awareness of the parents’ reactions or their sense of involvement.
→ Create a structure that brings the entire venue together, such as including a program in which parents can participate.
As described above, there are many challenges for next time. But it is also true that I could see them only because I took the challenge.
I was nervous and close to canceling, but from the bottom of my heart, I am glad we held the camp.
Next time, my only thought is, “I will definitely make it even better!!” Most of all, strengthening my bond with LA’s judo kids was a major achievement. I will continue to challenge myself relentlessly and help children in the United States love judo even more. Please look forward to how much more we can grow!!
Good job, Cubby!! This class was the toughest one (laughs).
Yonen (elementary school) class!! These were the most aggressive and energetic kids!!
Everyone in the Shonen (middle school) class was almost too well behaved!! Great work!!
In the evenings, we also held judo classes at dojos I had visited before. On the busiest days, we ran three programs—morning, afternoon, and evening. It was an exciting but demanding week for both the children and me!!
