S6E18: How IRC Pulled Off the Biggest LTR. Ever.

2025-09-06

Indianapolis Rowing Center was like lots of other clubs, running several small Learn to Row sessions each year but struggling with retention. Then IRC rower, coach, and brand new Board member Lisa Stickley proposed something big. Really big. She wanted to develop a new type of introduction to rowing program that would get 120 registrants in the boathouse door and on the water all within the month of July. With the support of the Board and club membership, IRC’s First Strokes program moved from big idea, to social media marketing campaign, to eight sessions a week for four weeks, plus three big s...

Indianapolis Rowing Center was like lots of other clubs, running several small Learn to Row sessions each year but struggling with retention.

Then IRC rower, coach, and brand new Board member Lisa Stickley proposed something big. Really big. She wanted to develop a new type of introduction to rowing program that would get 120 registrants in the boathouse door and on the water all within the month of July.

With the support of the Board and club membership, IRC’s First Strokes program moved from big idea, to social media marketing campaign, to eight sessions a week for four weeks, plus three big social events. As of today, the retention rate is 40%.

Find out from Lisa how she made it happen and how your club can think outside the box to truly use LTR to grow membership and create community connections.

QUICK LOOK

0:00 - Intro
05:05 - Lisa’s Rowing Week was an 11!
06:57 - The Huddle
08:37 - Hot Seat Q&A
11:23 - Rowing origin story
15:05 - Transition into competitive rowing, the rower life cycle, and Lisa’s “iron sharpens iron” motto
20:43 - About Indianapolis Rowing Center
23:25 - The idea that became IRC’s First Strokes program
25:39 - Big goal: register 120 new rowers
30:28 - Coaches, volunteers, and operational logistic strategy
39:10 - Phase 2: retention and integration of new rowers into club programs
42:48 - Club culture shifts
47:52 - Considerations for future growth of First Strokes
49:25 - Keys to success: fun and friends
53:31 - Steady State Network news and notes

To see photos of Lisa, IRC's huge First Strokes program, and to get links to the people and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Supporters.

Steady State Podcast is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.

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