Club membership costs

pc11

Been thinking about this lately: I come from an athletics background.
Membership of UCD AC was just a fiver in the 90s. Then in an athletics club down the country for €25. Brilliant value.

Now I'm a slow triathlete and back in Dublin. I've been trying to get more experience in swimming and cycling this year so I did some cycling and swimming races. For most of these you need to be a member of a club or national association, unlike in running races, so the costs really add up.

For example (these figures are approximate):

Triathlon Ireland 60
Athletics club 100
Cycling club 50-60
IVCA 160
Swim Ireland or ILDSA 50-60
Triathlon Club ??
Total 400+ before you enter a single race or buy any gear.
(edit: I'm not suggesting you NEED to spend all this, and I didn't actually join all these, just that you could)

Now, I know people think triathletes love to spend money but not all of us are loaded! It's really adding up lately.
The other thing is, cycling and swimming clubs are not always that receptive to triathletes or beginners, at least compared to athletics/running clubs, which is a pity.

Anyway, just my 2 cents, maybe I'd be better off being lazy!

ecoli

pc11 wrote: »

Been thinking about this lately: I come from an athletics background. m
Membership of UCD AC was just a fiver in the 90s. Then in an athletics club down the country for €25. Brilliant value.

Now I'm a slow triathlete and back in Dublin. I've been trying to get more experince in swimming and cycling this year so I did some cycling and swimming races. For most of these you need to be a member of a club or national association, unlike in running races, so the costs really add up.

For example (these figures are approximate):

Triathlon Ireland 60
Athletics club 100
Cycling club 50-60
IVCA 160
Swim Ireland or ILDSA 50-60
Triathlon Club ??
Total 400+ before you enter a single race or buy any gear.

Now, I know people think triathletes love to spend money but not all of us are loaded! It's really adding up lately.
The other thing is, cycling and swimming clubs are not always that receptive to triathletes or beginners, at least compared to athletics/running clubs, which is a pity.

Anyway, just my 2 cents...

I dunno about previous but nowadays UCD is pretty much a college only club with very few athletes actually part as an AAI affiliated club without beiong part of the college. I know that college members still pay 10e so may be an idea to contact them if you are looking for a cheap membership to atleast enquire about joining and whether they are still AAI affiliated though outside college term you may find very few around for training is the only downside

Oryx

I'm a member of TI and my local tri club. 100 euro all in. For that I get subsidised or free training and coached sessions, and subsidised club gear. I am not a member of any other organisations, and I've never felt that I needed to be. We often have joint training sessions with local swim, cycle and athletics clubs. So I don't have to spend anything like what you mention above.

RacoonQueen

Are you with a tri club? I know a couple of the Dublin tri clubs pay a reduced fee to running clubs to train with them/for coaching. Then they do the cycles together aswell..

dna_leri

100 euro for athletic club membership seems steep to me. Is that typical for Dublin? What do you get for that?
Think I paid 35 this year and then 2 euro every time I use track. Club does not own track but subsidises use.
Club also pays entry for AAI competitions.

RacoonQueen

dna_leri wrote: »

100 euro for athletic club membership seems steep to me. Is that typical for Dublin? What do you get for that?
Think I paid 35 this year and then 2 euro every time I use track. Club does not own track but subsidises use.
Club also pays entry for AAI competitions.

Mine is €130 - that's coaching, track, gym, clubhouse and entry to AAI competition.

Condo131

Eagle AC (Cork) - annual membership fee: €50. Two track sessions weekly - no additional charge/sub for track usage. We don't have a clubhouse and we're not in the business of making money - just covering overheads, inc track hire, AAI membership costs and (most) championship entry fees.

thirtyfoot

Condo131 wrote: »

Eagle AC (Cork) - annual membership fee: €50. Two track sessions weekly - no additional charge/sub for track usage. We don't have a clubhouse and we're not in the business of making money - just covering overheads, inc track hire, AAI membership costs and (most) championship entry fees.

Don't think there is any club in the business of making money. The more successfull you are the more you need to raise. It's a drawback to winning in our sport sadly.

elvis jones

Tri club is free and Tri Ireland is 50 something ???

We get subbed training in the winter, great test races and raise money through running one race and being involved in another.

Also a race entry service where the club pays your entry into certain races and we then pay it back over 5 months via PayPal which really helps.

Oryx

You dont even need to be a member of TI or a club, just buy a day licence for each race.

elvis jones

Oryx wrote: »

You dont even need to be a member of TI or a club, just buy a day licence for each race.

That is true but the knowledge and information you can get from other club members is great.

ocnoc

elvis jones wrote: »

That is true but the knowledge and information you can get from other club members is great.

and motivation!!

BeepBeep67

€65 for Bray, includes Sli Cualann membership (county team), free usage of the Charlesland track at certain times, free entry into championship races when representing Sli Cualann, access to a coach, reduced physio fees and the other benefits of training and racing with a group. Pays for itself and more I would say.

groovyg

Oryx wrote: »

You dont even need to be a member of TI or a club, just buy a day licence for each race.

If you are doing a good few races where you need a TI one day licence then its much better to just get membership for the year.

shels4ever

dna_leri wrote: »

100 euro for athletic club membership seems steep to me. Is that typical for Dublin? What do you get for that?
Think I paid 35 this year and then 2 euro every time I use track. Club does not own track but subsidises use.
Club also pays entry for AAI competitions.

€35 would be great vaule, this would just about cover the cost of registration with AAI and the county board, Think its about 25/30 to cover all that when you register.

zico10

groovyg wrote: »

If you are doing a good few races where you need a TI one day licence then its much better to just get membership for the year.

And by a good few, he means two and a half.

Tec Diver

I'm in the local AC and it's €60 per year for me, after the first year (last year) my son and wife joined, so we now get all three of us for €150 per year.