Finding the right team or sport can be difficult. Whether you are playing at a high level or simply a hobbyist looking for a new challenge, there are obstacles to finding the right fit.
Teams
As a manager or player in a small team, I’ve found it difficult to get the word out about our team and attract new players. I played in an Aussie Rules team in Dublin many years ago, and we always struggled for players. How do you get the word out there that you exist, where you are, and what you do? Sure, there are generic methods: create a website, start a Facebook page, but for that people need to know exactly what they are looking for. When I joined the Dublin Demons, I didn’t even know I wanted to play Aussie Rules. It was a chance meeting with one of the players that got me involved. But how would the Demons do something, not just rely on chance meetings?
Players
Years later, I moved to Toronto. I was desperately looking for something to do on specific days to get active and meet new people. Another chance meeting got me involved in Touch Rugby there. They had a poorly maintained facebook page and no website, but, they were exactly what I was looking for. We played every week, twice a week for the couple of years I was there. When I returned to Dublin, I searched specifically for another team like this and found one somehow. But the cycle started again…we need more players, players need to know we exist. People would love us, if only they knew it. Is there a Tinder for sports?
The Uber Solution
Uber and similar apps solved the problem of looking for a taxi while there is one parked on the next street looking for a customer. Joyner tries to solve a similar issue by trying to link players with sports and hobbies based on location. It allows two way communication and uses push methodologies to be more than a simple search engine for hobbies. Joyner will send notifications based on interests and attempt to match sports and hobbies with users.
The Message
Reach out, try new hobbies and try new sports. Get fit and healthy. Any way that we can bridge the gap between players and sports teams, we will.
Declan Keane, Founder