If you would like to start up a highly competitive skateboard club, something that will compete with other schools, then read How to Start a Competitive Skateboard Club. These instructions are here to help you start up a more casual skateboard club that meets at your school. It might develop into something more later, but for now, you want to give the skaters the opportunity to skate, and perhaps hold a few low key contests.
First, you need to have a vision for the skateboard club. This doesn't have to be anything too detailed, but you need to have an idea of what you are talking about before you approach the school. Probably, you are picturing having some ramps, maybe a funbox, some rails - nothing too huge at the beginning. Or maybe you would like to use the local skatepark. How would you like to organize the club? Do you want contests? If so, how complicated do you want them to be? Once you have a vision, then you need to relax a bit and keep it flexible. The key will be to offer the school an idea, and then to be able to bend your idea around what the school wants!
How to Start a Skateboard Club at School - Getting Permission
Next, start the conversation. To do this slyly, you should start with getting some teachers behind the idea, and some parents. That will help things along a lot.the next step is to talk to either the principal, the vice principal or the athletic director of the school. If you already have a relationship with one of these people, that will help a lot! Explain to them what you imagine, but be very open to what they want and expect.
The school will likely require that your club have an advisor. This is someone, often a teacher, who will be present at each meeting as a liaison to the school, and to be responsible for what happens. I doubt the school will be able to pay this person, so you'll want to find someone who is willing to volunteer. The school might be alright with having a parent advise the club - I would talk to the school to find out.
If the school isn't supportive of the idea, then you might be done right there. If you want to push for it, there is one other way to get a skate club at the school. You can go to the school board, and present your idea. Call up the district office, find out when the next school board meeting is, and you might need to get permission from the superintendent to speak.
Things can get dicey here if there isn't much support for the idea. This all works far better if you know a board member or a teacher who can help grease the wheels. It can be helpful, maybe, to track down the board members before the meeting and talk to them about what you are doing.
This all works better if the board, superintendent and principal are on board with the idea. And that often happens more easily when personal relationships exist, and people understand who you are and what you want to accomplish.
However, to be honest, if the principal is against the idea you might be sunk right there. It all depends on why the idea was shot down. You can always go to the state superintendent, or talk to a lawyer if you feel that this decision was illegal, but these are pretty drastic ideas.
Starting a Skateboard Club - Building the Club
So, now that you have permission, the school might have given you some guidelines for what the club should look like, and how it should run. Stick to those. Otherwise, there are a few things that you will need: You need a place to skate. Probably, you and the school have talked about this, and you've got a place in mind. It might just be a section of the parking lot.you need ramps and obstacles. You will probably need to build them yourself. If you have other skaters interested, then you can get them to help. Try to get parents and local business to chip in. Maybe a lumber company would be willing to donate, or even sponsor some ramps (you can stencil spray their name and logo on the ramps when they're done if they want). If you are lucky, you might be able to get the wood shop to help build them as a project. Your local skateboard shops are great places to ask for help at, and to ask if they know of anyone who could help with building the obstacles.
The ramps and obstacles need to be well built. There are websites with free ramp building plans online, there are books, and you can even hire people to build the ramps for you, if you have the money and want to make sure they are the best quality. If you have skaters already interested, I think having them all team together to help build the park is a great way for them to feel invested in it, and to respect it more when it's completed.
You might also need some kind of goal for the group - something that the club is working towards. An easy way to do this is to set up a few contests. These don't have to be huge (if you want them to be, then read How to Start a Skateboard Contest for help). But for your club, it can be something as simple as a game of SKATE once a month. Have stuff to drink, maybe even advertise it around school so other people can come and watch.
If you don't want to have a goal or contests, that's fine too - it might be enough to simply give the skaters a place to skate with friends. It all depends on what the skaters want and what the school wants.
Finally, I would recommend coming up with a name for the club. The key to making it a good experience that skaters WANT to go to, is keeping it "cool". I've been told that it's a good idea to not call it a "club". There’s some good wisdom in that. Also, don’t get too wrapped up in how it looks – skaters often enjoy the rough, unfinished look. Focus more on keeping it relaxed, easy going, and functional. The main point should be for skaters to be able to have fun with other skaters.
