How do I keep new players interested?

[zach4th]

I have a small scene emerging this season! A couple up and comers. (if they stay motivated)

They are at their most delicate state of "metamorphasis" or however you spell it;)

They (as in three) all have 32pnl footbags, (a footfighter, pong and 4th) and have modified their .... skate shoes. This is a good step!

They have already gotten this far with little influence as far as i know, they picked up on some youtube vids and I guess the one guy watched some crazy guy in the park, (I can only assume he was talking of me) anyway, blah, blah, blah.

I don't want to push them away! .... How do I get them into lavers/quantums? Because until you get the shoes it just ain't shred! Its like a major step, when you finally purchase these shoes, its like saying to yourself "Okay lets gets serious, and get my game on, no more kicking it (messing) around. I am a footbagger!"

they are cool guys, we are going to shred this week, just thought I'd ask, "how do I keep/help/encourage new players?

thanks modifiers and the other like water guys

[mc]

just play with them, have fun, and make freestyle look good. If they'd rather just kick around, you have to understand something:

you going to their kicking circle and spending your whole time freestyling would be like if 3 kids were at a beach passing a volley ball around, and some good player came along and started spiking it at their feet.

If people want to hack and pass, that's what they're gonna do, no amount of preaching can help.

if that's the case, throw in a flapper stall or a pendulum or a few freestyle tricks now and again, but play their game. Meet them at their doorstep; don't make them come to yours.

They know what you can do now that they've seen it. Let them take the first step and express interest. If one of them wants to take the next step, they'll let you know.

[zach4th]

he he he.

glad you can take a joke... i think. sorry if i offended any alternative users.

actually I think I'm in the clear with these guys. they are already completing baseline tricks and strings. I forgot to mention that part.

[mc]

well, just trick around with them, and after everyone's warmed up and you've done a few things that they think are really impressive, say "you know, I've got some tips if you're interested, but I don't want to be too forward",

and they'll almost certainly say, "oh, please, let me know!"

Then you can teach them to do the thing where they land with the support leg and catch the stalls at the same time, on toes and clippers. Tell them to listen for the sound of "landing" and "bag hitting the foot" at the same time.

then, once they have that basic stall while landing, start with legover and butterfly and then pickup and mirage, and then strings of that, then osis.

then, sky's the limit.

while warming up, do a lot of BASIC drills. repeat ss mirage for a while, then ss illusion, butterflies, osis, legover, pickup. Make it look cool to be bothsided. It will make them want to be both-sided, and make them drill. They will see real value in it if they see you doing it well.

Also, explain that it's great that they've modded their shoes, but that they should really skip a few frivolous purchases over the next two or three weeks and save up the money to get some proper shoes. BUT DON'T PUSH THE ISSUE. They will get pissed at your if they think you are preachy.

All it will take is for one of them to cave and buy some proper shoes, and his friends will see how easy it is for him to play in his new cool footbag shoes, and they'll want to catch up themselves.

Just be good at the game, and be there for them when they let you know that they want to receive more information. I have confidence in you. If you make the game fun, who knows? Maybe some day you'll be the founder of the biggest club in your area, because you made people want to play, not because you told them they weren't playing well enough.

[zach4th]

I can't help but feel as though I have "pushed" players away before by preaching about the shoe... So I will show bothsideness, I won't talk about the shoe the whole time and will only give helpful advise if okay to do so.
thank you M.C. for the helpful advise.

I got sick of travaling to have a decent session. So I went and created my own footbagers to shred with! ...you just have to add like water.

[Senor Grommet]

Well, I know this is not a direct answer to your question, but you might try informing them that, like most sports, footbag has it's own specialized equipment. In this case, a shoe. If they are motivated enough to go and buy that shoe, they will see immediate results.

You can't keep anybody in the scene . . . we've all tried. They'll find the course that's right for them, and all you can do is expose them to what you know and love about the sport.

Lastly, and I know you might not want to hear this, but not ALL players' first love is freestyle. Some people who get introduced to freestyle are going to gravitate towards net. Although I don't believe you are a net player, you might think about introducing the concept of playing net to them. . . maybe you and they would like it and you could use it as a tool to enhance bothsidedness.

[krawallier]

play some foursquare. to keep things interesting.