ETS Performance / Strategic Framework
Community Growth Engine
Building $0-CAC acquisition through community compounding mechanics, ambassador networks, and member-generated content.
Phase 2D: Community Architecture & Growth
Contains: compounding model, three-layer architecture, ambassador program, UGC pipeline, health scorecard, 90-day launch sequence, platform strategy
01 / The Compounding Model
The Flywheel That Replaces Paid Acquisition
Every community interaction generates energy that feeds the next. Members refer families. Families become members. Members become ambassadors. Ambassadors generate content that attracts strangers. The wheel accelerates.
Strangers
discover ETS
Evaluators
40-min eval
Members
join community
Ambassadors
refer + create
UGC
shared content
Referrals
word of mouth
Why Community Compounds for ETS
02 / Three-Layer Architecture
Digital, Physical, National
Community operates at three layers simultaneously. The digital amplifies the physical. The national connects the local. Each layer serves a distinct purpose in the growth engine.
Local Facebook Groups
Per facility
The digital sideline. Where ETS families connect, celebrate re-test results, and refer friends. Private groups managed by the facility director.
TARGET: 400-800 members at maturity
In-Facility Culture
Physical community
The actual community. Phones in the bucket, Proverbs on the wall, cross-age mentorship. If in-facility culture is weak, no Facebook Group compensates.
THE MOAT: Director IS the community
National Network
Year 2+ roadmap
Cross-facility connections for relocating families. Military families, corporate transfers find their new ETS community before they move. Brand advocacy at scale.
FUTURE STATE: 50+ connected communities
How the Layers Interact
PHYSICAL feeds DIGITAL
Re-test moments in the building become shareable content in the Facebook Group. Director relationships on the floor become digital conversations online.
DIGITAL amplifies PHYSICAL
Facebook Group activity creates social proof that brings strangers to evaluations. Online celebration reinforces offline belonging.
NATIONAL connects LOCAL
Relocating families stay connected. Network-wide data benchmarks ("our athletes averaged 16% deceleration improvement") validate local results at scale.
03 / The Math
Community ROI Model
At 75% retention, each member family knows 5-10 sports families. That is 500-1,000 reachable families per location. At 5% conversion, community alone replaces paid acquisition.
100+
Members per facility
500-1K
Reachable families
25-50
New members/year from community
$0
Marginal acquisition cost
Community Growth Projection
Members from community referrals per location
Conversion Funnel
Community-referred vs. cold lead conversion
Unit Economics: Community vs. Paid
| Metric | Community | Paid Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per evaluation | ~$0 | $45-90 |
| Eval-to-enrollment conversion | 60-75% | 40-50% |
| Effective CAC | $229-279 | $150-300 |
| Year-1 LTV per member | ~$1,971 | |
| Retention rate (Group-active) | 85%+ | 75% |
| Ambassador ROI | 8-15x | -- |
04 / Ambassador Program
ETS Parent Ambassadors
"The families who found it first." Not influencers. Not content creators. Parents who recommend ETS because the experience is real -- the program gives them recognition, tools, and small incentives to continue.
Recruitment Criteria
Director nomination -- 3 or more of these qualify a parent:
Tenure: 6+ months
Sustained satisfaction, not honeymoon
Organic referral history
Already doing the core behavior
Active in Facebook Group
Digital engagement predicts advocacy
Community-connected
Church, teams, PTA -- trust networks
Measurable child results
Data removes "salesy" feeling
Values-aligned
Embodies the culture Matt wants
Benefits and Incentives
Ambassador badge in the Facebook Group
Status signal visible on every post
Priority evaluation slots for referrals
"I'll text Coach and get you in this week"
Quarterly Ambassador Appreciation Event
Pizza, preview of next quarter, genuine recognition
First-look re-test data (24hr early)
Insider access -- small but meaningful
Branded assets: car magnet, apparel, shareable graphics
The F-150 magnet in the church lot is a silent referral
Direct line to the director
Text the director when a friend asks "where should my kid train?"
Progression Tiers
MONTH 12+ / REFERRAL ENGINE
Embedded community leader
5+ referrals/year. Multi-year tenure. Family is woven into the fabric. 20-30% of 12mo+ families reach this.
MONTH 6+ / AMBASSADOR
Formally recognized advocate
Director-nominated. 2-5 referrals/year. Badge, priority slots, appreciation events. 5-10% of members.
MONTH 3-12 / ENGAGED
Active Group participant
Posts, comments, reacts. Shares re-test results. 85%+ retention. 40-50% of Group members.
WEEK 1-8 / NEW MEMBER
Joining the community
Welcome post, first re-test at week 6. 50-70% join Group. 30-40% post in first 8 weeks.
Quality over quantity. 12-month term, renewable. No quotas.
05 / UGC Pipeline
Member-Generated Content at Scale
ETS does not need polished agency content. It needs real parents sharing real data with real friends. The six-week re-test graphic is the highest-leverage UGC asset in youth sports.
Pipeline: Moment to Measurement
Content Types
Re-Test Graphics
Before/after VALD data. Branded template. 130-215 per location per year.
Training Photos and Videos
Parent-captured through observation glass. Director-filmed training moments.
Testimonials and Stories
Monthly prompts surface authentic stories. Never scripted.
Google Reviews
Prompted at 6-week and 6-month marks. Target: 75-150 per location.
Permission Framework
Always
- - Credit the parent (tagged or quoted by first name)
- - Send final post to parent before publication
- - Director DMs for explicit permission before amplifying
- - Athlete first name + sport only (no full names)
Never
- - Use content without explicit permission
- - Publish children's full names
- - Use children's faces in paid ads without written consent
- - Share identifying re-test data beyond first name + sport
- - Suppress or delete negative feedback
Distribution Channels
- - Parent personal social (Instagram Story, Facebook)
- - ETS Facebook Group (re-tests, milestones)
- - Dark social (texts, DMs, WhatsApp -- organic)
- - Google Reviews (prompted at milestones)
- - Clinical channels (Rachel sends VALD to colleagues)
The re-test graphic has no CTA. The moment a UGC asset has a sales CTA, it stops being UGC and starts being an ad. The parent's personal share IS the call to action.
Monthly UGC Prompt Calendar
12-month cycle06 / Community Health Scorecard
Measuring What Matters
Three numbers prove community creates revenue, not just vibes: community-sourced evaluations, retention lift, and NPS. Interactive dashboard with sample data for a 10-month-old facility.
Engagement Over Time
Monthly active Group members (%)
Referral Attribution
Source of new evaluations this quarter
Health Diagnostic
When the scorecard reveals a problem, use this diagnostic
Likely cause:
Intervention:
07 / 90-Day Launch Sequence
Building Community from Scratch
Community does not start on launch day. It starts 60 days before. Week-by-week playbook for a new facility director.
08 / Platform Strategy
Why Facebook, Not Discord
The platform decision is not about what the community manager prefers. It is about where Matt's wife Sarah already spends her time. Meet the member where they are, not where you wish they were.
| Platform | Audience Fit | Friction | Data Own. | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Groups | 5 | 5 | 2 | Sarah checks Groups daily. Zero new accounts. Zero new habits. The clear winner for ETS's demographic. |
| Discord | 1 | 1 | 4 | Matt does not use Discord. Sarah does not use Discord. Choosing Discord would be choosing for the manager, not the member. |
| Slack | 1 | 2 | 3 | Professional context. Parents use Slack for work. Mixing work and kid's training creates friction and confusion. |
| Circle / Mighty Networks | 3 | 1 | 5 | Owned platform is stronger long-term, but requires new account + new interface + new habit. Three barriers vs. zero with Facebook. |
| WhatsApp / Text | 4 | 5 | 1 | These are organic dark social channels. A signal of community health, not something ETS should create or moderate. |
Migration Roadmap (Year 2+)
NOW
Facebook Groups as primary digital community infrastructure for all 50+ locations. Zero friction, maximum adoption.
YEAR 2: HYBRID
If ETS builds a custom member portal, Facebook Groups become the awareness layer. The owned platform becomes the depth layer. Groups feed the app.
YEAR 3+: OWNED
National ETS app with community features. Facebook Groups remain for discovery and light engagement. Core community activity moves to owned platform.