In this Inside the PLAIbook episode, we unpack the key themes from our recent conversation on why community sports clubs are often cash poor, time poor and people poor.

We move beyond the big ideas and into the execution.

This episode explores:x$

• The financial metrics every club should understand

• The hidden revenue leakage affecting grassroots sport

• Why non profit organisations still need healthy margins

• How subscription based membership models stabilise cash flow

• The cost of fragmented systems and manual admin

• The role of automation in reclaiming volunteer time

• Why community and kindness are long term growth levers

For committee members, coaches and club leaders looking to modernise operations and build sustainable growth, this is a practical blueprint for the year ahead.

Community sports clubs are doing vital work, but many of them are quietly struggling. In this conversation, Scott sits down with Prantik Mazumdar to unpack a hard truth most clubs avoid: sport may be community-driven, but it is still a business. And when clubs don’t treat it like one, they burn out volunteers, leak money, and slowly disappear. Drawing from decades of experience across sport, entrepreneurship, and technology, Prantik and Scott break down: • Why “not-for-profit” thinking is hurting community clubs • How clubs unknowingly lose up to 14% of revenue every year • The real reasons volunteers burn out, and how technology can give them time back • Why knowing your numbers matters as much in sport as it does in startups • How clubs can build sustainable revenue through memberships, merchandise, digital tools, and micro-sponsorship • Why emotion, access, and community are a club’s biggest untapped assets This is not a theoretical discussion. It’s a practical, honest look at how community sports clubs can survive, modernise and grow, without losing their soul. Whether you’re a club committee member, coach, volunteer, parent, or someone building in sport or community spaces, this conversation will challenge how you think about sustainability, money, and leadership.