How to Start a Beach Volleyball Club — Step by Step

Founding a registered association (e.V.) in Germany requires at least seven founding members. These individuals must be of legal age and form the initial membership base at the founding assembly. It is important that you agree on the club's purpose beforehand — for a beach volleyball club, the focus is on promoting the sport of beach volleyball.

Before you invite people to the founding assembly, you need articles of association (Satzung). The Satzung is the constitution of your club and governs its purpose, membership, governing bodies, fee regulations, and dissolution. For registration as an e.V., the articles must contain certain minimum content as required by sections 57 and 58 of the German Civil Code.

Template articles for sports clubs are available from your regional sports federation (Landessportbund) or the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). You can adapt these templates to your needs. Make sure the purpose is formulated in a way that qualifies for non-profit status, so you can later apply for tax-exempt status at the tax office.

The founding assembly is the official kick-off for your club. Invite all founding members in writing and prepare an agenda. Typical items include: welcome, adoption of the articles of association, election of the board, and setting membership fees.

Minutes must be kept of the assembly, signed by all founding members. The founding protocol must contain the place, date, names of all attendees, the adopted articles, and the results of the board election. You will need this protocol later for registration in the register of associations.

Elect at least a chairperson and a deputy chairperson. For larger clubs, a treasurer and a secretary are also recommended.

After the founding assembly, you register with the register of associations at the competent local court. You will need: the adopted articles, the founding protocol with all signatures, and the registration by the board, which must be notarized.

Registration costs are approximately 75 euros in court fees plus notary fees (about 30-50 euros). The entire process typically takes two to six weeks. After registration, your club may use the suffix 'e.V.' (registered association).

In parallel, you should apply for non-profit tax-exempt status at the tax office. As a non-profit club, you are exempt from corporate and trade taxes and can issue donation receipts.

A club thrives on its members. After founding, recruiting members is one of the most important tasks. Use your existing network — many founding members know other beach volleyball enthusiasts. Organize open training sessions or trial days to introduce the sport to new people.

Social media is a powerful tool: create an Instagram page and a Facebook group, regularly post training photos and match results. Cooperate with local schools, universities, and gyms.

Don't forget to join your regional sports federation and the relevant volleyball association. This opens access to funding, coaching certifications, and organized competitions.

Once your club grows beyond 20 members, managing everything via spreadsheets becomes a nightmare. Modern club management software like OnSand Cloud takes the work off your hands: manage member data centrally, collect dues automatically, plan events, and streamline communication.

With a digital solution, you always have an overview of membership status, outstanding fees, and upcoming events. Board members can access data from anywhere.

OnSand Cloud was built specifically for sports clubs and is free for small clubs with up to 15 members, so you can go digital right from the start without budgeting for expensive software.