Are clubs being run by the right people?

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of curious what people think about the leadership and management staff of clubs around NOVA from the perspective of running a customer focused business. Perhaps this is stereotyping, but clubs seem to be populated by people who have profiles of being ex-athletes who often played soccer at a higher that average level and then pursued coaching credentials out the wazuu to position themselves in places of management. I don't see a lot of people running the show who possess basic competencies or experience in communications or business skills.

How often are your club's communications confusing (frequently, infrequently, never)? Are people particularly content with the role and performance of their team managers? Does your team consistently provide game footage (e.g., VEO)? What does your travel experience look like in terms of hotel arrangements and team building activities when you are traveling to competitions? What types of investments does your club make in college recruiting? What platform does you team rely on for calendaring practices and games - does it function flawlessly or change regularly? Does your club pursue corporate sponsorships? When was the last time your club sent out a survey to learn about its core constituents' needs? Are you aware of whether your club does basic business analysis on business activities and investments (e.g., advertising, equipment, coaching performance)?

[Anonymous]

Short answer is no.

Long answer is also no.

[Anonymous]

Terrible people running these soccer clubs.

[Anonymous]

This is not just a soccer problem. This is an all youth sports problem.

[Anonymous]

And once they get those positions they never let go. Many have never worked in a professional setting to understand the basics of running a proper business. Planning is always late, reactive approach, customer responses often takes closer to a week if at all. They are running a service and don’t act like it.

[Anonymous]

If they had the type of experience and abilities you want, they would be working in the corporate world. Soccer clubs are more like mom and pop shops than corporate businesses. Not a lot of upside in youth soccer to attract the best and brightest business minds coming from top universities. Clubs don’t bring in nearly enough money to employ and train analytics and communication staffs. Much of the work is done as a side gig for people with day jobs. What you ask is like asking if the local girl scouts are using analytics to help sell more cookies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And once they get those positions they never let go. Many have never worked in a professional setting to understand the basics of running a proper business. Planning is always late, reactive approach, customer responses often takes closer to a week if at all. They are running a service and don’t act like it.

Until this merger was forced by ECNL, all movement/decisions by all clubs have only been to protect and increase the salaries of directors. It’s the only motivation of those in charge and they know that winning attracts revenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of curious what people think about the leadership and management staff of clubs around NOVA from the perspective of running a customer focused business. Perhaps this is stereotyping, but clubs seem to be populated by people who have profiles of being ex-athletes who often played soccer at a higher that average level and then pursued coaching credentials out the wazuu to position themselves in places of management. I don't see a lot of people running the show who possess basic competencies or experience in communications or business skills.

How often are your club's communications confusing (frequently, infrequently, never)? Are people particularly content with the role and performance of their team managers? Does your team consistently provide game footage (e.g., VEO)? What does your travel experience look like in terms of hotel arrangements and team building activities when you are traveling to competitions? What types of investments does your club make in college recruiting? What platform does you team rely on for calendaring practices and games - does it function flawlessly or change regularly? Does your club pursue corporate sponsorships? When was the last time your club sent out a survey to learn about its core constituents' needs? Are you aware of whether your club does basic business analysis on business activities and investments (e.g., advertising, equipment, coaching performance)?

We have kids at Vienna. I know many board members, including the President, and they are all very nice people who are successful in their professional lives and are doing this in a volunteer capacity. As a parent whose kid benefits from their work, I appreciate their service.

That said, the majority of communications come from the paid club staff (Directors of coaching), and both the frequency and quality varies wildly. I do think the club needs work here, but that’s probably easier said than done.

We do usually get Veo footage for the older kids, but should use it more for the younger kids, IMO.

I’m a team manager, and so are several of my friends. I lead a 3,000 person organization in my professional life, and know another team manager who is C-suite at a local company. It seems often the busiest and most professionally successful parents are the ones who volunteer for the role. I can tell you from experience 90% of parents will not volunteer for anything related to youth soccer no matter how many times they are asked.

Generally, the team managers have been great, and the communications opportunities have been from the club centrally, or from the Coaching Directors or individual coaches.

In terms of the rest (sponsorships, running the club as a business), I primarily care about fields (we have them), coaching (mixed bag), and competitive playing opportunities for the kids (very mixed bag). But I do appreciate everything they are doing to maintain ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Op, your team manager is a parent just like you. They are not paid for their service. Are you stepping up to help your team manager? What makes you think the team managers abilities are in any way reflective of how the club is run? Communications from your club director are different, but you need to lay off the team managers. Better yet, you volunteer as the team manager and see how well you do.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t have elite players, it’s not worth the money.

My soccer kid enjoyed being with friends but the team was overall treated horribly by the club because they were not going to be D1 players.

The second year the club could not field a team but still charged us. Totally a racket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not just a soccer problem. This is an all youth sports problem.

Agree. My kid does a different sport but you described the business management accurately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of curious what people think about the leadership and management staff of clubs around NOVA from the perspective of running a customer focused business. Perhaps this is stereotyping, but clubs seem to be populated by people who have profiles of being ex-athletes who often played soccer at a higher that average level and then pursued coaching credentials out the wazuu to position themselves in places of management. I don't see a lot of people running the show who possess basic competencies or experience in communications or business skills.

How often are your club's communications confusing (frequently, infrequently, never)? Are people particularly content with the role and performance of their team managers? Does your team consistently provide game footage (e.g., VEO)? What does your travel experience look like in terms of hotel arrangements and team building activities when you are traveling to competitions? What types of investments does your club make in college recruiting? What platform does you team rely on for calendaring practices and games - does it function flawlessly or change regularly? Does your club pursue corporate sponsorships? When was the last time your club sent out a survey to learn about its core constituents' needs? Are you aware of whether your club does basic business analysis on business activities and investments (e.g., advertising, equipment, coaching performance)?

We have kids at Vienna. I know many board members, including the President, and they are all very nice people who are successful in their professional lives and are doing this in a volunteer capacity. As a parent whose kid benefits from their work, I appreciate their service.

That said, the majority of communications come from the paid club staff (Directors of coaching), and both the frequency and quality varies wildly. I do think the club needs work here, but that’s probably easier said than done.

We do usually get Veo footage for the older kids, but should use it more for the younger kids, IMO.

I’m a team manager, and so are several of my friends. I lead a 3,000 person organization in my professional life, and know another team manager who is C-suite at a local company. It seems often the busiest and most professionally successful parents are the ones who volunteer for the role. I can tell you from experience 90% of parents will not volunteer for anything related to youth soccer no matter how many times they are asked.

Generally, the team managers have been great, and the communications opportunities have been from the club centrally, or from the Coaching Directors or individual coaches.

In terms of the rest (sponsorships, running the club as a business), I primarily care about fields (we have them), coaching (mixed bag), and competitive playing opportunities for the kids (very mixed bag). But I do appreciate everything they are doing to maintain ECNL.

You could not be more correct. I'm a team treasurer and assistant team manager. I operate three businesses with 80+ employees. Last thing I need are additional tasks. When the emails were sent for parents to fill these positions it was crickets. I finally volunteered so the season could begin. Later, I found on one of my kid's teams there are three parents who are accountants and none of them volunteers to be treasurer. There are also plenty of stay at home mothers with only 1-2 kids already in school. None volunteered. Between two teams the team staff is made up of 90% full time working professionals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of curious what people think about the leadership and management staff of clubs around NOVA from the perspective of running a customer focused business. Perhaps this is stereotyping, but clubs seem to be populated by people who have profiles of being ex-athletes who often played soccer at a higher that average level and then pursued coaching credentials out the wazuu to position themselves in places of management. I don't see a lot of people running the show who possess basic competencies or experience in communications or business skills.

How often are your club's communications confusing (frequently, infrequently, never)? Are people particularly content with the role and performance of their team managers? Does your team consistently provide game footage (e.g., VEO)? What does your travel experience look like in terms of hotel arrangements and team building activities when you are traveling to competitions? What types of investments does your club make in college recruiting? What platform does you team rely on for calendaring practices and games - does it function flawlessly or change regularly? Does your club pursue corporate sponsorships? When was the last time your club sent out a survey to learn about its core constituents' needs? Are you aware of whether your club does basic business analysis on business activities and investments (e.g., advertising, equipment, coaching performance)?

You have a right to complain if you volunteered to take one of these staff positions which are 100% volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of curious what people think about the leadership and management staff of clubs around NOVA from the perspective of running a customer focused business. Perhaps this is stereotyping, but clubs seem to be populated by people who have profiles of being ex-athletes who often played soccer at a higher that average level and then pursued coaching credentials out the wazuu to position themselves in places of management. I don't see a lot of people running the show who possess basic competencies or experience in communications or business skills.

How often are your club's communications confusing (frequently, infrequently, never)? Are people particularly content with the role and performance of their team managers? Does your team consistently provide game footage (e.g., VEO)? What does your travel experience look like in terms of hotel arrangements and team building activities when you are traveling to competitions? What types of investments does your club make in college recruiting? What platform does you team rely on for calendaring practices and games - does it function flawlessly or change regularly? Does your club pursue corporate sponsorships? When was the last time your club sent out a survey to learn about its core constituents' needs? Are you aware of whether your club does basic business analysis on business activities and investments (e.g., advertising, equipment, coaching performance)?

We have kids at Vienna. I know many board members, including the President, and they are all very nice people who are successful in their professional lives and are doing this in a volunteer capacity. As a parent whose kid benefits from their work, I appreciate their service.

That said, the majority of communications come from the paid club staff (Directors of coaching), and both the frequency and quality varies wildly. I do think the club needs work here, but that’s probably easier said than done.

We do usually get Veo footage for the older kids, but should use it more for the younger kids, IMO.

I’m a team manager, and so are several of my friends. I lead a 3,000 person organization in my professional life, and know another team manager who is C-suite at a local company. It seems often the busiest and most professionally successful parents are the ones who volunteer for the role. I can tell you from experience 90% of parents will not volunteer for anything related to youth soccer no matter how many times they are asked.

Generally, the team managers have been great, and the communications opportunities have been from the club centrally, or from the Coaching Directors or individual coaches.

In terms of the rest (sponsorships, running the club as a business), I primarily care about fields (we have them), coaching (mixed bag), and competitive playing opportunities for the kids (very mixed bag). But I do appreciate everything they are doing to maintain ECNL.

You could not be more correct. I'm a team treasurer and assistant team manager. I operate three businesses with 80+ employees. Last thing I need are additional tasks. When the emails were sent for parents to fill these positions it was crickets. I finally volunteered so the season could begin. Later, I found on one of my kid's teams there are three parents who are accountants and none of them volunteers to be treasurer. There are also plenty of stay at home mothers with only 1-2 kids already in school. None volunteered. Between two teams the team staff is made up of 90% full time working professionals.

Clubs don’t have the money to hire people to do all these jobs so they rely on the kindness of volunteers. Name a well run business that uses volunteers to do the work. You get what you pay for. Think it costs a lot now for soccer? Imagine if the club had to hire people to do all these volunteer jobs how much the cost would go up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they had the type of experience and abilities you want, they would be working in the corporate world. Soccer clubs are more like mom and pop shops than corporate businesses. Not a lot of upside in youth soccer to attract the best and brightest business minds coming from top universities. Clubs don’t bring in nearly enough money to employ and train analytics and communication staffs. Much of the work is done as a side gig for people with day jobs. What you ask is like asking if the local girl scouts are using analytics to help sell more cookies.

Exactly. The club that DD pays at (the one getting shit on in 50% of the recently-created forum topics), is actually pretty good at most everything I expect them to be good at. And if they had more staff to manage things that parents manage, like video, tournaments, etc, I would probably be complaining about the organization being bloated.

It's a non-profit youth sports organization, not a Fortune 500 company.